Have you ever said I just need more motivation? I’m going to be completely honest, right now I am not feeling the most motivated. Motivation always comes after discipline, and I start moving, and I start feeling motivated. Maybe life got busy, work got crazy, kids needed you, suddenly that motivation shift–it’s gone. You’re not alone. You’re not broken. Today I want to share why motivation keeps letting us down. What actually works instead.
Welcome back everyone. Welcome back to the Vanessa Carlson Fitness podcast. I’m Doctor Vanessa Carlson, physical therapist and founder of Nessa Carlson Fitness, where we help busy women get stronger, healthier and more confident without spending hours in the gym. I’m so excited for today’s topic. This is episode ten. Oh yes, we’re in the double digits now. Have you ever said I just need more motivation?
Okay, I’m going to be completely honest, which I’m always honest, but right now I am not feeling the most motivated. Just had a full day of clients, which is awesome. Had some cuddles with my daughter. I’m going to get up super early tomorrow to have some more zoom sessions and more sessions with clients, but I know even though I’m not feeling motivated right now, motivation always comes after discipline, right?
Anytime I’m not feeling like going to the gym and I just get my butt there and I start moving, I start feeling better. I start getting ideas to creativity. My mind starts flowing, my body starts feeling good, and I start feeling motivated. Motivation will always come after being disciplined and discipline. Building those healthy habits will always shut. Motivation.
Maybe. Maybe you’re thinking, oh, I just need more motivation. Maybe you bought new workout clothes. Maybe you join that gym. Got that membership? Yes. You watched an inspiring video. If you’re like me, I can watch Rocky over and over again because it inspires me. And you promise yourself this time will be different. And then a few weeks later, maybe life got busy.
Maybe work got crazy, school got hard, you got tired. A few weeks, things start changing, right? A few weeks later, life got busy. You got tired. Work became just crazy stressful. Kids needed you, your spouse needs you. And suddenly that motivation shift, it’s gone. It disappeared. Where did it go? I don’t know, it’s not here anymore. What in the world?
I was feeling so motivated just yesterday or a week ago. Here’s the thing that’s happened to you. You’re not alone. You’re not broken. You’re human. You’re not alone. You’re not broken. You’re humid. Today I want to share why motivation keeps letting us down and what actually works instead. All right, guys, let’s dive in. Here’s the biggest myth in fitness.
People think successful people feel motivated all the time. People think successful people feel motivated all the time. I even thought that when I started training for my physique show and really wanted to change my body, I thought, man, these, you know, gym rats or these gym buffs or these natural bodybuilders or bodybuilders, physique competitors, they are motivated. They got it.
And that’s just not true. They don’t feel motivated, motivated, excuse me all the time. They don’t. The healthiest people I know don’t exercise because they feel like it. Feelings. Motivation, motivation in particular. Overrated feelings will lie, right? We got to put our feelings in check. So the most healthiest people that I know, they don’t exercise because they feel like it.
They exercise because they built habits. Habits. Right. We talked about like having the simple mundane. Those habits don’t require excitement. Don’t get me wrong, it’s good to feel excited and motivation and excitement that’s contagious. But what’s required is consistency. Think about it. Think about brushing your teeth. You don’t do it once in a while. At least I hope not.
Hope not. Do you wake up every morning feeling incredibly motivated to brush your teeth? Probably not. Right? You do it because it’s simply part of your routine. Imagine if you only brush your teeth. Yikes. When you felt inspired, that probably wouldn’t end very well for you or the people around you. Right. An exercise works the same way.
I remember working with a client, actually working. I have a current client right now, but in the beginning she kept telling me. This particular client kept telling me. I remember when we first started working with each other. She kept telling me, I just need more motivation. I just don’t feel motivated. And I remember when we first started working with one another.
Even during our first session, she would just say over and over again, just tell me how she would start and stop. And she would say, I just can’t stay motivated. Monday she was excited. By Thursday, she was exhausted. She thought something was wrong with her. In our conversation.
