WHAT'S MY WHY?

So as a health and fitness professional we are trained to talk with people and find out "why" they are looking to start a fitness plan, lose weight or change their habits.  Many people when you initially ask them will say "I want to lose weight!".  Well yes, losing weight is important and has positive health impacts but when it comes to sticking with a plan there is usually a more emotional reason or a reason that will have a greater impact on whether or not someone achieves the goals they set.

Avoiding diabetes, being able to keep up with your grandkids, quitting smoking to lower risk of cancer or not having to sell your house because you can no longer get up and down the stairs are much greater motivators than just losing weight!!! Agreed?

If you have never thought about what your "why" is you should!  How do we as professionals get to the bottom of the "why" ladder??? Well....Keep asking WHY!!!

Why do you want to lose weight...?
To get lean?! WHY?
So that I can feel healthier and move better!  WHY?
I am not able to keep up with my grandkids so I end up sitting and just watching them instead of being able to interact with them.  I want to be an active part of their lives!

THERE IT IS!  The WHY!

See how the impact of the actual bottom lying reason for change has a much greater life impact than just losing weight?!  They don't always have to be this dramatic but the greater the impact the greater the motivation!  Everyone is different and everyone is going to have different motivations and goals!  Hell, everyone will have different motivations and goals than they did ten years ago or will have in the future!  The important thing to remember is it is your "why" and it is yours right now!

So I bet you're wondering what my "why" is.....?

Well.

When I began working out I never thought about it as working out!  Like many people It was games and sports.  I wanted to play tag, run track, play soccer and swim all day long.  I was a kid.  Luckily as I grew up sports were a huge part of my family and were always encouraged!  Luckily it stuck! Even though I was active and for me became a lifestyle, "whys" have still come and gone for me too!

In high school mine was because I had fallen in love with the game of soccer and dreamed to play in college.  This meant a lot of working out but it was my "why"!  If I didn't run on my own time, lift, practice and do all of the work it took, this wouldn't have been a possibility!  (I can't say that in college there weren't' moments when my why turned to "this sucks" at times....like the beep test days!) yuck.  But I did it!

Once I graduated my "why" changed.  Now to me workouts made me feel strong!  I love this feeling (it is still one of my whys!)  My workouts changed drastically but I found that working out was a part of who I was.  It makes me feel good about myself.  It helped me to help others!  I felt accomplished when I set a goal and met it!  I liked it when someone didn't think I should be able to lift something and I could heave it over my shoulder, no problem (this is still fun!)

It made me feel strong!

Now today, like I said, workouts still make me feel strong but as I have gotten older I have realized that stopping is not an option.  I have seen so many people of all different ages and abilities.  I have seen what happens when someone hasn't had a physical lifestyle compared to someone of the same age who has.  It is so important to staying young. It is so important to growing old (without anyone knowing ;))!  It keeps you mobile!  It saves you medical bills.  My "why" is that I want to be able to do anything I want for the rest of my life!  I don't want to forget how to jump or squat or run and everyday that I practice these I am one step closer to not letting these things slip away!

Whatever your "why" is, it is important to acknowledge it. The motivation for "why" is much stronger than any number on the scale!  It is what will keep you going and lead you to your goals.

Success has to be driven by a passion and finding out what your passion is will in turn lead you to success!