Five ways to succeed

One of the main differences between those who succeed and those who don’t is the word “yet.”

“I’m not strong enough. Yet.”

“I don’t know how to do this. Yet.”

“I can’t handle this. Yet.”

Article by Selver Ahmed (click here to read about our guest fitness expert)

Here are five ways to keep yourself motivated:

Have a deep reason:

A deeper reason is the fail-safe that keeps you going when you’ve got nothing else left in your tank.

This mental image has to be uncomplicated because when you’re hitting rock-bottom from stress, you won’t have the capacity to sort through complex, abstract concepts. You need one image that cuts directly to your core, no matter how tired you are.

Find meaning being uncomfortable:

This is my favorite - I've learned to be comfortable being uncomfortable. It is the only way to grow. Nothing grows in the comfort zone.

In order to keep working towards something big, this purpose needs to be a frequent, daily presence in your mind.

Prioritize systems over willpower:

If motivation isn’t the answer, willpower must be what we need, right? Not quite.

Systems help us prioritize what to do and when to do it. They also remove a lot of the effort and willpower we think are required to get things done.

This approach of shaping your environment to help yourself succeed works with any type of habit you’re struggling to stick to.

Separate your feelings from your identity:

It is something I've learned throughout years of competing. I don't let my emotions lead me. The taste of victory is greater than the taste of a donut or Chinese takeout.

Our moment-to-moment feelings don’t have to determine who we are or what we choose to do. Simply knowing this can make it easier to carry on when we don’t feel like it.

Use low moments to your advantage:

Every time I didn't achieve my weekly goal, every time I didn't place at all in a competition, every time life threw stones at me, I used it to my advantage and never looked back. Looking back can't change anything, I only learn my lessons from the past and don't make the mistakes again.

No matter how many bad things you went through in the past, you were still alive when they were over.

The next time you crash and burn or feel like you keep getting knocked down, remember that even failure provides an opportunity.

Motivation, if anything, is an outcome.

Ariely D, Norton.

My last point on Motivation:

Motivation DOES NOT exist! Habits, Discipline, Setting big goals are the way to move forward.