I get this question on a regular basis, messages from client like “I have NOOO motivation to complete my workout” or “I tried to track my food over the weekend, I just didn’t have any motivation” or “I thought about going to the gym but the motivation just wasn’t there.”

If any of those sound familiar than stick with me for a second. I have some tips for you.

I always say “Motivation is kind of like a fun uncle. It’s really nice and fun when it’s there, but you can’t rely on it.” Have you ever heard the “Discipline over motivation” quotes and pep talks from coaches and trainers and thought “Well duh, obviously. But how?”

Today i’m going to give you my top tips for mentally getting motivated.


1.) Behavioral Activation.
This is the idea that just starting to do something, even if you don’t feel like it, can help improve your mood and your motivation to do things. This is typically something a therapist will do in CBT as a treatment for depression. But it can also be utilized in this case for motivation no matter what the cause of it is.

When you complete your workout after utilizing behavioral activation, take some time to think about how your feel, how your mood is, how your body feels, are you happy you completed workout? Then remember these things for next time.

2.) Build the habit, even if it’s just touching the door.
A Habit is a regular tendency or practice. This takes the need for motivation out of it completely. Brushing your teeth before bed is a habit, setting your alarm is a habit, checking your social media is a habit. All of these things are things that you do without necessarily having to have the motivation to do them. When we develop a habit, the decision part of our brain no longer needs to kick in in order for us to do those things.

How many times have you had your apps shuffled around on your phone, and then you go to open social media and you click the wrong app because your used to it being in one spot and didn’t even think about it?

In order to build a habit, something must be done consistently. So what to do when you’re trying to build a habit but have no motivation?

Put your gym clothes on, go to the gym and just touch the door. Then you can leave if you want. Chances are you’re going to be thinking “I’m already here, I might as well do something.” but this way you’re making going to the gym (Even if you didn’t complete your workout on this day) a habit. This is also where “Something is better than nothing” workouts come in too. Sometimes you do your workouts simply to sustain the habit, and not necessarily with the goal of building muscle or losing weight.

3.) Have a fantastic why and a vision board to accompany it.

Chances are you started your fitness journey for more than just “Weight loss”. So often I hear people say something like “I have to lose weight, i’m having heart problems and I want to be here for my grandkids.” Make your why powerful enough that when you remind yourself of your why, it boosts your motivation. This workout is going to help you get one step closer to being able to play with your grandkids, is it worth it to you to fight passed your feelings of not being motivation in order to get to your grandkids grow up?

I also recommend creating a fun and inspiring vision board that you can look at any time you forget. Sometimes you may not even be thinking about motivation and you will see that vision board and get a burst of motivation to do something to achieve your goals.

Hopefully at least once of these tips will help you get motivated for success, motivated for change and motivated for life. These tips work with any fitness level and can be life changing once implemented.