How I Found My Motivation đȘ Trying Vs. Waiting
So the main idea is that the result of the action needs to outweigh the pain and struggle of the action itselfâŠright? And once that is achieved, youâve got motivation that can last you a lifetime (or maybe that is a little exaggerated).
No, this is not a blog where I will go ahead and write â6 Proven Ways to Unlock Motivationâ in bullet points. What I wonât do is tell you:
You need a partner
You need to write your goals
You need a good playlist
Yes maybe these are good tips, but what I will do is share with you a little bit about my experience with motivation. I am not going to lie, I am a self driven person. For those who know me, yes I am dedicated to my sport, I train 5 times a week, I hardly ever skip workouts, I track my food intake and avoid all junk food. But hey, I did suffer from lack of motivation before I got to where I am right now.
What I want to tell you here is that motivation does not just naturally appear and grace you with itâs presence. Motivation comes from actions, and not the other way around. If motivation came before taking action, I wouldnât be writing this blog, and we probably wouldnât have this issue.
Before I started Weightlifting (7 years ago), I struggled a little with body image and the number on the scale. I felt and looked heavier than my friends, I also genetically had lots of muscle. I used to hit the gym everyday to shed the extra weight. I thought this was going to make me feel good. I did not have a coach, a structured workout, a nutrition plan, or anything. All I knew was that I have to cut carbs (actual advice from nutritionists I visited), avoid heavy weights, avoid building too much muscle, do more cardio, and add 20 minutes of abs to every workout (misery đ).
What was sad is that I actually did all thatâŠbut guess what happened a few months later? I actually gained some weight, my period waved itâs goodbyes, and I had terrible mood swings. Therefore, I lost my motivation. I lost my drive. So what do I do now?
I knew I had to change something. One day, a fitness trainer approached me and asked me to try a PT session with him, he wanted to teach me some basic lifts like squats, deadlifts, presses and bench. I was like âHECK NOâ, the idea of lifting any weight scared the living crap out of me, I thought I was going to get BIG and I did not want to get BIG because I already thought I was BIG. Lol, you get the picture. Anyways, because I donât know how to say no, I still did it.
My life changed. EUPHORIA!
I deadlifted 70kg, squatted 60kg, and benched 30kg during my first session. I was 17. I realized I was strong, and everything that I was trying to do before was not who I really am. Why was I trying to avoid getting stronger? Because I was going to grow some muscle? Or was it because I wasnât going to fit in? Or maybe because I would be less âfeminineâ? Point is, I was a strong female, who had lots of potential, and I wasted months doing something I did not enjoy to look a certain way.
I finally found something I enjoyed, something I was good at, something that appreciated my body, size and strengths. That gave me motivation, I was not looking for it, it came to me. But you know what I did? I tried.
The key is not to wait or find a way to get motivated to tackle a new goal or change your habits. You need a trigger to help you jumpstart your motivation, because it is there, âit is just blockedâ, as Nizar would say. You need to love what you are doing, you need to find something that unleashes true potential to be able to sustain long term motivation.
You all have motivation. Do not wait for the right time, the right place, or for the right mindset. Just TRY. You would be surprised to how it can change your life.
What did trying do? It helped me change my perspective on health, nutrition, fitness, and body image. It helped me win 3 National Weightlifting Championships, Fittest in Lebanon twice, and it helped me start my own business to help more people around the world unlock their true potential.
Thank you for reading this far â€ïž
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