What You Can Do Now to Get Motivated With Your Fitness Goals

Focus on what you want to attain, not just what you want to avoid.

The picture below was taken on May 11, 2005, almost thirteen years ago.

I was preparing for my penultimate fight in mixed martial arts and my boss asked me to pose for the cover of a fitness book he was writing.

I was flattered and I believed in the book so I prepared diligently for the photoshoot and this was the result.

A younger version of myself, circa 2005.

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Focus on What You’re Moving Towards

I share this because the moment I decided to lose some fat after my recent vacation and back operation, I knew that I would be most motivated by a positive image of what I wanted to move towards, even if my goal was not the same destination.

My Goals Have Changed

Now, almost thirteen years later, my fitness goal is no longer to be a lean as I can possibly be. It’s to fit my waistline more comfortably in my suits, while continuing to build strength and develop as a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner.

But even though my goal is more modest then to look like I did thirteen years ago, my discipline is fueled by the fact that I did achieve that level of leanness once and that I have it within myself to transform my body once again.

I find an image like this far more inspiring to me than an image of an air-brushed physique in a fitness magazine.

Visualize What’s Possible for You

My picture lets me know what is possible to me and feels a lot more relevant.

If there are no earlier images of you that can serve as inspiration, then perhaps a picture of someone who shares some of your genetics, such as a parent or sibling can serve as substitute.

My point is that we should fuel the dedication to our goals by means of focusing on what we want to move towards, not just what we are moving from.

Your image should be as specific and relevant to you as possible.

Don’t make some unrelated celebrity, model or athlete your goal.

The goal, in the larger scheme of things, is not to be someone else, but a better you!