I gave her the not idea, but recommended suggested that we stop chasing motivation and said create a routine. She worked out on the same days, same time, even when she wasn’t excited. Now, a few months later, we just had our check in last week. She smiles and says, I don’t even think about it anymore. It’s just something I do.
It’s part of my routine, right? Whereas before it was like chasing this motivation, this idea of what it should feel like, motivation is an emotion. And emotions come and go. Some mornings, like yesterday, I felt great. Energized. Today not so much. Other mornings, like today, you’ll want to stay in bed. It’s not just you, it’s not just me.
It happens. We’re human. If your health depends on how you feel, your habits will constantly change. But if your health depends on a routine, you’ll keep showing up even on the hard days. So even for me, like today, when I have back to back to back to clients, it’s getting in that 15 minutes of strength training where I’m going to focus on one area right now.
Other days I’ll have more time. But I know on days like today I can get in 15 minutes. So can I encourage you? Please stop waiting to feel motivated. Action often comes first. Right? The discipline, like I mentioned in the beginning, will come first. That habit will come first, and the motivation will often follow that. Sometimes the hardest part is simply putting your shoes on.
I’ve told people so many times, especially when I do my one on one zoom client, or for those working out at home. Exercise doesn’t always have to be pretty. I’ve done so many workouts at home where I’m still in my jammies. Anybody going to see? No one knows or even when I go to this. Sometimes when I go to the gym and I have like my clothes match and I have my nice sneakers on.
There’s many times where I go to the gym, my hair is barely done. I have on a shirt, something, some pants, some sneakers, and I just got to get out the door, right? The hardest part is just getting started getting there. It doesn’t always have to look pretty or be perfect, but once you start, you usually feel better.
Not every single time, but most times, often. Here’s what actually works. Schedule your workouts just like you. Schedule your doctor’s appointments. Work meetings, your child’s activities. Take the decision out of the moment and decide ahead of time before having the responsibility that I have now of our well, we had our business. We had gyms for over ten years, but now with more than with children and more than one child.
And then also, you know, marriage and kids and business and clients and family. I didn’t really have to schedule. I just had my routine of doing it at the end of my school day or at the end of my workday, but now it’s not on the schedule. It’s just not going to happen, right? So decide ahead of time.
I share that because it’s not just you or this person or me. It’s something we just need to do. Because when we rely on our feelings, our feelings will change, right? It’s just a matter of time before things get crazy or overwhelming or sad. I mean, not that it’s always bad, but you can’t just rely on when you feel motivated, when you feel like it.
But when we rely on a plan, we keep moving forward one day at a time, one workout at a time, one meal at a time. Getting 1% better each day. One woman I worked with was convinced she needed an hour every day when she couldn’t find an hour. She just did nothing. So we change that mindset and change the goal of 20 minutes, three days a week.
That was it. And if she did more, great, but at least 20 minutes, three days a week, suddenly she stopped feeling overwhelmed. And on most days, she’s working out more than 20 minutes. She’s more consistent. She stayed consistent. And over time, those 20 minute workouts have literally changed her life. It’s doable. She’s conquering it. She’s winning. She’s building her confidence.
Another thing that helps is making it easier to succeed, right? Like lay your workout clothes out the night before. Have your sneakers ready. Have your water bottle ready. Schedule your walk with a friend. Or if you don’t have a friend available. Like we’re in a season of. Not that we don’t have friends, but you know, we have our kids that need us, our business that needs us.
Schedule that walk after your dinner time. Prepare your healthy meals ahead of time. Sometimes for us, it’s just prepping, right? Cutting up the onions. Cutting up the celery. Cutting up the garlic. Cutting up the peppers to make the actual cooking easier and save time. Remove as many obstacles as possible. Success isn’t just about your willpower, right? When I was training for my physique show, it wasn’t just about willpower.
