Are you now, or have you ever been, struggling to find motivation? Do the goals you set not feel like they have any meaning, or do you forget about them soon after setting them? Has the conversation below ever take place when setting a goal?
"So why do you want to do that?"
*uncertain pause*
"…to look good and feel better? What do you mean, 'why'? Isn't that enough?"
Seem familiar? When setting a goal with your Vision Personal Trainer, we'll always ask 'why'. The two go hand in hand; what you want, and why you want it. Seems simple, right?
The reality, however, is that finding our 'why' behind our goals can be anything but simple. 'Looking good' and 'feeling better' are outcomes, results of a goal achieved, but not reasons why you want to achieve it. Your 'why' for setting and working towards a goal is rooted in your emotions; anyone who has worked towards and achieved a goal has come to terms with their emotions, their 'why'. So what emotions are driving you?
"Why do you hurt?"
"What do you need?"
"What do you want?"
These three questions are at the root of many of our goals. Often, when someone comes in with the goal of losing weight, if they're hurting emotionally their 'why' comes easily:
- "I hate the way I look"
- "I feel uncomfortable in my own skin"
- "I don't feel like myself"
The hurt is what's driving them, and indeed it can be a powerful driving force. The pain of changing their lifestyle, their eating and their exercise is less than the pain they feel everyday. Are you being driven by hurt? And if not, what is driving you?
What do you need? Different from pain, the 'needs' behind a goal vary hugely person to person:
- "I'm at risk of becoming a diabetic"
- "I need to lose weight or I have to go in for surgery"
- "I need to improve my health so I can give birth to a healthy child"
Needs are relative to the individual, but the drive is still there. Look at your goals; is there a 'need' behind it? Or is it something you want?
Wants are different again. If you're unsure on the difference, think about your last impulse buy on Ebay; did you need it, or want it?
- "I want to challenge myself"
- "I want prove to myself and my family I can do it"
- "I want to look good at the beach"
Again, relative to the individual, yet still capable of being a powerful driver. With 'want' as a motivation however, it can be difficult to keep on track as you may lose that motivation over time, when the moment you set the goal has come and gone, and you have to follow through on the steps you must take to achieve it.
What will achieving that goal do for you? How will you feel once you've achieved it? Remind yourself of the feeling you'll have once you complete it, keep it in your mind as you work towards it. This can be an invaluable tool for setting long term 'want' goals to keep you on target to achieving them.
Think about your goals the next time you set them with your Vision Personal Trainer. Once you know 'what', dig into your 'why'. Once you have that clearly defined, it all falls into place.
Yours in Health and Fitness,
Alex Campbell
Personal Trainer at Vision Personal Training Neutral Bay
*Disclaimer: Individual results vary based on agreed goals. Click here for details.
