It’s common knowledge that maybe around 90% of people never get to follow through with their New Year’s resolutions. There are many ‘excuses’ given but simply the main problem is not being able to sustain enough momentum throughout the year to be a ‘finisher’.
Somehow most people just really lose motivation along the way and because they don’t have that fire burning anymore, they simply just stop working on their goal and fall off track maybe after 3 months and that’s it, they’re done.
I experienced this recently when I just didn’t feel like I had enough motivational gas to just “kill it”. This happens to me sometimes either when I’m really tired or what. The funny thing about emotions is that sometimes you can’t really control them. Sure, I want to be happy and motivated and PUMPED up right from the get go when I wake up. It always helps to feel that way, you kill workouts easily. But this isn’t the case.
I woke up yesterday feeling neutral to low, not really motivated, looked at the workout for the day which looks like this:
- 10 Burpees
- 20 Lunges
- 30 Squats
- Rest 1 minute. Rinse and Repeat 5 times
- 10 Pull Ups
- 20 Power-overs
- 10 Kettle Bell Swings
- Rest 1 minute. Rinse and Repeat 5 times
What I really needed to get through a workout like this was pure motivation and that pumped up feeling that you just want to destroy everything. Again, I was feeling a little neutral to low for reasons that I do not want to discuss, anyway that’s not important haha
Surprisingly, I just sucked it up, turned the volume on and listened to some Limp Bizkit and repped away. Amazingly, I went through the workout and had a great time! My whole mood changed throughout the day. I’d like to share with you some insights that I gathered from this experience:
- Realize that you don’t have full control over your emotions – Sometimes you’re pumped up, sometimes you’re not. Sometimes you’re really motivated and feel that you can crush just about anything. But do not rely on this to get through a workout! This is not a stable base to be leaning on! Emotions should fuel the workout but shut it out if you’re feeling a little low or something. This will only cause you to procrastinate and fall off the wagon easily.
- Let Go of Expectations – When we’re motivated and feeling pumped up, we kind of expect to be ripping and shredding throughout the workout. When you’re feeling low to neutral and just don’t feel like working out don’t expect anything! Just focus on the task at hand and power through it and do your best. You will surprise yourself. You’ll notice that as you go along the workout, you’re doing better than expected. It could also be the spark that will motivate you throughout the day.
- Just do it - Of course this is the most cliche of all the steps but really, you just have to do it. Perform the task as planned (which is why you should have a workout plan in the first place). Know that it is in these times (when you’re not feeling pumped up) when it is absolutely crucial that you workout. Not only will this send a message to your subconscious that you are in control and not your emotions, it will also make it easier for you to continue on your journey despite what you feel. Emotions are erratic, you can be feeling good now and crappy later, but if you have a stable base to which you could lean on (your commitment and discipline to just do it despite what you feel), you’ll have a lot more confidence in yourself that you can do it no matter what.
It’s funny because the more you’re able to really get in the zone even when you’re not motivated enough, the more it becomes easier to workout because you don’t need any of that emotion to perform your tasks. I’m not saying that motivation is not important, it surely is, but when you can commit to your plan even when you don’t feel like it, you set yourself up for MORE days when you’re killing your workouts on a normal day and destroying them when you’re pumped up.
