Motivation can be a slippery thing sometimes, and when people tell me they “can’t get motivated,” or don’t know how to stay motivated, it’s usually for one of the following reasons:

Reason #1 – You don’t actually wanna do the thing you “can’t get motivated” to do.

Think about it. When you REALLY wanna do something, do you even need to “get motivated?”

Heck no! It happens effortlessly.

If you “can’t get motivated,” it means you don’t really wanna do the thing you’re “trying” to do.

Solution: Get clear on whether or not you want the result you “can’t get motivated” to do. Ask yourself, “Why do I want this?” Dig deep. It’s possible you haven’t gone deep and dirty enough to find the why that makes you cry.

And speaking of trying to do something…

Reason #2 – You’re “trying” to do it instead of deciding to do it.

When you try to do something, you’re not doing it.

Think of it like trying to sit in a chair, or trying to pick up a cup. You either do it or you don’t.

That’s why trying to get your water in, or trying to eat healthier, don’t work. You are getting your water in, or you aren’t. You are eating healthier, or you aren’t.

Trying is just giving yourself permission to fizzle out the second stuff gets uncomfortable.

Solution: Do it or don’t do it. Make your mind up and go all-in, or don’t, and be at peace with it either way, because you won’t get there by “trying.” You’ll get there by DECIDING. When you flip that deep, inner decision switch, nothing and no one will stop you.

Reason #3 – You want comfort more than you want the result you get by changing.

Human beings love comfort. (There’s a reason it’s called a comfort zone.) If you wanna be comfortable more than you want to do the thing you “can’t get motivated” to do, then comfort wins.

You may truly want the result you’re struggling to get. But part of you wants what you’re doing now as much, or more, as that result.

Since what you’re doing now is comfortable – even if sucks, it’s familiar, and there’s comfort in the familiar – again, comfort wins.

Fear of success, or fear of trying and failing, fall into the comfort category, too. It’s usually more comfortable to stay stuck than to risk failure, or to succeed and then face the prospect of maintaining that success.

Solution: Get comfortable being uncomfortable. Challenge yourself daily with something that’s uncomfortable. Turn your shower to ice cold for 10 seconds. Wear a nicer shirt and instead of that flowy mumu you’re so comfortable with. Get good at stepping outside your comfort zone. The less you value comfort, the less control it’ll have over your motivation.

Reason #4 – You think you have to do it all yourself.

Look, there is nothing wrong with support. It can even be FUN.

Even I turn to certain people in my life for support when I need it.

If you think “going it alone” is the best way to get where you wanna be, I’ve got news for you: It’s not.

There are a few outliers here and there who can do that.

For everyone else, they get faster, better results with outside support.

Solution: Get an accountability buddy – a GOOD one who’s all-in, not someone who half-asses things – and check in with them. Join a community and STAY connected. People who disconnect get sucked back in by their old ways. Surround yourself with stuff that inspires new ways, and helps them stick.

Reason #5 – You’re focusing on what you’re giving up instead of what you’re getting.

Most people are lack-minded. I used to be, too, so I get it. I also get, now, how destructive the lack mentality is.

One of the best ways to shift out of lack is to focus on what you get.

Take the Code Red Custom Program. People look at the $997 price point and flip out because all they can think about is “losing” that $997.

But take a look at what you GET. You get a customized nutrition plan to get your weight off faster. You get support and coaching to help you further dial things in. You get a goal weight prize. You get to have your grocery bill drop.

You get the tools and deep dive knowledge to NEVER go around the weight loss mountain again. You get what you need to TAKE YOUR LIFE BACK.

Another place people trip up is focusing on the “foods to avoid” side of the foods list, and moaning about all the foods they “have” to give up.

You don’t “HAVE” to do anything. You’re choosing to avoid those foods so you can lose your weight and feel better than you have in years.

Solution: Focus on what you’re choosing to get. What you focus on expands. If you focus on lack, you get more of it. If you focus on the good things you get, you get more of them.

Motivation can be slippery to hang onto. People in that situation try to force it, never address or take an honest look at why they’re struggling with it, and wonder why they struggle.

The tips above will help you identify and plug the leaks in your motivation bucket.