One of the main factors of goal progression is motivation. Motivation is what gets the ball rolling and keeps the snowball effect going. On the days I didn’t feel like training, I would watch or listen to clips of Arnold, while my preworkout kicked in, to get me stoked up for the hell I was about to endure. Like most lifters, he was a huge motivating force for me. It didn’t matter how bad my day was or how tired I was; when he started talking about training it made me want to give every rep one hundred percent. I would finish those workouts completely exhausted. And often, those were my best workouts. Every time I was in the gym, I was in front of a mirror because I was motivated by my small frame to keep going through the pain and fatigue. I don’t care what any self-help guru wannabe says, hatred is a great motivator. Motivation comes in many forms, it can be a quote, a video, encouraging words from a friend, or a warning from a doctor. Literally anything one uses to help push through hurdles. The only thing that outweighs motivation is discipline.

Discipline is what separates the weak from the strong. This is what makes dreams come true. I started lifting when I was 16 years old and 120 pounds. I hated being small and I hated being weak. I wanted to look like the heroes in action movies. So, I got to work. I made myself go to the gym as often as possible. I pushed to failure on every set and increased weight every chance I could. I first saw a drastic increase in my strength. This was way before I saw an increase on the scale. It wasn’t what I was looking for, but I knew it was a step in the right direction and my gains shouldn’t be far away. This is what pushed me from motivated to determined. It pushed me to build the body I wanted. When my hard work began to pay off, I developed self-confidence. I developed a drive that told me I could do anything. That’s why I became a trainer. That’s why I am writing book and blogs. That’s why I care about my clients. That internal motivation I had to change my body was so strong that it ended up changing my life. 

The new self-help flock says that motivation is useless. Discipline is the only way to get anything done. This is complete bullshit. I have been disciplined to work out five or more days a week for at least the past fourteen years. I have had the opportunity to work out any time of day for as long as I want for the past decade. I spend about twelve hours a day inside the best gym I have ever seen. But sometimes, I don’t want to get off the couch. (Literally. We have a big comfy couch in the breakroom/my office.) Some days I have to convince myself that I’m not worn out from the Morning Jiu-Jitsu class, or that it’ll be a quick workout. Both are lies, but even a kick in the ass is forward progress.
Be sure to check out Goal Setting Part 3: Get Help