My clients often ask me to help them get more motivated to work out and maintain a regular fitness routine. People think of motivation as the feeling that logically leads to action, and so they assume that the motivation has to be there first to help them get started with healthy habits like exercising and healthy eating.
Sound familiar?
Here’s the real deal: Action actually leads to motivation!
You may not feel motivated in the morning to lace up your shoes and go for a jog. However, 10 minutes later, when you’re feeling good, and you figure that sure, you can do another 10 minutes, that’s action leading to motivation!
Similarly, you might not be excited to swap out your favorite junk food for fruits and veggies at the grocery store, but when a week passes and you’re feeling great, and you find yourself looking for new healthy recipes to try out, guess what? That’s also action leading to motivation!
Nobody can expect to magically generate motivation and a can-do spirit out of thin air – but if you take even one new action, however small, you’ll prove to yourself that you CAN make progress towards your fitness goals, and adding more new actions and healthy habits will become easier.
So, rather than worrying about whether you’re feeling motivated enough to succeed, consider what small action you can take right now – every bit counts.
Still need ideas for that very first step to take? I’m here to help you get started on the right foot!
Holly Kouvo is a personal trainer, functional aging specialist, senior fitness specialist, brain health trainer, writer, and speaker.