9 Keys to Unstoppable Motivation

Today I want to talk to you about motivation.

I’m in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico as I write this. At a huge resort packed with people soaking up the sun while on their vacation. I came here to teach yoga and together with Nik work on our AV blog. We just finished lunch and now enjoying the afternoon salty breeze, chirping birds while sipping a cup of apple cinnamon tea.

Looking around I can’t help but ask myself a question…

“Where did all the warriors go? Where are all the titans, hard workers, man and women with goals of becoming great, the best version of themselves?”

I mean what I see around us is mostly men with buddha bellies with scrawny chest and back, women wearing bikini bottoms that barely fit their out of control large butts and not to mention all the overweight children having ice-cream for breakfast.

That sight truly makes me sad 🙁

What ever happened to taking care of your physical body and treating it as a temple? What happened to people becoming soft and giving their powers away. Of course it’s more obvious here where people are on vacation, in a relax state. However how many really buff and ripped people do you see on an average day while walking around the city? Maybe one or two if any!

People today, by comparison, have become unmotivated and lazy, complainers and whiners, they have forgotten how to break a sweat and at the first sign of discomfort they quit. At the first sign of challenge they turn to doctors and drugs, looking for an easy solution, for a bandage to cover the real issues.

“Don’t wish it were easier, wish you were better.”
– Jim Rohn

Yes I understand that we live largely in a sedentary society, our lifestyles have become super busy but we still live in body that is built to move. It needs physical exercise every day in order to stay healthy.

Understanding this fact is not only vital for the physical but also for mental and spiritual well being of every human. Once we truly apply ourselves to living an active lifestyle it will have a huge impact on the rest of our lives. This energy we create from expressing our inner warrior will shine through us and show up as confidence and a congruence. Imagine what kind of impact that will have on your work performance as well as the relationships with your family and friends!

I know I am here on a bit of a rant so let’s get to the point. The point is that we have just few weeks left in this year. Maybe you set goals at the beginning of 2013 and realizing now that there is not so much time left to make this year your best yet…

Which brings me to the idea of being a “ Warrior”

Here are a few tips to help you with motivation and living your life with purpose:

1. Swimsuit Season.

Just think of the first time you take your shirt off or put on a bikini this upcoming summer. Won’t it feel great to know that everybody is looking at you?

You will pull your shoulders back and stand tall knowing that you are looking good. Seriously imagine this happening. Don’t just read this paragraph and go on. Take a minute to make a detailed mental picture and make it last for a few minutes.

Imagine your friends, family, and complete strangers looking at you. Think of your favourite beach or swimming area. Just savour the feeling of confidence and next time you are about to skip a workout picture the exact opposite…you out of shape on the beach. Scary, huh?

2. Start now.

You should not be fat! You should not be unfit. You should not be out of shape.
Do not put of until tomorrow when you and I both know that for the procrastinator tomorrow does not exist.
Saying that you are going to workout “sometime tonight” doesn’t work for a lot of people. Many gyms stay open to at least midnight nowadays. Many people keep putting off going to the gym.

They think that they will go “pretty soon”. Then they say they will go right after this TV show. Pretty soon they are feeling tired and ready for bed. You can’t go to the gym feeling like this! Besides, you can always workout tomorrow night, right?

Tell yourself that you will go to the gym at 7:00 p.m. on each workout day or whatever time is best for you. Do not change from this schedule no matter what is going on.

3. Get A Workout Partner.

If you know this person will be waiting for you at the gym at 6:00am then you will be less likely to skip. This person is counting on you! Make sure your partner knows that he/she has the right to force you to go. Tell them in advance that you may get lazy one day and that they have the permission to keep bugging you until you go to the gym. Also offer the same support to them when in need.

4. Don’t point the finger of blame…

…unless you are starring in the mirror. The responsibility starts and ends with you. Once you realize this it will be very freeing and exciting phenomena. You don’t have to wait for permissions, you don’t need the OK from your wife, husband or friends to take responsibility and make your own decisions.

5. The Opposite Sex.

This is the number one reason most people start working out. They want to attract the best looking girls or guys. The first time a hot woman gives you a compliment on your six pack, you will know that every ounce of sweat and pain was worth it.

If you are married or engaged then you may think this is not important to you. Wrong! Don’t you want to make your spouse feel proud/lucky that they have you? I bet they will treat you better and cherish your attention. Maybe this will motivate them to start working out too.
6. Kill the self pity.

Had a hard week at work? Missed couple of workouts? Ate too much on the weekend? Stop feeling sorry for yourself! You should not be self-pitying, it does not serve you and it is not a warrior trait. You need to be in control of your life, if you get knocked down seven times, get back up again for the eighth.

“Self-pity is our worst enemy and if we yield to it, we can never do anything wise in this world.”
        -Helen Keller

7. Make Gym Time Fun.

I am not suggesting to turn your workout time into social time however after you belong to a gym for awhile, you will get to know the people who work there or workout there. You will make friends with people who have your same interest. The gym becomes a fun and positive place to be.

The feeling of lifting weights becomes an addiction to many in-shape people. Personally for me there is almost nothing better than squeezing out that last rep (ok there are better feelings but this one is pretty up there :). The feeling of driving home afterwards knowing that you just ripped your muscles a new one is great. And the side benefit…your daily stress slowly fades away.

8. Self invest.

Set an amount of time out every day to learn about health and fitness. Read, write, study, listen to podcasts – what ever does it for you, but invest. Make the investment consistent. And don’t say you do not have the time. You have the same time as everyone else. And if you don’t invest in you, who will?
9. Help Others

Once you have the knowledge and the experience make a point of helping others, because what you give out will keep returning. There is much power here! If you see a young kid on a bench press totally killing his shoulder due to a poor form and crazy heavy load rather then laughing at him go over and offer help.

“Successful people are always looking for opportunities to help others. Unsuccessful people are always asking, ‘What’s in it for me?”
-Brian Tracy 

Ok now go and be a WARRIOR!

Stick to your plan and make it a lifestyle. The results will be more than worth it. Don’t let yourself be one of the many who don’t achieve their health and fitness dreams. Do not settle for second best or complain about the fact that you would do more ‘if things were not so difficult.’ Life is hard for everyone, no one can escape the human condition, but it does not have to be dull and mundane; it can be exciting-hard and colourful.

Do It Now!

Dedicated to your wellbeing

Zuzana