{"id":24094,"date":"2012-02-16T16:26:03","date_gmt":"2012-02-16T16:26:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/?p=24094"},"modified":"2017-04-27T07:55:22","modified_gmt":"2017-04-27T12:55:22","slug":"the-answer-to-your-lack-of-motivation-alan-freishtat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/health\/physical-health\/the-answer-to-your-lack-of-motivation-alan-freishtat\/","title":{"rendered":"The Answer to Your Lack of Motivation"},"content":{"rendered":"

A common excuse that people cite for not eating right and exercising is that they are \u201cjust not motivated.\u201d \u00a0But what exactly is motivation? \u00a0According to Merriam Webster, motivation means to \u201cprovide with an incentive, impel or stimulate to action\u2014to give a reason.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Now realistically, how motivated are you to get out of bed, run to school\u00a0or work, do the dishes and the laundry, fix the car, go to the dentist and clean up after your kids? The list of non-compelling activities you do on a daily basis in endless. So is it really a lack of motivation that\u2019s holding you back from exercise? Or, put differently, is it really a strong sense of reason that compels you to do most things?<\/p>\n

Even a 30 minute moderate walk does wonders for your health. \u00a0Just a few small changes in your diet \u2013 like adding some more vegetables, fruits and whole grains, cutting back on the unhealthy snacks and trans-fats \u2013 enhances your wellbeing. \u00a0Yet, only a small part of the population actually makes these changes.<\/p>\n

Lately, even monetary prizes have been used in reality shows to get people to lose weight. But its effects, if any, are short-lived.<\/p>\n

We know what is good for us and what isn\u2019t, yet the number of people who smoke, overeat and are sedentary remains significant. So as far as motivation goes, it can be a great thing if you\u2019re able to attain it. \u00a0But for most, motivation only goes so far, if it goes anywhere at all.<\/p>\n

So that leaves us with a question: \u00a0If we know that we need to take care of ourselves but all traditional motivators aren\u2019t doing it for us, what now?<\/p>\n

The answer is: Do it anyway.<\/strong> Take care of yourself anyway. Make. Healthy. Choices. Anyway.<\/p>\n

If you are late for school or work, you face the teacher or boss. If you let the dishes pile up, you’ll have a big mess and no clean dishes. If you ignore the car problems, you\u2018ll have no choice but to walk everywhere! (On second thought\u2026maybe don\u2019t fix the car.)<\/p>\n

So you do these things. \u00a0Even though you’re not terribly thrilled about it. \u00a0And usually you feel better after you finish a task or chore\u2014you feel accomplished and you function better.<\/p>\n

Just as there are consequences when you arrive late to work, there are consequences when you don\u2019t take care of yourself. \u00a0Arguably, the consequences when it comes to health are much more serious.Thus, while you may not be motivated to eat right and exercise, it is wise to \u00a0\u2013 you got it \u2013 do it anyway<\/strong>. \u00a0With non-negotiable baby steps: \u00a0A ten-minute walk during lunch. \u00a0Three fruits a day. \u00a0A granola bar instead of a cookie. \u00a0Once you start moving in the right direction, things become easier. \u00a0Your self-discipline is enhanced.<\/p>\n

And, ironically enough, your motivation will increase. \u00a0When you begin to notice how great you feel and look, you will be much more inclined to pursue healthy habits.<\/p>\n

We do mitzvot even if we aren\u2019t \u201cmotivated\u201d to do them. \u00a0Taking care of our health is a mitzvah. \u00a0So it is something we do anyway. As the verse goes: Mitoch SheLo Lishma, Ba Lishma<\/em>. \u00a0When we do things consistently, even without proper intent, eventually we can come to do them ideally. \u00a0So, too, here: even though motivation may start out low, if you keep up the actions, the motivation and self-discipline will eventually kick in.<\/p>\n

Which means that once you get a taste of good health, you may not need to do it anyway \u2013 you\u2019ll want to do it. \u00a0Because you\u2019ve found your incentive: you feel amazing.<\/p>\n

