The geeky part, what is motivation?
Motivation, in simple terms, can be thought of as the direction and intensity of one’s effort (Sage, 1977). The two are closely linked, for example without making the time to attend the gym for every session (direction), training will not have the intensity to force the body to change and grow. In addition, if the athlete does not push themselves to their limits with reps, sets and weight (lack of intensity) they cannot be disappointed that they do not place well in competition (direction).
How to become a motivated person:
The Psychology
Goal setting
Goals must be high enough to excite you, yet no so high that you cannot vividly imagine them. Goals must be attainable, but just out of reach for now (Larsen, 1983). For example, losing a stone might seem overwhelming, but aiming for a pound a week seems much less daunting.
Relaxation
This may seem a little contradictory, but rest IS important to keep up motivation. To avoid burning out and keep the excitement to go to the gym and stay healthy alive, you need time away. This might mean spending the day with your partner and having a meal out on the evening, or taking a deload week when feeling particularly achy and run down (lots of information on this online, but it basically means reducing training volume by dropping weight/sets/reps as Training Volume (V) = Sets (S) x Reps (R) x Weight (W)).
Visualisation
See yourself achieving your goal. Imagine how it would feel to rep a certain weight with ease or run for a certain amount of time and not feeling fatigued.
Left: May 2016, my first bodybuilding show. Hyperfocussed on weight loss. Right: October 2017, eating enough, lifting heavy, focusing on how I feel>how I look.
Making it a lifestyle...
Fall in love with the process
Ever noticed how you can be the most motivated person in the world for certain things, and struggle to care at all about others? Well, training is the same. Most people are still going to have days when they are especially tired and other matters take priority, but for the most part, training is your you time. If you are training like a bodybuilder 5 days a week and it is making you miserable... why are you doing it?
Crossfit, powerlifting, zumba, netball... the fitness industry is more diverse than you can possibly imagine. Find your passion!
Above: the power of self care! This goes far beyond the gym and food...
Don't do it from a place of hate
This can take years to master. Doing cardio because you feel fat and not good enough will leave you unsatisfied, no matter how many physical changes you make. Call yourself out when you start tearing yourself down. Self talk is a powerful tool that can make or break you. Do you feel fresh and energised after eating a certain food? Great, eat more of that. Does another food make you feel sluggish and bloated? Consider cutting down on it. Think about how proud you feel after completing a tough session at the gym, not how you want to drop a few inches on your hips. I truly believe that making decisions from a place of love, rather than hate, is the secret to a sustainable healthy lifestyle free from guilt and emotions driving binging and restricting (outside of actual disorders).