Are you involved or committed?

Recently. whilst waiting for a haircut, I struck up a conversation with a fellow customer in the barber queue. After the usual chit chat about the weather, we discussed health and fitness, goals and motivation. The conversation was cut short as my hair was about to be cut short, but before leaving the barbers, the gentleman took my card and promised to give me a call! True to his word, less than an hour later, he is on the phone and booked in 10 sessions of PT commencing January 4th, 2019! This was only the second week in October, and we have already had our first booking from a new client for New Year! This client knows that they require the commitment of booking sessions in advance and blocking out their diary, because when it comes to exercise, they realise that for most of the time, they lack the true motivation. Full credit to them for identifying and actioning this change.

Which raises the question, how do you motivate yourself?
Can you motivate yourself, or do you require an outside source to get you and keep you on track?
 
Before we move on, it is crucial that you understand fully, who you are and what works best for you! As we have already identified, the first thing you need to know about motivation and motivational techniques, is that one size does not fit all!
We have come to understand, that there are two kinds of people in this world. Those who are intrinsically motivated, meaning they are able to find the motivation with IN - themselves. If they need to exercise or change a lifestyle habit, they just get on and do it. 
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The second group are those who require some form of external motivation, whether that be from a trainer, coach, App or friend. These people are Extrinsically motivated.
 
Which one are you?
Or are you a bit of both?
 
Chances are, like the vast majority of the population, you are somewhere in-between the two! If this is the case and you wish to succeed, it’s imperative that you attempt to learn, understand and practice a bit of both. As circumstances, ‘influences’ and moods can vary on a day to day basis, being able to manage internal and external factors will help you steer a closer to your goals. In his ground-breaking book, The Chimp Paradox, Dr Steve Peters makes the case that motivation alone is not enough. He argues that motivation generally happens when there is a great reward to gain, or when we get to that point where change just must happen. But to feel motivated daily, is totally unrealistic, even for the most talented and dedicated individuals. What makes the difference for this group and will make the difference for you, is commitment. Committing to a plan and sticking to it, never giving up or giving in, even if you don’t feel like doing it day. This and this alone, will get you closer to achieving your goal.
 
“The difference between involvement and commitment is like ham and eggs. The chicken is involved; the pig is committed. “Martina Navratilova