Developing a Passion for Health

The benefits of regular exercise are manifold—we know that—but just don’t do what we know. Lifestyle expert Darren Morton says the secret is being not just motivated, but driven.

You leap out of bed an hour before the alarm sounds and, before another minute has passed, you’ve donned jogging shoes and are pounding the pavement. With beads of perspiration on your brow and a grin on your face, you enthusiastically greet passers-by.
Does this scenario describe your exercise experience?

Or does your ideal sporting afternoon involve pushing the buttons of your remote from the comfort of your couch? Is your idea of breaking through the pain barrier straining your bicep to lift yet another food morsel to your mouth? Does the extent of your exercise routine entail running a bath, pulling the plug, then fighting the current?
When it comes to being active, most fall into the latter group somewhere.

Why is it that while some find the motivation comes effortlessly, others have to do serious soul searching to merely get started—and when they do, it’s often short-lasting?

The answer lies in understanding the difference between motivation and drive. Distinguishing between the two provides a framework for making a long-lasting commitment to exercise or, for that matter, anything in life we struggle to follow through with.

Motivation versus drive
We’ve all been motivated at some time to do something. Similarly, all of us have been, or perhaps are, unmotivated toward some behaviour. One thing is certain: motivation is transient. As a lifestyle and motivational speaker, I know the difference; it’s easy to deliver a rousing presentation that hypes people and calls them to action (at least for a couple of days).

After one such presentation on motivation for exercise, I followed up the participants to measure its effect, only to find the same sad story retold. Early the next morning most were still on the high and awoke rearing to exercise. The following morning, many did the same—with a little less enthusiasm. But by day three, the effect of the presentation had worn off, and the participants were back to their sedentary ways.

While motivational thoughts that “pump” us are helpful, they seldom result in long-term change. But I’ve also dealt with individuals who’ve experienced a complete life turnaround. They’ve gone from unhealthy and overweight to the veritable “taut, trim and terrific,” shedding up to 40 kilograms—and keeping it off!
So what made the difference? These success stories come from people who aren’t just motivated; they’re driven.

Motivation is something we strive for—it’s a conscious attempt. And there is the problem. If we have to “think” about it and thoughts are so fickle, then so is our motivation. Drive on the other hand is something we don’t have to work at. When we’re driven, it’s a natural response—we can’t help but go for it.

Have you ever thought, I’m going to start walking every day, only to last about two? That’s motivation at work—or a lack of it. Conversely, do you imagine rugby legend George Gregan struggling to show up for a game? Essentially, motivation is a function of the head, while drive is a heart thing.
People speak of wanting to be more motivated, but for a long-lasting result, drive is what they should be seeking.
How, then, does a person develop drive?

get into the act
Motivation is a conscious endeavour involving the thinking part of the brain—the neocortex. On the other hand, neurophysiologists have identified the site in your brain responsible for our drives is part of the subconscious called the limbic system. It is the limbic system that decides when to go hard and when to give up. Scientists have learned that if your limbic system is positively stimulated you become driven; if it isn’t, you can’t be budged.

An illustration of the limbic system’s ability to drive behaviour is overeating. The limbic system is powerfully stimulated by our sense of smell, which is much the same as taste. Therefore, when it detects something pleasurable, we’re driven toward it. Your stomach can be full to the point of discomfort, but your limbic system compels you to eat more. Despite knowing that you shouldn’t overeat, you do it anyway!

The limbic system cares for not only our drive but also our feelings. Biomedical texts now refer to the limbic system as the “emotional brain.” And since it’s responsible for both functions, it links the two together. This notion provides us with the key to unlocking our drives.

Essentially, the things we’re driven toward are always a response to a feeling. So if you ask someone why he or she lacks drive for a particular thing, they’ll say, “I just don’t feel like it!” Apathy is really a state of emotional blankness. Conversely, drive is a direct result of heightened feelings, and the stronger the feeling, the more driven we are to act.

I consistently see people who, despite knowing they should be more active and that their state of health is less than ideal, still fail to do anything about it. Until they have a health scare. Then there’s an overwhelming feeling that if they continue to abuse their health, they might die or become incapacitated. Now, suddenly, they’re driven to do something about it. The greater the emotional affect of the scare, the more compelled they are to act.

get emotional
To experience a long-lasting behaviour change, you need to become emotional about it. In order to make an ongoing commitment to exercise, you need to go beyond merely “thinking” that you should to “feeling” that you must.

To help this happen, try writing down all the positive feelings you’ll likely experience if you follow through on an exercise program. Reflect on what it would feel like to lose 10 kilograms, to fit into those discarded clothes, to have people tell you that you look great, to have more energy for the fun, active things in life! Next, write down the negative emotions you’ll experience if you don’t follow through.

Remember, the greater the emotional intensity, the more driven you’ll be. Generally speaking, painful thoughts are the more powerful movers (we’re more driven to avoid pain than to gain pleasure), so be graphic and creative in your descriptions. Once written, read the lists through regularly, emotionally living each point.

believe and achieve
While feelings are important in determining our drives, the way we feel about something comes from our beliefs. Your beliefs act as the reference for the way you feel in a situation. As we all have different beliefs, we all have different approaches to things like exercise. Importantly, our beliefs can either serve or do us a disservice.

For the person experiencing a health scare, it’s their change in belief that drives them to serious exercise. Where once they may have believed exercise wasn’t so important, suddenly they believe that if they don’t exercise, they might die! Not exercising under the old belief had no emotional response, whereas under the new, it results in tremendous pain.

Identifying the beliefs that drive our behaviours can take some digging, but it’s worth the effort. I’ve dealt with people who had a core belief that they were “always going to be fat” for example, but without being aware of it. Exposing beliefs that don’t empower, replacing them with ones that serve us is a crucial step in prompting the limbic system to action.

in conclusion . . .
The benefits of regular exercise are manifold—we know that—but just don’t do what we know. The secret to following through in exercising lies in being not just motivated, but driven. Only by feeling the benefits will we be transformed from a couch potato into someone who prizes daily exercise.

Darren Morton is a lifestyle and motivational
speaker, based in NSW. He can be contacted at Darren Morton Seminars: 0412 287 138.

Belief drives behaviour!

What you believe will determine what you do. If you believe exercise is nasty, you will be driven to stay away from it, whereas if you believe it should be a priority in your day, you will naturally gravitate toward that state. Read the range of “beliefs” below and see which most closely resembels your own.

A. Exercise = hard work + pain + sweat + discomfort.
B. Exercise is fine for those who are naturally fit.
C. Everyone should exercise if they have time left over at the end of the day.
D. Prioritising time for exercise each day is one of the best things we can do for ourselves from numerous perspectives.

Now that you are conscious of what you beleive, your approach to exercise is determined. To stay with an exercise program, it may be necessary to change your attitudes to exercise.

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