Fitness Plan Tip #1: Motivation

MOTIVATION

There are many reasons to improve fitness.  You know this, I know this, everybody knows this.  If you are reading this, it is fair to assume that you are interested in improving your physical attributes, and if that is important to you, then it is important to define your motivations.

If you want to be successful in achieving your fitness goals, you need to think about your motivations daily, at the very least.

Motivations are the reasons for your personal transformation.  Motivations consistently fall into two categories: 1) health 2) vanity.

Vanity is a great motivator, and you should not feel ashamed for including aspects of vanity in your motivations and goals.

Looking better is not a crime, not a bad thing, and in fact will likely be the most powerful motivator in becoming the new you.

I feel that honesty and openness are important factors in our discourse, so in the interest of full disclosure, I will tell you what my motivations are:

1) I want to always be ready to go for a walk, chop firewood, run three miles, play a pickup football game, throw a baseball, lift a load of plywood, etc.

I do not want to be sore after any of these activities, and I do not want my activities limited because I am too weak or out of shape to participate.

2) I want to be ready to defend myself and my family and friends should I ever need to.

3) I want to be mentally and physically prepared to survive the aftermath of a cataclysmic event, should one happen in my lifetime.

4) I want to feel amazing about myself every day, based on the way my body feels physically and the way I look in the mirror.

5) I never want to be picked last.

The bottom line is that motivations are important to achieving your overall health goals.  Type them out and print copies to put in your gym bag, on your bathroom mirror, at your desk, on your car's visor, etc.  The more you see your motivations, the less you will want to let yourself down by failing at the goals that you set for yourself.

Think very hard about this.  It will end up being of utmost importance to you and your training program.  Take a couple of minutes...a couple of days...a couple of weeks...to think about it and to come up with your motivations.  Type them out, print them, and post them EVERYWHERE.  Don't cheat yourself.