I try something else today.
In the past 15 years of working with customers I have learned that success in fitness is not only about knowing What To do … it’s about having strategies for when things become inevitably difficult.
Where do habits usually go? Why is the motivation bustling? And what can we actually Doing About it?
Behind the scenes I have built a “coaching toolkit” that maps all this. (In the current form there are 7 major challenges, 22 underlying causes and more than 50 tactics that I use with customers to help them stay on course.)
Today I want to zoom in on just one part of that toolkit: Three times motivation drops and how to respond.
I recorded a video of 15 minutes that ran through these ideas. You can view it On YouTubeOr treat it as a short podcast while driving, cooking or folding laundry.
And if you prefer the fast version, the highlights are here:
Dip #1: The first push
If you have trouble getting started with a fitness plan, or says to yourself: “I just can’t be motivated”, this is something for you.
Although this looks like a motivation problem, it often covers one sources problem.
If you are already super stressed, busy and have a ton on your plate, it is really difficult to add fitness on top of everything else.
Here are three tactics to try:
- The big why: Connect your goals with your core values by asking “Why” change is important for you several times. It will not directly tackle a problem with sources in itself, but it can be useful to fall back when making decisions about where you can concentrate your time and energy.
- Seduction: Combine something challenging with something fun.
- Upgrade your bat cave: Bring small changes in your environment to promote your desired behavior.
Dip #2: Everything or nothing
If you start really strong, but struggle to stay motivated long enough or to say to yourself: “I fell off the car and just couldn’t handle again,” this is for you.
We often put a lot of pressure on ourselves to do everything perfectly at the moment. Add our tendency to turn on our blinkers and try to simply “penetrate”, and we put ourselves on to repeat this pattern. And beyond. And beyond.
Here are two tactics to try:
- Call in the chieving: There is no “normal” day. So let’s plan that!
- Set an accumulation goal: Instead of building a perfect line, you focus on collecting practice instead.
Dip #3: ambiguous results
If you have been consistent for a while, but you have the feeling that you have not really noticed big changes, it can be very difficult to stay motivated!
This is a reason why we have discovered that you can visualize your progress over time is so important.
Here are two tactics to try:
- Zoom in, take out: Laser in your daily habits and training and collect data. Then take a step back every 2-6 weeks and evaluate your progress. This helps you to prevent constant comparisons, while you are still making corrections in time.
- Progression: Ask yourself: what has the progress of my training and habits look like in the past 4-6 weeks? If it stagnates, think of a small adjustment that you can make to get the ball rolling again. That could look like adding a few repetitions to your exercises, taking a walk during the day or to the next leveling Nerd Fitness Nutrition Live!
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That’s the core – but the the video Goes deeper into the details of each.
I would like to hear from you: do you like this format? More breakdowns in Whiteboard style of big ideas that you can come up with? Just press answer and let me know. -Mat
PS we rent! We are looking for one Marketing specialist to become a member of our team And work closely with me!
If you have the experience and the drive to help us make a difference in the fitness industry, view the link and consider applying. ❤️