What if you HAD to be Motivated
By Kelli Calabrese
I learned early on that we are motivated by moving away from pain and or moving towards pleasure. I got into the fitness industry because I wanted to move away from a strong family history of obesity, heart disease, alcoholism, cigarette smoking and cancer. I also wanted to move toward what made me happiest which was when I was playing tag, riding my bike, playing softball and cheerleading.
That seems simplistic, but 27 years after I wrote in my journal that I would be an exercise therapist, both of those motivators still serve me and my passion is greater than ever. As I meet personal trainers of all stages in their career and at all levels of success I can’t help but notice the varying degrees of motivation.
When a trainer is on top of the mountain, meaning they have as many clients as they can accommodate or they have multiple qualified trainers working for them, plenty of free time, disposable income and a great reputation, one of two things can happen. One trainer finds the top highly motivating. It’s easy to wake up and go to work when things are in your favor, bills are paid, customers are happy, you are getting 8 hours of sleep and have time to work out. Some that would say that scenario is the optimal working condition. Some trainers long to be there and are confident if they could reach that point they would be highly motivated to get more done and grow their business by leaps and bounds.
Other trainers when at the top get board, don’t feel challenged, they get distracted and motivation goes down. The thrill for them is getting to the top, but once they get their, they want to move on to something more thrilling. They may venture into other industries or look for new ways to expand. Serial entrepreneurs are like this.
I’ve seen others whose motivation kicks in when they hit the bottom. They have no more safety net; they are counting which client payments are going to pay off which bills before the money is even collected. Each morning they awake and strive to please the most clients, educate and appreciate their employees, cut back on unnecessary spending, get creative with marketing and get in front of as many new prospects as possible.
Another trainer in the same situation can give up hope, spend their time complaining and blaming, take every rejection as defeat and sink lower into a state of depression, which would be the very opposite of motivation.
So is motivation the “glass half empty, half full scenario”? Is it all in the perception of your situation? What if you HAD to be motivated? What if any security blanket you had (spouse, trust fund, savings, inheritance, credit cards or parents) were removed, where would your motivation be then? Would you step up because you had to?
Live long enough and you are going to experience trouble, difficulty, loss, hardship, failure, disappointment and tragedy. You have one of two ways to respond. You can be motivated by it or you can let it sink you into a deep depression. I know that many psychotherapists have a waiting list of clients from people who have choose the latter.
My advice would be to find a lesson in every victory and every valley. Don’t ask “Why me?”, but instead ask how the experience can serve you in your transformation throughout your life. Your transformation can only come from information, experiences and revelation, all of which can lead to freedom or a figurative prison.
Notice what excites and motivates you. The great news is that you can choose to be motivated at any moment. How about you start now?
Kelli Calabrese is the Master Trainer for Be Better Projects, Adventure Boot Camp and IMPACT. She is committed to leaving a legacy in helping the most personal trainers to ethically become revered as experts and enjoy an abundant life. www.KelliCalabrese.com