Commit to be Fit: The key to motivation is surprisingly simple -- action

After being in the health and fitness industry for over 15 years, I feel like I learned a new secret to motivation. And I will tell you it’s not what I thought it was. What’s the secret to feeling motivated, you ask? It’s surprisingly simple: just do it.

When I first encountered the idea that action inspires motivation, I scoffed at the idea. “Well, that doesn’t make sense,” I thought, “Don’t you have to WANT to do something before you actually end up doing it?”

For years, I operated with the mentality that “motivation comes before action” before finally realizing that perhaps that’s not always true. While motivation can precede action, you can’t rely on feeling motivated all the time. That’s when adopting a “just do it” attitude will help you tackle your goals.

Most recently in my journey towards a healthier lifestyle, I found that as the parent of four young children, if I waited for that perfect moment of inspiration to strike, chances are I would be waiting a very long time.

Armed with this new awareness, instead of waiting for motivation to strike, I try to think “Just do it,” which empowers me to strap the kiddos into their stroller to enjoy the outdoors or choose a piece of fruit over a processed sweet treat. Much to my surprise, I found that one positive action step often precedes another positive step and those action steps become my motivation, not the other way around.

AIM for action

Remember this acronym: AIM — Action Inspires Motivation. Aim for your goals by taking action first. Try it. Lace up your sneakers and go for a five-minute walk. That action will probably inspire you to walk for a bit longer. For writers, take action by telling yourself you will write one page, and you may end up writing more. Again, action inspires motivation.

Create a support group

Your environment and the people you spend time with are crucial to your success. Make it a goal to surround yourself with positivity and support, and you'll find it much easier to achieve your goals. Recently, my husband and I attended a small gathering where the hosts introduced a fun challenge they saw online where individuals wrote personal and couple goals on champagne bottles.

The idea was simple: write your goal on your champagne bottle, take it home and once you achieve the goal, pop the champagne, celebrate and then share your success with the group. This not only made goal-setting fun, but it also created an awesome support group.

We have our champagne bottle with our shared goal on the top shelf in our kitchen and every time my husband and I look at it, we are reminded of our shared goal and the additional support system we have. When one of the friends in our group achieves their goal and pops open their bottle, it inspires the rest of us to keep pushing toward our own goals.

The take-away

Change comes from consistency and discipline, not from fleeting moments of inspiration or motivation. Don't wait for motivation to start your journey towards better health. Take action first, and let motivation follow. Set clear goals, know why it’s important to you, and have a group that supports you.

Remember, every small step you take is a step closer to a healthier, happier you. So, whatever your goal, just do it! Your future self will thank you.

  Buy Photo

Kylie Alger is a certified wellness coach and co-owner of the Well-Woman: Body, Mind & Spirit. Comments: kylie@thewellwoman.org.