When asked what do they want, most people say they want to be stronger, fitter and healthier. And, although they don’t always say it, they want to look better naked. Fair enough. Nothing new here.
But all of that is just adjectives. Dust on the surface. Words we’ve conditioned ourselves to say. The stereotypical answer that gives us a quick way out of an uncomfortable situation.
It’s because of this rehearsed, meaningless answer that many people cannot reach that stronger, fitter and healthier version of themselves. They don’t want to lean into the uncomfortable feeling behind those words. Yet it’s exactly where we need to go to discover our true motivations.
What would it mean to become a stronger, fitter and healthier version of yourself? More freedom? A sense of achievement? Self-actualisation? More status?
What would it allow you to do that your current version can’t do? Self-transcendence? Access to somewhere or some place? A connection with someone or some place?
What would it allow you to feel? Hope? Belonging? Confidence? Power? Control?
And then, once you’ve gone under the surface, it’s time to dig deeper. Why is it that you want what you just discovered? You can go really deep in here. And yes, initially it’ll probably be as enjoyable as trying to glue together a pile of sawdust. But if you really want what you say you want, it’s worth the effort.
It’s fine to want to become stronger, fitter and healthier. But it’s often only after we blow off the dust and dig really deep that we realise what our true motivations are.