I want to be healthier and do more fitness. It’s something most of us say on a regular basis yet we don’t do it. We then worry about it all day – we feel guilty for not going to the gym in the morning or for deciding at lunchtime that we can’t be bothered to go after work. Ironically this is the model gyms are built on – a subscription model where gyms make money on your lack of motivation. Clever right?

So, why can’t we find the motivation to do something we really know would benefit us in the long term? Why do we feel guilty about not doing an activity that is 100% under our control – we decide not to go, no one else.

The answer? Nobody is naturally motivated to do anything but they must FORCE themselves to do so. Yes, those people who seem super motivated had to force themselves to get up at 5am to go for a run – over time they formed a habit which makes it a little less painful each time. I recently watched a fantastic Ted Talk by Mel Robbins who spoke of the 5 second rule. Essentially if you come up with an idea, whether that is to go out for a run, change something in your business or even your work, you must make that decision and follow through with it within 5 seconds otherwise you won’t do it. It only takes 5 seconds for you to start coming up with excuses and sooner or later something more important will come up.

So, when you decide that you are going to get up in the morning at 5am to go to the gym don’t snooze. Jump up when that first alarm bell rings and get to the gym – you will feel amazing for it! Don’t get me wrong, it will be hard at first and you will be swearing my name under your breath. BUT I promise it gets easier because you start to feel the benefits and ultimately you can proudly tell people “Yes, I go to the gym regularly” or “Yes, I cold called 50 people this week and made my first sale”.

If that still doesn’t help you then I suggest you read my blog ‘We can all be visionaries’ – if you have a vision you will find it much easier to find the motivation to do those often uncomfortable or hard tasks (Why? Because you have a destination that you need to get to). A vision has certainly helped me gain that motivation to push through the hard times!

#MissMotivator

P.S. Remember to check out Mel Robbins Ted Talk by clicking here.