\n

\"image\"<\/p>\n

Alan Freishtat<\/strong> is an A.C.E. CERTIFIED PERSONAL TRAINER and a BEHAVIORAL CHANGE and WELLNESS COACH with over 19 years of professional experience. Alan is the creator and director of the \u201c10 Weeks to Health\u201d program for weight loss. He is available for private coaching sessions, consultations, assessments and personalized workout programs both in his office and by telephone and skype. Alan also lectures and gives seminars and workshops. He can be reached at02-651-8502<\/a> or 050-555-7175<\/a>, or by email at\u00a0alan@alanfitness.com<\/a> Check out the his web site \u2013www.alanfitness.com<\/a> US Line: 516-568-5027.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hitting the treadmill and getting in those veggies may be simpler than you think.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":469,"featured_media":24096,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24094","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-physical-health"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Answer to Your Lack of Motivation - OU Life<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Hitting the treadmill & getting in those veggies may be simpler than you think. We do things all the time we don't particularly feel like doing. Just do it!\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/health\/physical-health\/the-answer-to-your-lack-of-motivation-alan-freishtat\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Answer to Your Lack of Motivation - OU Life\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Hitting the treadmill & getting in those veggies may be simpler than you think. We do things all the time we don't particularly feel like doing. Just do it!\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/health\/physical-health\/the-answer-to-your-lack-of-motivation-alan-freishtat\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"OU Life\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2012-02-16T16:26:03+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2017-04-27T12:55:22+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/files\/Healthy-Life-Road-Sign.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"425\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"282\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Alan Freishtat\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Alan Freishtat\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/health\/physical-health\/the-answer-to-your-lack-of-motivation-alan-freishtat\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/health\/physical-health\/the-answer-to-your-lack-of-motivation-alan-freishtat\/\",\"name\":\"The Answer to Your Lack of Motivation - OU Life\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/health\/physical-health\/the-answer-to-your-lack-of-motivation-alan-freishtat\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/health\/physical-health\/the-answer-to-your-lack-of-motivation-alan-freishtat\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/files\/Healthy-Life-Road-Sign.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2012-02-16T16:26:03+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2017-04-27T12:55:22+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/#\/schema\/person\/f1abe9e48d32d5a2a473e32020a2317f\"},\"description\":\"Hitting the treadmill & getting in those veggies may be simpler than you think. We do things all the time we don't particularly feel like doing. Just do it!\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/health\/physical-health\/the-answer-to-your-lack-of-motivation-alan-freishtat\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/health\/physical-health\/the-answer-to-your-lack-of-motivation-alan-freishtat\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/files\/Healthy-Life-Road-Sign.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/files\/Healthy-Life-Road-Sign.jpg\",\"width\":\"425\",\"height\":\"282\"},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/\",\"name\":\"OU Life\",\"description\":\"Everyday Jewish Living\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/#\/schema\/person\/f1abe9e48d32d5a2a473e32020a2317f\",\"name\":\"Alan Freishtat\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/files\/Alan-Freishtat_avatar-96x96.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/files\/Alan-Freishtat_avatar-96x96.jpg\",\"caption\":\"Alan Freishtat\"},\"description\":\"Alan Freishtat is an A.C.E. CERTIFIED PERSONAL TRAINER and a BEHAVIORAL CHANGE and WELLNESS COACH with over 19 years of professional experience. Alan is the creator and director of the \u201c10 Weeks to Health\u201d program for weight loss. He is available for private coaching sessions, consultations, assessments and personalized workout programs both in his office and by telephone and skype. Alan also lectures and gives seminars and workshops. He can be reached at 02-651-8502 or 050-555-7175, or by email at alan@alanfitness.com Check out the his web site \u2013 www.alanfitness.com US Line: 516-568-5027\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/author\/alan_freishtat\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"The Answer to Your Lack of Motivation - OU Life","description":"Hitting the treadmill & getting in those veggies may be simpler than you think. We do things all the time we don't particularly feel like doing. Just do it!","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/health\/physical-health\/the-answer-to-your-lack-of-motivation-alan-freishtat\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"The Answer to Your Lack of Motivation - OU Life","og_description":"Hitting the treadmill & getting in those veggies may be simpler than you think. We do things all the time we don't particularly feel like doing. Just do it!","og_url":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/health\/physical-health\/the-answer-to-your-lack-of-motivation-alan-freishtat\/","og_site_name":"OU Life","article_published_time":"2012-02-16T16:26:03+00:00","article_modified_time":"2017-04-27T12:55:22+00:00","og_image":[{"width":425,"height":282,"url":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/files\/Healthy-Life-Road-Sign.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Alan Freishtat","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Alan Freishtat","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/health\/physical-health\/the-answer-to-your-lack-of-motivation-alan-freishtat\/","url":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/health\/physical-health\/the-answer-to-your-lack-of-motivation-alan-freishtat\/","name":"The Answer to Your Lack of Motivation - OU Life","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/health\/physical-health\/the-answer-to-your-lack-of-motivation-alan-freishtat\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/health\/physical-health\/the-answer-to-your-lack-of-motivation-alan-freishtat\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/files\/Healthy-Life-Road-Sign.jpg","datePublished":"2012-02-16T16:26:03+00:00","dateModified":"2017-04-27T12:55:22+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/#\/schema\/person\/f1abe9e48d32d5a2a473e32020a2317f"},"description":"Hitting the treadmill & getting in those veggies may be simpler than you think. We do things all the time we don't particularly feel like doing. Just do it!","inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/health\/physical-health\/the-answer-to-your-lack-of-motivation-alan-freishtat\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/health\/physical-health\/the-answer-to-your-lack-of-motivation-alan-freishtat\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/files\/Healthy-Life-Road-Sign.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/files\/Healthy-Life-Road-Sign.jpg","width":"425","height":"282"},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/","name":"OU Life","description":"Everyday Jewish Living","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/#\/schema\/person\/f1abe9e48d32d5a2a473e32020a2317f","name":"Alan Freishtat","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/files\/Alan-Freishtat_avatar-96x96.jpg","contentUrl":"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/files\/Alan-Freishtat_avatar-96x96.jpg","caption":"Alan Freishtat"},"description":"Alan Freishtat is an A.C.E. CERTIFIED PERSONAL TRAINER and a BEHAVIORAL CHANGE and WELLNESS COACH with over 19 years of professional experience. Alan is the creator and director of the \u201c10 Weeks to Health\u201d program for weight loss. He is available for private coaching sessions, consultations, assessments and personalized workout programs both in his office and by telephone and skype. Alan also lectures and gives seminars and workshops. He can be reached at 02-651-8502 or 050-555-7175, or by email at alan@alanfitness.com Check out the his web site \u2013 www.alanfitness.com US Line: 516-568-5027","url":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/author\/alan_freishtat\/"}]}},"acf":[],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24094","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/469"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24094"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24094\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":57332,"href":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24094\/revisions\/57332"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/24096"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24094"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24094"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24094"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}