One of the most common questions I am asked is: “How do I live a healthier life for the rest of my life?”
Most individuals who begin taking their fitness seriously desire a specific goal such as: losing weight, gaining muscle, body recomposition, more manageable or less pain, etc.
But, what they also want is to develop a healthier way of life.
A pattern of behavior that has made itself apparent to me is that oftentimes when we get the results we want, we don’t know what to do afterwards. Let’s say someone comes to the gym for 18 months, he/she loses the 30lbs they wanted to, put on some muscle, developed healthier eating habits, and he/she feels way better about life in general. The potential issue that I have seen myself and others run into is: When the external results stop showing up at the same frequency as they once did, motivation to keep going can lose its vim.
What is going on?
At the beginning of a fitness journey, most of the time, the results are the primary motivator. The thought of losing weight, looking better, having less pain, getting better sleep, and being generally more capable serve as the justification for your new behavior. When these goals are achieved, it can present a new issue. Why should I keep doing this? Or, how can I keep doing this even when I am not seeing any “novel” results?
At some point along your journey, you have to begin seeing the ultimate reward for your work as the transformation of your character; not simply something you can touch or feel. (I’m not saying those results aren’t important, they definitely are. But, they cannot be counted on as the primary motivator.)
Let’s return to the example given previously. This individual has received all the external results he/she was desiring, and now not feeling as motivated to keep going. How should this be approached?
The questions have to deepen. Instead of asking “how do I want to look?” he/she needs to ask, “what kind of person do I want to become?” When we tie our actions to our character, and see the connection between the two, the behavior itself becomes the reward because we know that when we complete the behavior (going to the gym, eating healthy, drinking less alcohol, etc) it is not just doing something well, it is living in alignment with the kind of person we want to become.
The antidote to losing motivation after achieving your results, is to start seeing behaviors as an embodiment of character. So that each time you do what you say you want to do, it becomes rewarding in and of itself.
Questions to ask yourself
1. How has my past behavior influenced my character?
2. Which of my present behaviors is reflective of the person I want to
become?
3. What current behavior is not reflective of the person I want to become?
Lee Ramsey has a passion for fitness as a way to help people grow and change into more adaptable, capable and resilient versions of themselves. He is owner of Sanctify Fitness in Covington and a regular fitness columnist for the NKyTribune.