When it comes to exercise motivation, WANTING is not enough, you must be WILLING TO DO WHAT IT TAKES! That means that you can REALLY WANT to lose 40 pounds, but until you BECOME WILLING to take action and stay with it, you will never start and never stay with it. It is often “too hard” or “I don’t have time” or any of the scores of excuses that people use to keep from starting, or continuing.
We’ve been told many times, by people who really know that sort of thing, that all motivation is self-motivation and is derived from either wanting to move away from pain, or being willing to move toward something pleasurable — avoid punishment or get a reward. This is not a new concept. Psychologists and others have known it for years and most motivational theorists subscribe to it.
“Good and evil, reward and punishment, are the only motives to a rational creature. These are the spur and reins whereby all mankind are set on work and guided.” — John Locke, English political and educational philosopher.
“Nature has placed mankind under the government of two solid masters, pain and pleasure. . . they govern us in all we do, all we say, and all we think . . . “ — Jeremy Bentham
That’s why I believe that the real key to MOTIVATION is found in a PSYCHIC SHIFT that occurs when you mentally shift from a MOVE AWAY FROM PAIN motivation to a TOWARD REWARD motivation. It’s about the change from “I want to MOVE AWAY from the old life”, to “I AM WILLING to MOVE TOWARD a new way of life.” At the precise point where you make that change in ATTITUDE, the PSYCHIC SHIFT takes place. That’s powerful!
“The secret of success is learning how to use pain and pleasure instead of having pain and pleasure use you. If you do that, you are in control of your life. If you don’t, life controls you.” — Tony Robbins.
The real test of continued motivation is what you do before that psychic shift occurs between the two sides of the pain/pleasure motivational cycle.
All too many people start an exercise program in hopes of removing the emotional pain of knowing they are grossly overweight, or simply recognizing that if they don’t move the way nature intended, they will slowly deteriorate as they age. Sadly they quit before that Psychic shift occurs. That’s what usually happens with New Year Resolutions. They stop before the “miracle” happens.
The new exercisers WANT to move away from their pain, but they are not WILLING to do what it takes to see it through. You can really WANT to lose that excess 40 pounds, but until you become WILLING to do what it takes, you will never stay with it when an obstacle pops up. You haven’t reached the point of psychic shift.
So start now. Take control. Change that WANT into a WILLINGNESS and then make that psychic shift from the pain to pleasure. You won’t want to stop.
“The hardest thing about exercise it to start doing it. Once you are exercising regularly, the hardest thing to do is to stop.” — Unknown
Let the “miracle” happen.
Thank you for reading.