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THE IMPORTANCE OF MOTIVATION

In the world of health and wellness coaching, setting goals is an important factor. Everyone has a goal.

“I want to lose 20 pounds.”

“I want to run a 5K.”

“I want to fit into my skinny jeans again.”

“I want to play with my kids and not feel like I got the wind knocked out of me.”

And while having a goal and figuring out the best way to accomplish that goal is important, one of the most overlooked steps in goal setting is MOTIVATION.

WHY do you want to accomplish this goal? What is the reason you want to change?

As a health coach, my job is to help clients understand that WHY. We concentrate on tying together the overall vision you have for your future self to the lifestyle changes you are seeking now.

And are the reasons you are pursuing this goal STRONG enough to keep you on track?

Having strong motivators is important because there are ALWAYS going to be obstacles, challenges and setbacks in your health and wellness journey. Life happens and things are going to come along to derail your progress.

My personal example is that over the weekend I tweaked my knee and have been experiencing pain, swelling, and stiffness. Not enough to send me to the hospital or put me on crutches, but enough that it’s been “talking” to me when I move too fast or in a way it doesn’t like.

This has put a MAJOR kink in my exercise goals. Getting out and briskly walking for cardio has been on hold for the last few days.

BUT….

My motivation to continue my weight loss and health journey is STRONG. I’ve been more careful about what I’m eating, and I’m trying to add seated exercises into my day (and yes, that’s actually a thing – seated exercise routines).

By staying focused on solutions and possibilities, goals can still be accomplished if the motivation is there.

A good place to start is to ask yourself a couple of questions:

What is important to you about this goal?

What is driving you to accomplish this goal?

What results are you looking for?

Motivation can be broken down into 2 categories – Intrinsic Motivation and Extrinsic Motivation.

Intrinsic is being motivated by personal or inner factors. Extrinsic is being motivated by external factors. An example of Intrinsic Motivation would be running a 5K just for the satisfaction of knowing you completed the race or running it to support a charitable cause. An Extrinsic Motivation would be running the same 5K for the purpose of getting a medal to display on your wall.

Neither type of motivation is better or worse than the other, but studies have shown that people who are INTRINSICALLY motivated are more likely to accomplish their goals than those who are Extrinsically motivated.

While I have several Intrinsic Motivators to keep me going on my personal journey (helping my husband, helping my family and friends, helping my community and others), I also have Extrinsic Motivators too (certain clothes I would like to wear, and most importantly, winning a bet I made with my younger brother!!!)

The key is not necessarily which form of motivation you rely on, but WILL THAT MOTIVATION GET YOU TO THE FINISH LINE?

While I find it personally and internally satisfying to help other people, there is nothing like good old sibling rivalry to push me that extra step to reach my goals. And that’s why I’ve been able to cut back on the junk food, stick to my meal plan, and add ANY extra movement (excluding things involving my knee) to help me win that bet!

(And I may have also encouraged my sister-in-law to keep feeding my brother extra cheesecake every night!)

Whatever your circumstances, it’s not only important to BE motivated to accomplish your goals, it is equally (or more so) important to understand WHY you want to accomplish your goals. Understanding the WHY will help you be even MORE motivated to stay the course and reach your health and wellness goal.

Until next time….

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