By: Tim Rigby (Courtesy of Inside Fitness)
“If I have to motivate you, I will fire you.”
(Chuck Noll, iconic Pittsburgh Steelers coach; 4-time Super Bowl champion)
While some people struggle to find motivation chronically, others are more naturally motivated yet still need even more to continue the momentum of progress. Motivation is an enormous advantage to the human psyche and in itself creates great feelings of positivity, confidence, self-esteem, energy, anticipation – and let’s not forget happiness. Yet there’s one more facet about motivation that you should always keep in mind: no matter where your motivation comes from, you still have to incorporate it into action (e.g. changes in behaviour) in order to achieve the results you want. Simply being motivated is of little value unless you get off your butt and take action, leveraging your new-found motivation and turning it into tangible gains. Think of your dream car: in real terms, would you prefer to be simply motivated into hopefully buying it one day, or would you rather actually have it? Motivation, therefore, is a means to an end. It’s not the end of itself, but it can be applied to just about anything in life that ultimately makes us happy.
Applying Motivation is More Important than Motivation Itself
The above quote comes from legendary Pittsburgh Steelers coach Chuck Noll, who in 1969 was tasked with the enormous assignment of turning around a football franchise that had struggled and failed for 40 years. Noll was quick to sweep the team clean and cut players who simply didn’t have the wherewithal to self-motivate and play a role in influencing the team’s success. His quote pertains to the fact that motivation must come from within. His role as head coach of a team was far too all-encompassing for him to have to worry about shaking any individual players out of their complacency. For the sake of the end goal (i.e. the success of the team), he had to make strategic choices, including the decision of who should remain on the team, and who should leave. For the sake of the individual players’ jobs, those players who were not cut from the team each found a way to get their own motivational fires burning intensely. The result? The franchise turned around in dramatic fashion. With a comprehensive crew of players who were not only talented but also motivated and disciplined, the Steelers went on to own the decade of the 1970s, winning four Super Bowls in a six-year span, an unprecedented and never-replicated accomplishment. To this day, the “Steel Curtain” team under Chuck Noll is considered one of the greatest dynasty in NFL history.
Motivation is the Catalyst for Change
We here at fitdeals.ca are always excited to bring you the best and most current information within the realm of fitness. Whether through stories of motivated personalities who have turned into fitness celebrities, or by tales of lesser-known people who’ve made incredible transformations, you can bet your sweet ass that motivation played an enormous part of their success. We sincerely hope that you, as our reader, find all of our content aspirational, because the fact remains that anyone can do it.
Motivation Keeps You One Step Ahead
We can’t understate the importance of applying motivation in order to get the results you want. It’s still very early in the year of 2021, and there’s no reason why you can’t treat the right here and right now as another form of new year, with renewed determination and commitment, but now coupled with the formidable weapon of motivation on your side. Consider for a moment how fortunate a motivated person is; it’s as if they’ve already taken the first step in achieving their goals before they actually take that step. Someone lacking in motivation is already condemning themselves to failure, or at the very best they’ll remain at their current level without any real prospect for improvement. Don’t waste motivation, if you’re fortunate enough to have it come your way.
