Part 1: My Struggle With Motivation.
Personally, I have never struggled with motivation to workout or eat healthy.
Until this year.
18 months of shoulder pain and endless attempts to help resolve it finally led me to a major surgery.
That recovery and rehabilitation process from shoulder surgery has tested me more in the last 8 months mentally than I could have ever expected.
Losing function, ability, strength, mobility – and coming to terms with the reality of losing a part of my own identity, or how I identified with myself for so many years.
I found myself a bit lost.
It brought me to the darker edges of my mind.
All these swirling disempowering thoughts ruminated in my mind.
Without a clear and certain future, I was lost in my thoughts and feelings.
And I wasn’t talking about it to anyone.
That was mistake #1.
I was suffering and taking part in creating my own internal suffering.
How did I get out of this place?
Part 2: Understanding Motivation
We’ll get to how I got out of the dark hole in a moment, but first let’s take a deeper dive into what exactly is motivation?
Motivation to me is
The internal drive or desire to achieve a goal or take action. It stems from feelings, inspiration, or external rewards.
It is influenced by external factors like rewards, encouragement, progress and is often fleeting.
It comes and it goes.
It is NOT consistent and isn’t something we can rely on to be constant.
Motivation comes in various forms:
Motivation can stem from two primary sources: intrinsic and extrinsic.
Intrinsic motivation comes from within, driven by personal satisfaction and enjoyment. For example, exercising because you love the feeling it brings fosters a deeper, more sustainable commitment.
In contrast, extrinsic motivation relies on external factors, such as rewards or recognition.
While it can prompt initial action, like training for a personal best, it may not sustain long-term engagement once those rewards are removed or not in sight.
Motivation is also influenced by various factors, including stress, environment, and goals.
High stress levels can drain energy and enthusiasm, while a supportive environment can enhance motivation.
Clear, achievable goals provide direction, but vague objectives can lead to frustration.
Understanding these dynamics can help you cultivate lasting motivation on your fitness journey.
Part 3: My Personal Struggles With Motivation:
Before my surgery in April my right shoulder was in constant pain for almost 2 years.
I was in pain so long I adapted to living a daily life in pain.
I had limitations in range of motion.
I had things I could no longer do in training.
And it was only getting worse.
I found myself trying thing after thing to get relief and solve my issue. While I’d experience temporary relief from some of these, nothing was long lasting.
I invested countless economics behind this, saw and sought 5-6 different doctors, flew across the country and back in a day to get stem cells.
Nothing was working or helping me get out of pain and restore function.
Choosing to have surgery was my last resort and not an easy decision.
I severely underestimated the challenges associated with recovery.
Priding myself in being a mentally strong individual and high levels of self discipline I was put to the test.
I struggled a lot more than I expected.
I realize now part of my downfall was my measurement of what “success” was.
In my mind, success was being able to get my arm over my head (full range of motion) and restore some of my function and ability and that included being able to perform movements I could once do (strict pull-ups, press overhead etc.)
I deemed this being “functional” again.
Everyday I’d raise my arm over my head only to get to eye level.
And not hitting that mark was – well failing.
I also struggled mentally when I lost 10lbs in this rehab process.
Seeing my body change not in a way I wanted to.
Not seeing the progress in my shoulder at the speed I wanted.
For 2 months after surgery, I was out of my business recovering, couch bound with limited daily activity.
I started to lose it a bit between the ears.
But what became even harder than that – was when I started to reintegrate back into my business andI realized I had to approach Coaching differently.
Pair that with my struggles to navigate my fitness journey now, like when my attempts at jumping back into classes too soon came with more setbacks and pain in different areas of my body, frustration was stacking.
The compounding nature of all this challenged me at an all time high mentally.
I no longer knew this body I was in.
Truthfully, I sadly felt like a lesser version of myself without function and certain abilities.
From even a primal sense if I needed to protect myself or my loved ones.
What kept me going?
Well one I have the core belief that our health and fitness is the foundation for everything – so I’d never give up on myself in that area.
Two – I got help. I explored various professionals, from physical therapists, personal trainers, remote coaching pain specialists, and various research on my own to finally land on a remote physical therapist and pain specialist who is my current coach.
Getting help from other professionals and talking about this openly was the best thing I did for myself.
Part 3: Observations as a Health and Fitness Coach
As a Health and Fitness Coach in this space for 13 years I have seen my fair share of folks struggle with their motivations and internal struggles.
Common patterns I’ve observed over the years are:
- not prioritizing of their self care in the form of fitness and nutrition,
- relying on external factors or drives (which invariably come and go)
- mental health struggles,
- leaning more into poor lifestyle factors than consistently healthy ones
- laziness.
Which usually results in quitting on themselves and their fitness.
What I’ve seen when people quit, give in to no or low motivation usually resulting in:
- not exercising anymore,
- gaining unwanted weight,
- feeling more stressed,
- becoming unhealthier,
- becoming unhappier.
How I’ve seen people consistently overcome these time and time again is:
- they’re consistent no matter what. They show up regardless of the workout, the class, how they feel, when they want to or don’t want to. They aren’t upset when they make it 4x one week and 2x the next. They know it all compounds over time and are consistent over the long haul.
- they invest in self care outside of training, be it therapy, meditation, a support group. Detachment from social media. Embracing recharge and solo time. They work on their mind, thoughts and internal journey.
- they have a deeper why that’s not surface level like a back squat always moving up in weight. And it usually consists of a multitude of factors that aren’t swayed by the ebbs and flows of training or life. [health, friendships, mental health, energy levels, blood markers, weight management, stress relief, having fun, 1 hour for themselves, the accomplishment at the end of session regardless of what it is.]
Part 4: Lessons Learned
Relying on motivation is a slippery and unreliable slope. It will be higher at times and lower at others.
And we live in a world of things aiming to grab and keep your attention (social media, netflix, your email, work etc.)
Building the habit of being a self disciplined individual in my opinion is one of the greatest attributes you can build for yourself.
Doing things even when you’d rather not. Haven’t we all experienced workouts like this? Yet we always come out feeling better, progress and accomplished. Proud of ourselves.
The ability to control impulses, stay focused on tasks, and consistently follow through on commitments, even when motivation wanes.
Comes from within and is built through practice and habit. It remains constant, regardless of emotional state.
Self-Discipline: Sustains action over time. It helps maintain consistency and commitment, especially when motivation is low.
Self-Discipline: Ensures progress toward goals, even in the absence of motivation, leading to more reliable outcomes
In the realm of health and fitness, self-discipline is the bridge between motivation and lasting change. It’s not just about sticking to a routine; it’s about making choices that align with your best self, day in and day out.
With self-discipline, you become the architect of your own success, crafting a lifestyle that celebrates you, your progress, your resilience, and the thrill of conquering challenges.
Part 5: Conclusion:
We all will struggle with our own motivation in all areas of our lives.
Getting clear on what matters and what is truly important to us is key.
And without our health we simply cannot lead and live our best selves and lives.
Building the habit of self discipline to support us when our motivation is low is how we carry on and continue towards better health and versions of ourselves.
Need Support?
- Struggling with motivation at the moment? Book a goal review – 15 min sit down with a coach. Let’s unpack it, talk about your goals and create a plan that excites you.
Email: info@railroadcrossfit – Book me a goal review!