In this entry, I want to discuss what I think is the most important factor in an exercise program, and in life in general, and that is motivation. As a personal trainer of over 15 years, I have been watching people exercise, and workout, and try to achieve their goals for years and years. Not only that, but I have myself been trying to reach my goals for the last 15 or 20 years. So what do I find with all this experience? The bottom line is this, motivation is always going to be the key. And I’m not talking about this rah-rah stuff that you see on Instagram or TV Etc. I’m talking about inner motivation, intrinsic motivation, the motivation that’s inside you, yes inside you. No matter where you think you are in your life, or how far away from your goal you are, each one of us has inside of them the fire and the drive to achieve a goal. The trick is being able to be brave enough to reach down deep, and for some deeper, to find that drive, to find that motivation, and to utilize it. So often I hear people say I want to maintain, I like where I am. Listen, there is no such thing as maintaining. You’re either getting better and progressing or getting worse and declining. The key is, at the end of each day, I want you to look in the mirror and stare at that person staring back at you. Did that person that you see in the mirror out perform the person that you saw yesterday in the mirror? Did that person in the mirror do everything in there ability to be better than the person that you saw last night in the mirror, cause that’s what it takes. Each day you should be competing not against your competition, but against yourself and that person that you were the day before. You should always be striving to get better. Not just in fitness but in life in general. As long as you have given it everything you got, and did everything in your power to outperform that person that you see in the mirror, that’s all that matters. You can rest easy, knowing that you did everything in your power to try to improve your life. Another key factor is not blaming anybody else for your shortcomings or your bad luck. Listen, those who are the most successful point the finger at themselves. They don’t blame others, and they take the responsibility solely upon themselves. This is how you grow and this is how you progress. So as we approach this New Year, set your goals, but hold yourself accountable to them. Be brave enough to reach down deeper within yourself than you ever have. Don’t be a
