Internal or External Rewards-How Are You Motivated To Reach Goals?

We’re less than a month away from what I have always thought of as stupid “New Year’s Resolutions”. Any time is a time to make a change to better habits. Energy Fitness since 2002 has always has taken in new clients in both November and December. When some are meeting with the trainer they question if they should just wait until the new year since scheduling and travel is in the cards for some. My knee jerk answer is “Why wait, YOU won’t get stronger, lose weight, more flexible or reach YOUR goals by just delaying them!” In fact, it can be quite the motivator knowing that your personal trainer is ready to coach you to success and work you maybe even a little harder to account for those extra holiday servings.

What you have to ask yourself and you actually probably already know the answer. Am I intrinsically motivated to make changes and stick with them or am I extrinsically motivated?

Intrinsic motivation is a term used to describe the incentive we feel to complete a task simply because we find it interesting or enjoyable. In short, intrinsic motivation allows us to perform at our very best being accountable to our-self. So, we are intrinsically motivated when we do something just because we want to do it and/or because the act of doing or the REWARD it provides us with is a feeling of pleasure, based on our natural interests, values, and passions.

As you might would guess I am very intrinsically motivated especially if you know me. When YOU create the habit YOU make it happen no matter what. Yesterday morning I didn’t quite feel like running early so I delayed running 4 miles in 50 degree weather. Guess what? It started raining by 9:30 and it had settled in. Sure I could have gone to Energy Fitness and ran on the treadmill but I don’t want to go to work on Saturday and I hadn’t had hardly any outside time this week. You just lay on the clothes you need put them on and do it. Several other hard core runners were out there and even a few cyclists. Glad I checked the box and I knew I would feel great afterwards which I did and completing it aligns with my health goals and values. I didn’t love being rained on but the reward was worth the discomfort and hanging by the fire afterwards.

Is this YOU?

• like to check off list of items done (list or calendar style) great visual
• do the activity even if whether bad (exercise in rain)
• really enjoy it
• do the activity or habit even when you don’t feel like it or are feeling low energy or a little sick
• do the activity or habit even when you are pressed for time and have to move your schedule around or even do a little less.

Extrinsic motivation is what we feel when we complete a task for some external reward. This is where likely 85% of the population falls when it comes to eating healthy and exercising.

or Is this YOU?

• you need a reward like a cash money pool with friends or coworkers
• you need a punishment like jumping in cold water if you don’t lost x pounds by a certain date (have 3 of my clients committed to this one with plunge being in 52 degree pool and having to stay in up to neck 2 minutes). brrrrr! plunge scheduled for Tues. Dec. 19th.
• no tv until I walk 2 miles
• new outfit if workout 4 days in a row
• movie night if I fit into my one pair of jeans that is my goal size
• someone else is holding you accountable
• you feel like someone is judging you if you don’t do it

As it relates to health and wellness since that’s the business I am in, think on this. Think about the people you know that always seem to be the same size, weight, looks great, great skin, lots of energy and makes health and fitness a lifestyle. Now that you have that individual or those people in mind, do you think they are intrinsically motivated? Likely yes!

How can you set yourself up for success taking a broader look into how you are in certain areas of life to be better this go round? For me..I would rather exercise or lay on the couch instead of cooking or cleaning. I would rather organize the garage than cook or clean. You see where I am going with this.

Things you must have done sometimes you just had to figure out a way to get them some or just suck it up and do it anyway.

Energy Fitness is a Boutique Fitness Studio by appointment only serving the Greenville/Travelers Rest, South Carolina area onsite and also online. We aren’t a gym.

We work with clients ages 40-70  that are busy executives, biz owners, working parents and retired active individuals. We work around injuries & use your time effectively with our 30 min. Semi-Private Sessions.

Let us keep you accountable with my over 30 years as a fitness professional  getting thousands of individuals feeling and looking great? No excuses as we’ve got onsite and online to keep you accountable to YOUR GOALS.

Check out our ONSITE facility in Greenville, South Carolina (Travelers Rest area) where most of our clients personal train with us twice weekly. Video tour 2000 sf facility. We also have ONLINE Via zoom twice weekly.

Our packages include functional movement screening and other helpful items so we can assess your starting point and see the quality of how your body moves. Our standard packages last anywhere from 4.5 months to 12 months (because honestly you know it’s gonna take more than an intro program to get you to where you want to be!). You can always find out more about all of our options by contacting us for a consult via phone and or/in person.

Invest in yourself!

Get started by CLICKING HERE IF YOU WANT A FREE ONSITE or VIRTUAL FITNESS CONSULT (VALUE $87) or one of our other services listed above. Just give me a call or text at 901-466-6242 and we can chat about your goals and tell you about our programs.

If you haven’t had a functional movement assessment with a professional observe the way you move different joints and movements with your hips, shoulders, wrists and spine then how do you know you are doing the most effective strength training, flexibility or cardio program? Hire someone like me to get you on track with a program to help you reduce current pain, eliminate pain, improve your current program or enhance your athletic performance.