In this article, I will try to explain how health goals or any other goals can ruin your motivation rather than maintain it. I personally do regular workouts on individual basis, and I never lack motivation for that. But I would never be able to keep myself going if I tried to set goals like “six-pack in two weeks”, “10 lbs down in a month”, etc.

To set health goals would be a common advice for exercise motivation. But I never do that because I see a number of problems.

If you decide to start doing regular workouts and set a goal of, say, losing so and so pounds or getting a six pack soon, you will certainly start off in a very enthusiastic mood.

After your first session, you will feel like – not bad, really. And the enthusiasm and determination may last even for the second and the third session of your workout.

But then you may start feeling it more and more of a challenge to get up, get dressed and get out when you could instead rest on your sofa and watch your favorite program or play a game.

Some will give it up right there. But let’s assume you are the one with strong willpower and determination to reach your goals. So you force yourself up and out even this time. And even the next time, and the next. But you feel it getting more and more difficult with every new time.

And then you stand before the mirror to check your progress, and you see practically none! It feels like wasted effort, it feels really like all the battles you fought with yourself have been in vain.

That is highly demotivating. I know many people who have surrendered. The price seems too high, the gain – too small. And then you decide that exercise is not for you. It may work for others, but not for you. It is simply not worth doing.

But it is worth doing! Only you have to do it for the sake of doing, and not for any other goal.

The doing itself is a source of pride and satisfaction. Every time when you take the challenge, when you win a small victory over your own laziness, tiredness, excuses, then you get a reward right there. Just be prepared to notice it, take it and benefit from it.

Apart of that, a body well worked will allow you to feel much better. So there is a reward to take after each and every time when you go out and do your workout despite all the things that try to keep you from the action.

The joy of doing is the best motivation. Learn to catch it and benefit from it.

Even if it rains, even if it is cold, even if you have pain in your muscles and the whole body, you will feel much happier being yourself.

And steer clear from goals. Just go out and enjoy the process!