Time, money, motivation

Time, money & motivation are without a doubt the 3 biggest objections I hear from riders when they are considering starting a fitness journey.

“Oh I’m just really struggling with motivation right now”

“I don’t have time, my day is just too busy”

“I can’t afford it right now”

Starting a fitness journey is really exciting but when these objections start to arise in your mind it can be a really deflating & demotivating feeling for you. You are excited to make a change, do something positive & start to progress but then these doubts start creeping in & you wonder if actually, this is the right thing to be doing?

Often these objections can simply just be excuses.

If it is something you REALLY wanted to do then ask yourself, could I find the money? Could I make the time?

Because most of the time, if you’re completely honest with yourself the answer will probably be a yes & the only person that is holding you back is yourself. It’s always uncomfortable to embark on something new but that is where change comes from & unless you’re prepared to put down your time, effort, or money you won’t get the results you’re hoping for.

Motivation is something the majority of riders say they struggle with yet when I actually dig deep with you & explore why you’re feeling unmotivated the majority of the time it’s not actually motivation that is to blame.

It comes down to a lack of purpose & not having any support or accountability to keep you on track. People use motivation as an excuse all the time but the fact is you can’t just wait for motivation to jump out & strike.

That just isn’t going to happen & if you’re waiting for that moment I can promise you it won’t come. Motivation comes from habit & structure & once you get yourself into a consistent routine, start seeing progress & gains that will in turn motivate you to keep pushing & work harder.

One thing I always like to mention is that it’s extremely unrealistic to think anyone is motivated 100% of the time. I know for sure I am not motivated every single day to get down to the gym or go for a run or go out hacking but I hold myself to my routine & structure & commit to getting it done. End of. Those days where you don't feel like doing it are where your greatest progress will come from.

If you find there is someone you follow online that helps to motivate you then use them! Follow their stories & posts & let them be your motivation to push you to work harder. Self-reflection through your fitness journey is important too as this will keep you motivated as you see the positive changes occurring. For example, you may not see any physique changes when you look in the mirror every day yet when you compare progress photos from weeks 1-12 you’re outstanded by the changes.

Time is the 2nd most common objection from riders & let’s face it no one has enough hours in the day whether that’s a full-time Mum, a full-time rider, or the busy business CEO. Then you throw in a full-time job, working 8-12 hour days, looking after kids, exercising your horse, walking the dogs, mucking out, making time for you it is exhausting!

But the sad reality of life is that you’re never going to get more time & time is so damn precious. Before you know it it will have passed you by & the “I don’t have time” excuse has become your mantra & you’re nearing the end of your riding career thinking how the heck did this happen so fast?

If you’re serious about making changes to your health then you need to make this a priority. If you make it a priority & something you’re serious about you will MAKE the time just like you make the time to exercise your horse. It’s not finding more time, it’s making the time & if you’re truly honest with yourself is there nowhere in your week you could carve out say 20 minutes to train 3 times a week to get started?

Most often when we’re telling ourselves we don’t have time we’re just not structuring our days as efficiently as we could & most probably time is being wasted watching Netflix or scrolling on IG.

If your time short workouts don’t need to be hours long & they can be done from home to save you travel time & money on a gym membership. If you’re a complete beginner then bodyweight & some resistance bands are plenty to get started with. Time isn’t something you’re going to get more of so don’t let it become an excuse.

Once you start moving more, you’ll release feel-good hormones & endorphins which in turn will make you want to do more & you’ll have more energy & then this awesome cycle will start pushing you on & making the most out of your days.

Money is the 3rd objection I often hear. Now I totally understand that for some people it simply does come down to a lack of finances or not having enough money. Now if that is the situation you’re in but you want help & know you need to invest in your journey then can you maybe think about saving say £5 each week to put towards a fund for your training in the future?

If not then use all the free information out there. These days & following Covid there is so much information out there online, the, "I haven’t got enough money" is just simply not a good enough excuse anymore.

Find a qualified personal trainer/fitness coach on youtube or Instagram or follow their blogs & use their knowledge to educate yourself. It is perfectly doable if you’re willing to invest the time.

If you’re in the camp of having enough money but you use the excuse of “Oh I can’t afford it” then I would ask you to question, what is your priority?

What is your health & fitness worth to you? What is achieving this worth to you?

If the current position you’re in is affecting your sex life with your husband, your relationship with yourself, your performance with your horse then you really have to ask yourself what would this be worth to me?

Vision forecast for 5 minutes. Close your eyes & imagine how life looks without all the problems you’re currently facing. Then you’ll probably identify what it is worth to you & what you would be willing to part with in order to get to that place.

Spending money on yourself whether that is a spa day or on a training programme is never an easy thing, for most feelings of guilt that the money should be spent elsewhere may creep in but investing in yourself is the BEST decision you could ever make!

That’s how you have to see it. It’s not paying X amount of pounds for a training programme it’s making an investment into bettering your health, life wealth & fitness. Trust me, if you put money down & invest in yourself you will take it seriously & you will make it work. It always shows me when riders are willing to invest in themselves that they are ready & serious about making a change.

So the next time these objections come up in your mind, think about all the above & identify is this actually something that is stopping me, or am I just letting these things become excuses?

The majority of the time these things will never change & the only person who can control or change that is YOU.

If you want to get results you’ve got to invest somewhere whether that’s with your effort, time or money.