Highs and lows in life find a way to challenge our motives and goals in life. I frequently find myself at “rock bottom” knocking to see if that’s all life has to throw at me. Motivation is not only vital to a healthy fitness lifestyle but in everyone’s drive and self-efficacy. If you are wanting to get a promotion, or pursue your dream, there has to be some sort of motivation driving your efforts and confidence in your capabilities. In this post, I will discuss the sources of our motivation, types and what that means for each beautiful person, as well as how to continue pushing when life kicks us down pretty hard.
Many psychological theorists and researchers spend lifetimes conceptualizing motivation. There are 2 common ideologies of motivation I will be outlining here:
intrinsic motivation: doing something for the enjoyment of the activity and happiness it brings, sometimes providing a sense of priority in our day
extrinsic motivation: doing something because of an outside persuasion
Not every situation is created equal in that sometimes we have different motivational factors. For example, I may be extrinsically motivated to work harder at my job, to get a raise, but also be intrinsically motivated to workout because of the joy it brings me afterward. No one person is solely just intrinsic or extrinsic in nature.
Although there is a lot of uncertainty about the psychological components of motivation, something that is more understood is how these motivations affect the longevity of pushing for a specific goal. It is understood that having more intrinsic motivation/enjoyment for an activity, the longer and harder we are willing to work for it. A part of the reasoning for this is because once the external factors of extrinsic motivation are removed (money, food, etc…) there is no longer motivated to work hard.
By tailoring our intrinsic motivation to what we enjoy, we are able to stay motivated longer and work harder. Some things that can promote and nourish our intrinsic motivation are things that we are challenged by, pertinent to our life, or excite and stimulate us.
In relation to fitness, some days are easier than others, but staying motivated is very important. Something I find that helps me to stay motivated is to write down positive affirmations or even say them out loud. I was having a terrible day the other day and I sat down at my desk and told myself “I love my life” out loud. I also use positive self-talk to remind myself that I have strengths even when my weaknesses seem to overcome me.
5 quick tips when you are running low on motivation
remember why you started
remember your goals {don’t forget the big picture, but conquer small tasks along the way}
find something new that peaks your interest and try it out
remind yourself you’re beautiful {positive self-talk}
show the world what you’re capable of, and never forget where you came from
Every day is a new day.
-Stay Beautiful
-MM
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