You have an idea. You’re going to get in shape. Filled with a palpable enthusiasm you run out the door and head to the gym. Your eyes are bright, there’s a smile on your face, you are motivated… ready to conquer anything holding you back from having the body you’ve always dreamed of.

Two weeks later you are back on the couch. All motivation sucked from your very bones, a dull grimace of self pity plastered across your face. If only I had more will power, stronger reserve, or more self respect you tell yourself, embarrassed by your lack of commitment.

Have you ever wondered why 90% of people who try to get in shape fail? Okay, maybe that’s a slight exaggeration, but not by much. The majority of people who start an exercise routine, regardless of their initial enthusiasm, end up back where they started–frustrated and wondering what they did wrong.

Why? Because exercise is boring. There, I said it. The thought of slaving away on a exercise bike or elliptical machine in a stale and crowded gym makes me instinctually grimace.

In reality, you probably don’t need more drive. Your self respect level is most likely adequate to maintain any habit. The real problem lies in lack of excitement, variation, and oscillation. Imagine how much more likely would you’d be to follow through with your commitment to improve your health if you looked forward to working out all day.

We don’t need motivation to play.

Boredom is a killer, here’s how to avoid it.

Crushing Boredom. Embracing Awesomeness.

If fitness centers and exercise routines almost certainly mean failure when it comes to getting in shape, what’s the alternative? As you probably know, I like to look back a few thousand years for the answer, to a time when humans and nature coexisted in perfect harmony, when native americans rode the plains searching for a meal, when physical boredom was not an option.

To ancient cultures, the whole concept of exercise would have probably been laughable. Why would you dedicate a period of time to perform repetitive and regimented exercises when you can achieve the same result by running, walking, jumping and climbing trees? Why would you “exercise” when you could move?

In order to regain our motivation and passion for physicality, we need to change our mindset from exercise to movement. From working out to play.

What’s the difference between exercise and movement?

Exercise is specialized, movement is diverse.

Exercise is regulated, movement is explorative.

Exercise is boring, movement is playful.

This is exercise, this is movement.

To re-learn how to move, click here.

Work

In addition to exercise, boredom pervades our work lives as well.

Regrettably, boredom in the workplace is the culturally accepted norm.  Despite the feelings of uneasiness conforming to this maddening conventionalism creates, most people never question their listless reality, accepting boredom as the only available option. Falling subject to this trap slowly crushes the creativity and spontaneity all of us had as kids, dampening our spirits until all traces of motivation and optimism have been squeezed out of us.

Imagine waking up excited each day, knowing you get to spend your time doing something you love. Imagine the feeling of happiness and motivation that would accompany this reality. And this isn’t some far off fairy tale reserved for a select few geniuses. All around the world people are leading fulfilling and unconventional lifestyles. From reinventing your career, to making a living blogging, you can find away to be paid to do what you love.

Life

At some point in our lives, all of us had dreams for the future. Maybe you wanted to travel the world, go to college, or travel to Hollywood to pursue your dream of becoming a movie star. Admitting that your life hasn’t lived up to your dreams can be a hard thing to do, however it can also be incredibly powerful, allowing you to recreate a life of excitement and fulfillment for yourself.

Imagine showing up in rural Thailand without knowing a word of Thai and without a plan. Imagine spending a month living side by side with monkeys and scarlet mcCaws in the heart of the Costa Rican jungle. Last year I embarked on a voyage around the world that radically transformed the way I see life and instilled in me a childish enthusiasm for living that I haven’t lost since.

Eradicate boredom with new experience, with challenges that force you to adapt and grow. If a world trip seems to big, start smaller. Do something you’ve always wanted to do, something that gets you excited like a kid on christmas morning.

Final Thoughts

Ultimately, motivation is less about natural drive and more about crafting a life for yourself that gets you excited to wake up in the morning. If you love what you do, you will do it not because you have to but because it’s fulfilling and it makes you happy. If you love moving, you will stay healthy and fit. If your life is exciting, varied and altogether awesome, the entire concept of motivation will fade away like an old photograph.

To your health and happiness,

Logan