What’s your ‘why’?

A little motivation can go a long way, but pinpointing what drives you can be a challenge in itself. So how do you find your ‘why’? We ask our AIA Vitality Ambassadors.

We’ve talked about the ‘what’ – the 4 main health risks affecting Australians every year, and the positive steps you can take to get on top of them. But what about your ‘why’, that drive to help you set goals, particularly around our health and wellness, and stick to them?

Whether you’re an Olympic gold medallist, a parent who rises at dawn to catch some meditation time before the day begins, or an elite athlete like David Beckham, each of us has a ‘why’. It’s a force that fuels your motivation to live a healthy life. Just ask our team of AIA Vitality Ambassadors; they come from all walks of life, and have their own unique drivers that get them out of bed and achieving their goals every day.

But pinpointing exactly what it is that’s driving you isn’t always easy. Nor is creating the framework and conditions to stay motivated. So how do our ambassadors do it? Let’s find out.

Rachel Service – aka The Happiness Concierge – has a great reason for getting to the bottom of your ‘why’. Rachel believes that identifying what matters most in your life can be a powerful way to get motivated every day. And when you’re motivated, you’re not just more likely to see tasks through – you’ll also achieve them with greater dedication, vigour and satisfaction.

For AIA Vitality Ambassadors Anabelle Smith (an Olympic diver) and Laura Henshaw (co-founder of Keep it Cleaner) maintaining motivation all begins with figuring out what drives you. “If you can find the reasons you want to work towards your goal, the more likely you are to get the motivation to do it,” says Annabelle.

“It makes the goal much deeper,” adds Laura, “and gives me more motivation to keep going because I understand the importance of it within my life.”

And then there’s the ‘why’ of legendary soccer player and AIA Vitality Global Ambassador, David Beckham. A man who is comfortable with pushing his body to its limits every day, David’s number one motivator is simple, but deep: his family.

For most of us, making health and wellness goals ‘easy’ might sound like an impossible task – exercise is, after all, strenuous – but it is possible.

Just ask AIA Vitality Ambassador and AFL legend-turned self-taught finance guru, Chris Judd. “Listen to your internal clues around what excites you, and understand what you're suited to doing,” he says.

If you’re not enjoying a particular gym class, exercise routine, meal plan or cycling route, change it! Keep exploring until you find ways of moving that you enjoy, and it won’t always feel like such hard work. If you love playing basketball, for example, it won’t feel like you’re going out to ‘exercise’: you’ll just be playing a sport you love – the physical benefits will be a bonus.

While settling on some big goals may feel achievable in the short-term, it’s important to find a plan and routine that you can sustain for months (and years!) to come. 

“If it's too hard to begin with, the motivation to get there will be seriously lacking,” says radio host and television and media personality Bec Judd. “During lockdown, my initial fitness goal was to move my body at least four days a week in some way, whether that’s a walk, a stretch or a HIIT session. This was quite achievable, so motivated me to push myself even harder with the next round of goal setting.”

Three-time Olympic pole-vaulter and Olympic Gold Medallist, Steve Hooker, certainly knows a thing or two about realistic goal setting. “If you have a solid process for setting goals, the rest takes care of itself,” he says. When you’re setting goals, they should tie into a deep driver within yourself; define it and create a vision of it. Then, work backwards from there to set realistic and achievable goals that are going to get you there.”

Olympic Gold Medallist and human performance coach, Alisa Camplin, agrees – and highlights the importance of being proud of the effort you put in, regardless of any short-term results. “Keep it simple, take small steps, and celebrate effort,” she says. “People often make goals too big and too complex, so make them as easy as possible to gradually create change.”

Despite coming from a range of professional and personal backgrounds, all of our AIA Vitality Ambassadors agreed on one thing: it’s OK to have days where you might struggle with motivation, and lose sight of your ‘why’.

But instead of beating ourselves up over missed targets, it’s important to maintain perspective, reset, and get back at it when you feel ready. “Don’t expect to be motivated every day,” says Laura. “Starting is the hardest part – so start small, and build up slowly.”

“If I was having an off-day, I would first tell myself it's OK to not feel up for it,” adds Dr. Jaime Lee. “It's OK to feel unmotivated. Be gentle with yourself. And then set a firm commitment that you need to do X by a certain date. It doesn't have to be a big commitment, just a small step that you commit to.”

Off days are completely normal. What counts is what you do next, and remembering why you’re doing it.

Disclaimer:
This is general information only and is not intended as financial, medical, health, nutritional or other advice. You should obtain professional advice from a financial adviser, or medical or health practitioner in relation to your own personal circumstances.