How to stay motivated

The most common questions I get asked are revolve around motivation;


‘how do you keep it going’,


‘how do you stay motivated’,


‘how do you get to the gym X amount of times a week’,


‘how are you so consistent with your sleep?’,


‘how do you maintain you physique?’.


The answer is…


…I have a plan! In my diary, everything is in there. My workouts, my meal times and my sleep.


Before I did this everything was so hap hazard and off the cuff. I was finding time instead of making time for the things essential to health and fitness.

That’s where the consistency comes from, having a routine! This structure and organisation omits the reliance on motivation. It’s overridden! My sleep regime, my exercise sessions etc. become a matter of course.


This plan for my lifestyle is one I can stick to and that I enjoy. because I have factored in the salient things and I do them day in day out, excellent health is the outcome.


By making time for the important things it makes motivation redundant. I do them regardless. Sometimes my motivation is high to do these things and sometimes it is low.


Because motivation is fickle, but routine and habit is consistent! And being consistent with your regime is how you achieve optimal health.


Another thing to consider is to make sure that your regime is realistic and enjoyable. Because if it is not, it is going to be difficult to stick to. And then you start bringing motivation into the equation. Motivation is what you don’t want to be reliant on/use.


Don’t get me wrong the times I’m motivated I embrace it and take full advantage of it. I’ll push myself a little harder, be more accurate with tasks and my productivity will be higher! But it’s not the foundation or the deciding factor in my actions.


The most important questions I ask my clients are ‘how often can you assign to this?’ ‘How many times a week can you exercise?’ ‘What’s a realistic bedtime for you?’ ‘What foods do you enjoy eating’ and ‘how many meal times do you prefer in a day?’
Because the best plan for your health and fitness is one that you can stick to! (And obviously one that gets you results).


Yes there are exercises that are going to be optimal for improving body composition. And to ensure that they are getting what their body requires for optimal function. And a few adjustments may have to be made. But you have got to be able to stick to it and enjoy it. And there in lies the secret sauce, adherence! It is the same with diet, if I tell you it’s chicken and broccoli for the rest of your days, you’re going to say ‘Andrew, kindly f*%k off!’.


This is why food plans are stupid. You’ve cultivated your diet over years and you eat at convenient times. To completely overhaul your diet is ludicrous! You won’t last very long before you throw in the towel and you are back with the diet you had before. But a nutrition plan well, that’s your diet tweaked to ensure you are getting the macronutrients inside of the meals you like.


I have had friends tell me that they had done a certain personal trainer’s, (let’s call him Joe) diet plan. And they lasted only a couple of weeks. Because ‘prepping like a boss’ (making meals for the week and putting them in Tupperware). And ‘eating clean’ is miles away from their normal diet. No wonder only 10% of the people that buy his plan complete it!


So when you’re thinking about sleep, stress management tactics, exercise and diet. Think about what you enjoy doing and you won’t need motivation!

Progress not perfection

Good moaning Friend,

I hope you know that it’s common for willpower to fail at times. You may suddenly give into junk food and overindulge because of hunger or temptation. 

Or you may skip a workout because you had a shit day at work or an argument with your spouse and you are not in the mood. Or maybe you binge-watched a Netflix show and didn’t go? 

These things happen. You must forgive yourself and get back to it. So many people make the cardinal error of aiming for perfection and when they slip up, they feel like they’ve failed, and the entire goal has gone to waste. 

They then decide to just let themselves go, carry on with the bad habits, and give up on their goal. It is the equivalent of getting a flat tyre then slashing the other 3! All because they slipped up once and think it’s ‘game over’. It’s not! 

Acknowledge your mistake and analyze why you slipped up. Maybe you need to remove all fun foods from your kitchen, so you don’t binge. Or maybe you should work out first thing in the morning, so you don’t skip your training sessions. 

Once you figure out a way to rectify future mistakes, you’ll increase your compliance and prevent future slip-ups. It is easier when conditions are right.   

Aim for over 85% compliance with your routine and habits. 

No matter how disciplined you are, you will make a mistake and give in to temptation here and there. If your compliance is 85% and above, you’ll definitely be on track to achieving your goals. Perfection is unattainable. Progression is what you are focusing on!

If you’ve lost 0.5 kg this week that’s progress! If you’ve done more exercise or you’re stronger than last week, that’s progress! If you’ve got more sleep or controlled your temper in a situation that would typically see you erupt. That’s progress! And that my friend is all you need to concern yourself with.

If you want to make progress with your health and fitness. To look better, feel better, have more energy, and increase your productivity. Then the Limitless Lifestyle Blueprint is for you.

Click here

Habits trump Motivation!

Another kilo down and one closer to my goal of 100kg lost. This is over the 7 years of self experimentation with weight loss and gain. I’ve has some people ask.


‘How are you staying motivated over this period?’


I’m going to let you in on something, I’m not! I’m not reliant on motivation! It’s not a concept I use or need.


I know that if you are reliant on motivation then you will struggle with consistency! That’s why I don’t rely on motivation, I rely on self discipline created by my routine!


Lots of people have more time afforded to them at the moment. Yet they aren’t exercising/doing workouts or keeping on top of their diet. Because their motivation is low, due to the current climate.


I’m not relishing all the workouts I’m doing, but I know they are beneficial to me. They are a positive action for the future me. Plus a good example to the younglings.


So I know I should be doing them. And I’m getting them done out of habit, not motivation. I’m getting fitter and stronger with time. Rather than the reverse, which is the general consensus.


It’s like investing/saving money. No immediate gratification now, but in the future, the money will compound. It’ll add up to a nice amount in your account. I put in place things that will keep those habits going. Setting a reminder at certain frequencies to invest and save money. Just like I set a reminder/time in my diary to workout.


These things make sure what I need to do gets done. They ensure it happens and these actions add up to a big return over time.


Think of your exercise sessions and food choices as investments in your health. Accruing over time to see you get fitter, stronger, healthier, happier.