It was about designing your environment. You know, carrying that water with me, making sure I got in my workouts immediately after work, having my food prepped. Asking my husband for help in areas that I needed help in. You know, and that’s the other thing. Don’t feel like you have to do it alone. You know, if you. I don’t paint really well.
But years ago, I took this painting class. It was like a sip and draw. And the teacher was so passionate that I left with a beautiful canvas painting, you know? So surround yourself with someone who is passionate, who is motivated to help walk alongside you. You don’t have to figure it out by yourself. You’re not alone. Okay. Remember, you don’t have to love every workout, but the workout that is done is better right than the workout that you didn’t do.
You don’t have to wake up excited every morning, although that is good. There’s nothing wrong with waking up with some cheer, a smile on your face, thinking the Lord for a great day. You simply have to keep showing up, right? Just show up for yourself. You show up for your kids, your spouse, your friends, your parents, your coworkers.
Why not show up for you? That’s where confidence grows. That’s where strength grows. That’s where transformation happens in the basic, mundane little things, day in, day out of healthy, healthy. Excuse me? Healthy habits. I also want to remind you. God didn’t ask us to be ruled by our feelings. He caused us to be faithful. Right? To be good stewards of the the the treasures and resources that he gives us.
Faithful in the little things. Faithful on the easy days. Faithful on the difficult days. The same principle applies to your health. One healthy choice today may not seem dramatic, mind blowing, fancy, but repeat it over months and years. It can completely change your life. I was actually just talking to a client today, and she we were reminiscing because we’ve been working with each other for a year.
She’s lost, I want to say at least 10 pounds. Lost a lot of inches. But the most important thing is she is no longer intimidated by the gym. She’s doing workouts that she would have never done before. Her body composition is changing, and it wasn’t something that was fast and furious, right? We worked at her pace three days a week, three days a week.
She said, I can do 45 minutes to an hour, three days a week. We have the days. And now she’s like, I can’t believe we’re we’re here and how much progress we’ve made. I had to remind her. She was feeling a little bit of frustration in an area and I was like, man, you’ve lost five inches around your waist today.
This is huge, right? The areas that she wants tighten and tone are happening like, and it’s just a little bit at a time, a little bit at a time. It wasn’t again all at once or overnight. So I hope that encourages you. This is real life examples real people. So here’s your challenge this week. Stop asking do I feel motivated instead?
What does my plan say right? Planning to succeed? So what is my plan? Say failure to plan is planning to fail. If your workout is on the calendar. Show up for yourself the same way you show up for others. Even if it’s 20 minutes like today, it was my fifth. Today was 15 minutes. Today I did my pull ups.
I did my dips 15 minutes. Boom. Because that’s all I had for today. Even if it’s not perfect, because every time you follow through, you’re becoming the kind of person who keeps promises to herself, right? And it gets easier. It does get easier. One workout will never change your life, however. Hundreds of small decisions, right? Hundreds of those small workouts and healthy food choices made consistently definitely will.
All right, so if today’s episode, I can’t talk today. If today’s episode encouraged you, share this with someone who’s been maybe waiting to feel motivated. They may discover they’ve been waiting for the wrong thing. And just another month this past another six months has passed and they find themselves another year where they were a year prior. No, don’t do that.
If you’d like hope creating a plan that’s realistic, sustainable and designed specifically for your lifestyle, I would love to help you with that. You can reach out to us at (207) 467-5509, or visit us at Vanessa Carlson to learn more about our one on one live coaching and live virtual training, and our supportive community. Guys, thank you so much for spending time with me today.
If these episodes are encouraging you and helping you become healthier, I’d love to have you. Have you join us? Consider subscribing so that you don’t miss future conversations. We release new episodes every weekday, and I’d love to continue this journey with you. All right guys, so until next time, keep moving, keep smiling. Stop waiting for motivation. Like I said, I didn’t even feel motivated to do this, but I knew this is the time that I scheduled for it and I’m going to do it.
