Light Motivation Vs. Dark Motivation

Motivation is one of those things that is constantly talked about within the fitness industry. Motivation is typically at its peak in the beginning of the year and tends to fall to its lowest point entering the summer.

A lot of experts and fitness coaches say you can’t rely on motivation, you must be disciplined in order to get results and keep them. While I do agree discipline is an important part of the equation, however without motivation being in the right place you can’t develop the discipline necessary to have sustainable success. An example of discipline are having the parameters in place for times when things get hard or resistance shows up allowing you to stay on track of whatever you’re in pursuit of. But, in order to establish discipline; motivation has to be there first.

So where does the motivation come from?

This led me to the concept of light motivation vs. dark motivation.

Dark motivation is how the majority of people pursue fitness goals and honestly most areas of life that they set goals and want to improve. Dark motivation comes from a place of self judgment, beating yourself up for not being perfect or meeting culture standards. It’s founded in fear: fear of not being liked, approved or recognized. Think about it, most people don’t go into pursuing their fitness goals as a labor of love. Instead they approach it from a place of shame: not being enough, not feeling good about what they see (on the scale, mirror, etc), not getting recognized or approved by those important to them. You can definitely get results (temporarily) with dark motivation, but what happens when you get that (temporary) recognition for hitting that goal (or don’t get the recognition the way you want)?

Do you lose motivation? Do you stop? 

When you achieve external results, but still don’t feel good internally, that’s a sign that the approach wasn’t in the right place to begin with.

Light motivation on the other hand comes from a place of self love, enjoyment in learning and making progress, and a constant pursuit of self mastery. It’s founded in love, being your own board of approval and measuring stick. This is not to say you don’t seek counsel or advice from others, but you make the final call on what’s best for you and you’re not attached to getting approval or validation from others. Random people on social media aren’t your measuring stick for your progress or how you feel about yourself. Social media becomes a place for you to learn, educate, motivate, connect with others not a place to compete, compare, and criticize. The gym and pursuing a healthier lifestyle no longer becomes a punishment, instead it becomes a place of celebration, growth, and becoming a better version of yourself. 

Light motivation ultimately becomes a constant pursuit of excellence regardless of external validation so it remains fresh and infinite because you never know what your true limits are. Dark motivation on the other hand has an expiration date and it's predicated on who’s clapping or what the trending topic is (like new years resolutions or a new trending diet fad). 

 Let’s make the shift and pursue self mastery & excellence!

Coach Wendell