Greg McCoy, Owner of Hidden Gym
What’s the difference between motivation and commitment, and why should you care? This important topic will give you an edge tackling any goals you set, including your health and fitness goals.
Motivation PUSHES you to start, while commitment KEEPS you going. People often don’t realize that motivation is temporary. Some days you’ll feel motivated, and others you won’t. Everyone’s had days they don’t feel like going to the gym. I have those days too.
When motivation fades, commitment comes in. Commitment is having the grit to work toward your goal even when you don’t feel like it.
Getting Motivated
Motivation Myth: motivation comes before you get started.
Motivation is often the result of taking action, not the cause of it.
“One of the most surprising things about motivation is that it often comes after starting a new behavior, not before.” –Brian Cain, Mental Performance Mastery Coach
On unmotivated days, getting to the gym is the hardest part. How do you prevent “losing” the day? Preventative measures and accountability. Remember, motivation will come after taking action.
- Schedule your workouts in your calendar.
- Have an accountability partner.
- Commit to meeting someone at the gym.
- Hire a trainer that’s going to be waiting on you.
- Have someone ask you tonight about how your 4pm workout went.
Motivation & Commitment Exercise
Write down a time you felt motivated but were not committed. For example:
In January I was motivated to lose 10 lbs., but I was not committed to the process so I didn’t achieve my goal.
Write down a time you were committed but didn’t feel motivated. Example:
In college I wasn’t motivated to pass my biology class, but I was committed to earning my degree. So I attended class, studied, and passed biology.
Four Ways to Increase Your Commitment
- Know your “Powerful Why.” Consistently reminding yourself WHY you want to achieve your goal — the benefits of sticking it through — will keep you committed on unmotivated days.
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Have SMART Goals.
S – Specific
M – Measurable
A – Attainable
R – Realistic
T – Time-based
- Keeping your goals SMART is proven to increase your likelihood of success.
- Break down long-term goals into weekly and daily goals. Truthfully all fitness goals can be boiled down to one meal and one workout at a time.
- Accountability. This powerful tool is excellent at keeping you committed.
- Schedule workouts with a partner.
- Have someone ask you about your workouts.
- Hire a personal trainer. We put effort into things we pay for.
Understanding motivation vs. commitment is often a lightbulb moment for getting people on the right path. Hopefully with personal reflection and putting these ideas and exercises into practice, you will be much closer to reaching your finish line.
Free Workout: Beach Body 10s
I did this workout on my birthday to burn serious calories and make room for the huge feast I planned that evening!
10 rounds with no breaks
- 10 kettlebell swings
- 10 pushups
- 10 inverted rows
- 10 calories on a fan bike*
*If you don’t have equipment that measures output by calories, use any stationary cardio machine for 45 seconds at a 7/10 intensity.
The aim is to do this workout with no breaks, so you will need to pace yourself. Set up your stations before you begin and make sure you’re properly warmed up. Vary the intensity by changing kettlebell weight and speed of burning the 10 calories.
Beach Body 10s should be done stand-alone or after a strength or endurance training session.
Want to workout for free at Hidden Gym? If you live in the Allen, TX area, come by Hidden Gym and get a workout in on me! https://hiddengym.net/free-day-pass/