Uncovering the true meaning behind your actions is essential to understanding your desires and aspirations in life. Whether it involves physical, mental, or emotional aspects, the question of why holds significant power in shaping both positive and negative habits.
Before embarking on a new goal, it is crucial to ask yourself why you want to achieve it. For instance, if your current objective is to lose weight through gym workouts, it is important to have a specific reason for wanting to shed those pounds. Merely aiming to lose weight may not be as effective as, say, wanting to shed excess pounds so you can actively participate in playing football with your children. By aligning your goal with a meaningful purpose, such as enjoying quality time with your kids, your motivation and determination are likely to increase.
Harnessing a compelling why can provide the necessary drive to uphold discipline in various areas of your life, including exercise, healthy eating, staying hydrated, and obtaining sufficient sleep. These factors collectively contribute to your overall fitness journey.
To ensure that your goal remains at the forefront of your mind on a daily basis, consider implementing the following suggestions:
- Write down your goals and place them somewhere visible, such as on a sticky note attached to your refrigerator.
- If your objective involves fitting into a particular item of clothing, keep that piece prominently displayed in your bedroom as a visual reminder of your progress.
- Commit to an event, such as signing up for a 10k race, a cycling event, or a CrossFit competition. By doing so, you will be motivated to focus on achieving your goal in order to successfully participate in your chosen event.
- Create a structured plan or enlist the help of a personal trainer if you are unsure about how to proceed. Writing down your long-term goals and organizing your training sessions to align with them is much more effective than improvising along the way.
It is normal for your why to evolve over time, and this should be embraced. As circumstances change, so do our motivations. If your initial reason for wanting to lose weight was to play football with your kids and you have accomplished that, it is an incredible achievement. However, it is important not to settle. Continually seek a new purpose, one that is just as powerful as the previous one, and continuously challenge yourself to improve.
So, start right now. Ask yourself, what is your why?
Words: Ross Taylor