I learned this first hand this morning. As the alarm screamed at me, I didn't want to get up. Even after coffee, I still didn't feel like working out. I had zero motivation.
So what is motivation? According to Meriam-Webster online, to motivate is "to provide with a motive". Long-term, that's a great plan. Your motives will help you reach a long-term goal. 'I want to get healthier.' 'I want more energy.' 'I want to feel and look good.' But short-term, sometimes hitting snooze and rolling over seems like the best idea.Many of us equate motivation to an emotion. Motivation is when you think of things you want to do, like going to the beach, eating ice cream, or seeing an old friend. Motivation is something fun that you look forward to! Like exercise? Um, sometimes yes...but often no.
And that's where my husband and Nike come in. (Yes, apparently they've teamed up.) As long as I've known him, my husband Keith has faithfully gotten up at 4:30 am every weekday morning to work out. Disgusting, right? As Keith puts it, he just gets up and starts exercising before his brain knows what he's doing. Motivation not required. Nike translated his philosophy into a million dollar tagline: "Just do it."
Those words rang so true for me this morning. I did not want to work out. And that was an oddity for me. I usually wake up full of motivation and enthusiasm. And when I don't, motivation typically starts brewing about five minutes into my workout. This morning it didn't. I was tired and felt blah the entire workout. I did High Fitness, which demands motivation and energy. And I usually respond in kind. Most mornings I'm watching the mirror's reflection grinning like a goof while happily doing burpees and tuck jumps to upbeat music. But this morning, as every high energy song in the 18-song playlist began, I scowled and wanted to quit.
But I didn't. And that's the point. Despite having zero motivation, I kept going. Why? Because a stronger force kicked in—self-discipline. I literally pummeled my body. Was it the greatest workout I've ever had? Absolutely not. In fact, I think I heard my Garmin watch laughing at me. I burned at least 15% fewer calories than I normally do.
But I considered this morning's workout a huge victory. Why? Because I did it. I showed up. And I finished. Mornings like today lead to consistency, which leads to progress. If I quit every time I wasn't motivated to work out, I'd be at square one over and over and over again.
That's not to say I haven't failed or had false starts from time to time. I have. And you will too. Give yourself plenty of grace for that. But if you want to see real progress in the way that you look and feel, you've got to be consistent. Don't wait for motivation. Sometimes you won't feel like it. But if you show up anyway and do the work, you'll come out of it with the most incredible sense of power and determination. And who knows? It might even create a little motivation for the next workout.
So the moral of the story? Self-discipline trumps motivation.
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