Motivation – it is something we need in life to progress. It can cover all areas of life from exercise, to our social life and even our careers.

Motivation – a definition

Motivation is a reason for actions, willingness, and goals. Motivation is derived from the word motive, or a need that requires satisfaction.

These needs, wants or desires may be acquired through influence of culture, society, lifestyle, or may be generally innate.

Why do we need motivation?

Without motivation, you can’t achieve anything. … Motivation is an important life skill.

The reason it’s important is because every person on this earth is unique and has a purpose.

To steward your purpose well, you have to be motivated to work towards your goals which helps your dreams become a reality.

Types of Motivation

•Extrinsic motivations are those that arise from outside of the individual and often involve rewards such as trophies, money, social recognition, or praise.

•Intrinsic motivations are those that arise from within the individual, such as doing a complicated crossword puzzle purely for the personal gratification of solving a problem.

Lacking motivation?

When you have no motivation to complete a task (or even start one), consider the possible reasons why you’re struggling. Then, develop a plan to help motivate yourself to get going.

Keep in mind that not every strategy works for everyone—or in every situation. Perform some behavioural experiments to see which strategies best help you reach your goals.

Getting Started

Motivation isn’t something that just happens to you, but something you create for yourself. Exercise may be all about moving the body, but you won’t get anywhere until you move your mind first. Getting past your mental roadblocks can open the door for new ideas and new attitudes.

You don’t have to turn your whole life upside down. Instead, use these resources to learn about simpler, smaller ways to start living a healthier lifestyle. There’s no question that life is different than it used to be, but that doesn’t mean we can’t take control of our health and fitness. All the new technology that keeps us so sedentary also offers us even more ways to be active.

Start Small

There is a temptation to go all out when beginning an exercise journey, but we can easily quit or become demotivated early on from muscle soreness, injury or tiredness. Start small… build it up

Write down your workouts / exercise – it can be motivational to see what you have accomplished.