Tips and Tricks on How to Stay Motivated

What is motivation? Why is motivation important? What motivates you? These are great questions and if they were asked to 100 different people you would probably receive 100 different answers. By definition, motivation is the reason or reasons one has for acting or behaving in a particular way. Whether it's working out to lose weight, spending time with your family, or even trying to eat more fruits and veggies, motivation is a key factor in accomplishing these goals.

When I was playing football, motivation was necessary for my career. I wanted to be the best at everything I did, and that in itself was a huge motivator for me. However, motivators, or sources of motivation, change throughout each of our lifetimes. After retiring from playing in the NFL, I did not realize how important motivation would be to stay fit and in shape. I remember going to get a physical one year and finding out that my cholesterol was a little higher than it was supposed to be. I was then presented with a choice, start taking medication or change my diet and physical activity levels. I did not want to be put on medication so I needed to change my lifestyle habits. That appointment became the motivation to evoke change.

I know this all sounds a lot easier said than done, but here are some helpful motivational tips when it comes to trying to reach your goals. A key step is having a plan. Define your goal and set out some tactics and strategies ahead of time that describe how you will reach this milestone and what you can do if you get off track. The second tip is always to look at the bigger picture. It may seem like there is no light at the end of the tunnel but do your best to imagine achieving your goal or how your overall life will be better from what you are doing right now. The final and most important tip I can offer is mental manifestation. This is something I did a lot back when I was playing football. Visualizing yourself completing your task or achieving your goal will help fuel your motivation moving forward.

Motivation is so important in our daily lives because it helps battle the repetitiveness we all face every day. It becomes easier to continue to eat the same things that aren’t good for us, forget to work out most days of the week or make excuses about already being strapped for time as it is. If you want to make a change in your diet, find your motivation to start cooking and fitting more fruits and vegetables into your meals. If you want to get into a better headspace, find your motivation to set aside some time for meditation or other activities that help clear your mind. If you want to increase your activity levels, find your motivation to start going to the gym again or doing innovative activities with your friends and family that get you outside and moving around. Find your motivation today, so you can redefine your prime tomorrow.