Exercise

Long-Term Motivation: Finding the What Behind the Why

Hello and Happy New Year! January is the month of change and fresh starts. As always, the new year ushers in new goals and resolutions. Many people often find themselves at the gym or on a new workout regimine, striving to reach their personal fitness goals. However, as time marches on, the motivation established on January 1st slowly depletes. Before you know it, all the motivation you once had is gone, you’re back to your usual habits, and your goals are not achieved. It’s easy to establish your personal goals and resolutions for the new year. The difficult part is staying motivated long term. The key to keeping that long-term motivation is finding the what behind the why. What aspect of your life is the fuel behind your reasoning to make a change? Many people’s resolutions often consist of “surface whys.” When asked why they want to improve their physical health, they often give reasons such as “I want to lose weight,” “I want to fit into my new swimsuit,” “so I don’t have a heart attack,” or, “for my spouse/kids.” These are all completely valid reasons to want to improve your physical health! But in order to maintain long-term motivation, you have to want to do it for yourself. You have to truly look within yourself, acknowledge what you can’t do, and think about why that is upsetting. Why is it worth making a change over?