And I’m already feeling motivated. Look at that. Start building healthy habits because motivation comes and goes, but healthy routines can change your life forever. God bless you and I will see you in the next episode. Episode podcast number 11. Why you’re always tired and how it affects your weight loss. All right, guys, chow for now. God bless.
Vanessa Carlson, and I am the owner of Vanessa Carlson Fitness. I am Raider Carlson and I am the general manager. At VC fitness our first goal is our fun first approach with all of our clients. Working out should not feel like a punishment at all, and we strive to make it the highlight of their day. The workouts are tailored.
I love using my background as a doctor, physical therapy to make sure that we’re meeting our clients where they’re at, to help them to get to where they want to be. And I think the third thing is the accountability and communication. So not only do we have one on one sessions with our clients in person and via zoom, but with the app, we are communicating with our clients almost on a daily basis so that they feel confident.
Those companies don’t have a doctor of physical therapy on staff. And so obviously Vanessa is a doctor of physical therapy and highly sought out around the country. And that brings me to my next point that we are the highest rated, the most reviewed personal training company in Portland, Maine, where our headquarters are located. However, we train virtually nationwide through zoom, through live zoom sessions, and so it doesn’t matter where you live.
You can work with Vanessa. And then the third thing is our very first session with Vanessa is only a dollar. We call it the region rise assessments, where basically it’s a meet and greet where she looks at your body using her Doctor of physical therapy skills to make sure that you’re getting the most out of your session and make sure that it’s a good fit for you.
I mean, obviously, we know that we can work with anybody, but obviously it’s got to be a good fit for you. So when I was a child, my grandmother had breast cancer and I was very close with her and was with her for a lot of her appointments with chemo, radiation, all the things and kind of seeing how that affected her.
And I just knew early on I wanted to do something to help people with their health. I didn’t really know what that was going to look like. Fast forward as a child, I remember getting my first Barbie workout video working out with Dance Barbie, and that just was a core memory for me. It closed the door, worked out, felt great, and then fast forward some more.
I knew that I wanted to do something in the health and medical field, and had really great mentors and teachers that helped direct me where I knew I wanted to have a gym one day. I didn’t know how I was going to look, and we had our opportunity. As I was a physical therapist to open our first gym, I just went for it and just really wanted to help people learn how to take care of their bodies.
I just knew that fitness was my passion. And just over the years, it just all worked out together. And here we are. The rest is history. So here’s the thing you don’t have to figure this on your own. And I totally understand how exercise can be overwhelming. We all know that we need to eat healthy and exercise and work out on carve time for it, and don’t feel like you have to know it all.
Do it all by yourself. And even if you’re feeling unmotivated, know that you’re not alone. So my my message to you is surround yourself with someone who is motivated. For someone that is passionate about exercise and eating well and building a positive habits, good healthy habits. I don’t know how to paint, but if I want to make a canvas painting, I’m going to go to a place that the person is a great teacher and passionate about it.
And I’m going to come out with a beautiful painting. Same thing with this. Take the shame. Take the pressure off of your shoulders. You’re not alone in this. Many people I work with all the time don’t know where to start, and I am honored to come alongside and help you figure it out. And just start building that momentum and get in your stride.
And I promise you, you won’t regret it. So anything that we’re saying resonates with you. Don’t wait. Just call the number. Or you can put your information on our website and someone will get. Get back in touch with you very, very quickly. I mean, you got to do it so fast and you don’t know what you’re doing because your mind, which I get in the.
So don’t let them get in the way. Only it’s only $1 to try, Vanessa. And it might be the most impactful hour in 15 minutes of your life. Here at VC fitness for your first consultation, it’s only $1. The assessment is going to just go over some things that are on your heart. Give me a good idea of your body awareness, your mechanics and see if we are a good fit and it only costs $1.
So you can find us at BC fitness. Or you can call the number (207) 467-5509. Again, that is (207) 467-5509. And you can look at us and VC Fitness dot live. And one more time you can call (207) 467-5509. And we are waiting for your call.