For the majority at large, the last year was possibly the least physically active year of our lives. For many residents at Dow Rummel Village the restrictions, possible quarantines, and self-imposed isolation have ushered in a sedentary lifestyle. This lack of activity can be detrimental to your health, especially in those advanced in age.
The January 1st typically kicks off the “New Year, New You” campaign with people tightening up their shoelaces with the best of intentions. Unfortunately, motivation is short-lived for the majority of people. Why is that and how can we help you become successful? There are a hundred potential excuses; however, motivation is one of the main reasons we take action.
There are two basic types of motivation:
Intrinsic motivation (only permanent kind of motivation) is found within individuals, based on attitude. This type of motivation is internally fulfilling, interesting, or enjoyable without expecting a reward or recognition from others.
Extrinsic motivation is considered temporary and classified as short term motivation. This external force is driven by the opposite — externalities, such as the promise of more money, good grades, positive feedback, or a promotion.
Regardless of its type, motivation is still essential to get you moving, improve, excel, and put that extra effort when you feel like you don’t have a single drop of energy left to keep going. We’ve established that you must be intrinsically motivated to be successful long term.
How can we nurture this type of motivation?
1. Develop self-efficacy. This theory of self-efficacy is a belief in whether we can achieve the goals we set for ourselves. People with high self-efficacy are more likely to put extra effort into what they do. If you are uncomfortable with exercise and types of training available, we are here to help you grow!
2. Link your actions to a greater purpose (aka find your “why”). When creating a “why,” it means that you need to be clear to yourself on why you do what you do.
3. Don’t wait until you “feel like it”. According to the Harvard Business Review, the phrases “I can’t make myself go to the gym” or “I can’t get up early” means we don’t feel like it. There is nothing that physically prevents us from doing those things, apart from our laziness.
Now that I’ve thoroughly bored you with motivation jargon, what are you going to do about it? Let’s renew that commitment to a better, more active lifestyle so can enjoy life to the fullest! We are all in different places physically, so don’t let excuses stop you from engaging in 2021. Find your “why” to take care of your physical health, such as improved balance to keep you safer, more energy to become socially engaging, improved endurance to go shopping (when that day comes), or reduce arthritis to make the day brighter. Make the commitment in 2021 and leave it the “how” to our Wellness department!!
Stay strong!