Monthly Mindset – November 2019

Motivation or Dedication?

How many of you were extremely motivated when you first started your fitness journey? I know I was. Ah, the good ol’ days: waking up early because you were excited to go to the gym, getting through work with a smile on your face because you knew you were going to the gym later, and then practically running into the gym because you knew the best hour of your day was starting. But somewhere along the way, something changed. Maybe you started to dread certain days, or you just didn’t feel like going one day. Then one day became two, became three…

At some point we all lost motivation, in some way, shape, or form. Some of us found it again and we were back to our normal selves, but many people struggle with finding motivation. I don’t know how many times I hear it: “I just need to find the motivation to get to the gym more.”

The problem with this is that motivation is fleeting. We have it one day and the next it is gone. Motivation is influenced by our lives and our moods and so is constantly changing. Instead, let’s focus on dedication. Dedication is being committed to a thing, and making it a part of your daily schedule whether you feel up to it or not. Often times we know that we need to do the thing, whether it be for happiness, health, or professional reasons, but fall prey to procrastination or laziness. STOP PUTTING IT OFF! It may be difficult at first, but if you stick with it, the thing will start to become part of your daily schedule and become second nature (for the purposes of this post we are referring to exercise, but you can apply dedication to every aspect of your life).

What I would like for you to do this month is write down a fitness goal. It can be as simple as “make it to the gym 3 days a week” or as complicated as “learn how to do double unders”. Once you have your goal (or goals), practice dedication and make your goal happen. Put the gym on your work calendar so that you (and your co-workers) know you have to leave exactly at 4:45. Set an alarm if you have to! Stay after class to jump rope, even if you are dead tired and have to go home to cook dinner. Find an accountability partner to hold you to your goals and learn dedication together. Take small steps to work on dedication and eventually they will become second nature.

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