Fitness Inspiration: Figuring Out Your Whys

We love to motivate and educate our fans, which makes teaming up with Jaime Filer, Online Editor-In-Chief of Muscle Insider, Canada's #1 Muscle Magazine, a total no-brainer. In this edition of Fitness Inspiration, Jaime delves into how to make the best use of the psychology behind motivation.

"When you find your why, you find a way to make it happen."

Find Your Why

Whether it's listening to a Les Brown motivational speech, watching a TedTalk on YouTube, or reading your favorite Friedrich Nietzsche book, you'll see that there's a common denominator when it comes to creating your own fitness inspiration, and getting what you want: finding your "WHY." This will be the most important answer to a question you may not have even asked yourself yet: why are you doing this? WHY do you want to lose weight? WHY do you want to build muscle? WHY are you trying to get stronger? WHY are you investing so much time, energy, and money into a meal management system, coaching, a gym membership, supplements, and anything else that will go into your body transformation?

"People don't care what you do, they care why you do it."

The Importance of Your Why

The reason your WHY is so important, is because if you start to lose sight of your short- or long-term goals, lose momentum, or doubt yourself, you will need an anchor. You will need a strong foundation/linchpin of fitness inspiration and motivation to return to in order to ground yourself. When you remember WHY you started, you'll know why you have to keep going, because your why is bigger than you. Your why is stronger than you. Your why is essentially the purpose behind your decision. It's remembering why you're embarking on this journey in the first place.

"He who has a why to live for, can bear almost any how."

My Why

In 2007, after my third hospitalization for an eating disorder, I remember the day I found MY reason. I remember the exact moment I looked my mother in the eye, and heard her tell me that every night, she'd watch me fall asleep, and make sure the covers were still moving. Every night, my mom wanted to make sure that I wouldn't stop breathing; that I'd make it to the next morning. There I was, a 20-year-old kid, and I had to listen to the woman who gave me life, the woman who was my everything, tell me she thought she would have to bury her only daughter. It's an awful, heart-wrenching, indescribable feeling for a parent to think they have to worry about burying their child. I promised myself right there and then, that I would recover, for her. No matter what it took, I'd get better for her. To this day, my mom is my why. Everything I do, everything I am, everything I will become, will be for her.

Remember Your Why

It could be your children, your significant other, a 'bucket list' item, or a challenge from a co-worker. You have to set out your goal, your WHY, to function as the fitness inspiration you need to be consistently moving forward. When you're finally on the path to doing what you set out to do – and that's a powerful feeling - you'll remember your WHY, and you'll have the power to keep going. Check out Muscle Insider on the web, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram, and make sure to keep your eyes peeled for part two of Jaime Filer's Fitness Inspiration guest posts and even more to come!