Where do you get your motivation from?

Tuesday Tips from your plant strong Dietitian, Addie D Majnaric!

You have to be motivated to accomplish a goal, especially the goal of a healthy and sustainable lifestyle change. You have to have something that sparks your fire on days when you are feeling less than your best or discouraged about your progress. While it is helpful to watch informative videos, listen to motivational speakers and look to others for supplemental inspiration, it is best to take an honest look into yourself first and realize your WHY to help keep you motivated towards your goals. 

To get started on a wellness journey, and then to sustain the grind on the hard days, you need to find your foundational purpose – your WHY. Looking to others can give you a sense of, “Well if they can do it, so can I!” – which is empowering and positive. But your WHY is the motivational factor that triggers your heart, gives you a reason so get up in the morning, and pushes you through on days you feel like quitting. 

For many people, their WHY is that they want to be healthier so that they can be around to watch their kids and/or grandkids grow up. For some, it’s to be able to enjoy life with their spouse to the fullest. Maybe your WHY is beyond your family, and stretches out into your calling – to be able to fulfill your purpose on this earth, you have to be healthy and around to do it. Whatever your WHY is, it does not require anyone to help keep is sustainable. It simply is important enough to you to keep going. It must be something beyond a number on a scale or a pant size – it is a greater part of the foundation that makes you who you are. 

If we constantly rely on others to carry us along, we are doing a disservice to ourselves and to them. If you are only looking to others to motivate you, it is also much easier to blame them when you just don’t feel fired up enough to keep going. Don’t get me wrong, having a support system is crucial;  but to take ownership of our goals, to realize WHY we want them so badly, THAT is what helps people reach new levels. And once health/those goals are achieved, your WHY will help you sustain that progress. 

Sometimes, it takes a little time to figure out what your WHY is. I encourage you to set aside quite time to reflect, brainstorm and journal to help your realize your WHY. Look beyond yourself. Look at the impact you make in this world, or the change you could be making. Look at the people around you who love you and what you want out of this life. Do not limit yourself, rather embrace a greater calling to be the best YOU that you can be! 

And as always, once you realize your why, we are here to help you navigate the way along your health and wellness journey!  

~ Addie D. Majnaric, RDN, LD