Motivation is Garbage. Here's What Actually Works.
Feeling unmotivated to hit the gym? San Pedro personal trainer Andrew Mejia breaks down why motivation fails and the real key to building a fitness habit that lasts.
Let’s be real.
You woke up today and you knew you should work out. But you hit snooze. You scrolled on your phone. You found a million other things to do.
You waited for that lightning bolt of motivation to strike.
And it never came.
I see it all the time here in San Pedro. People think the secret to a great physique is finding some hidden well of motivation. They think the guys and girls crushing it at the gym every day just “want it more.”
Bull.
Motivation is a feeling. It’s fickle. It’s unreliable. It comes and goes like the fog over the Port of LA. You can’t build your life—or your fitness—on something that disappears that easily.
So if motivation is garbage, what’s the answer?
Discipline. Process. Showing the F* Up.**
You don’t need to feel like working out. You just need to do the workout.
Think about it. You don’t wait to feel motivated to brush your teeth, do you? You just do it. It’s a non-negotiable part of your day. That’s how you need to view your training. Not as some optional activity you do when the stars align, but as a mandatory appointment with yourself.
This isn’t me being harsh. This is me freeing you. You never have to rely on that flaky feeling again.
How to Build the Machine (Because That's What You Are)
Forget the Goal, Fall in Love with the Daily Grind. Yeah, you want to lose 20lbs or get jacked. Cool. But focusing only on the end result is a fast track to burnout. The win isn’t the number on the scale; the win is getting your workout in today. Period. Celebrate that. Find pride in the act itself—in the sweat, the effort, the simple act of showing up for yourself.
Stop Making It Harder Than It Has to Be. Your biggest enemy on a low-motivation day is friction. Lay out your clothes the night before. Have your pre-workout ready. Schedule your session in your phone like a meeting you can’t miss. My clients know this rule: The less you have to think, the more likely you are to do it.
Track Your Progress, Not Your Feelings. Keep a workout log. Write down what you did. When you look back and see the weights going up, the runs getting easier, the consistency adding up—that becomes your motivation. It’s proof. It’s data. It’s undeniable evidence that you’re building something real, regardless of how you felt on any single day.
Remember Your "Why" (The Deep One). This is bigger than looking good. Why are you really doing this? Is it to play with your kids without getting winded? To feel strong and confident walking down Western Ave? To be healthy for your family? On the days you want to quit, you cling to your "Why." It’s your anchor.
Bottom Line:
Stop waiting to feel inspired. Inspiration is for amateurs.
The pros? We build systems. We commit to the process. We show up even when—especially when—we don’t feel like it. That’s where real change happens. Not in the highlight reel, but in the daily grind.
That’s how we do it in San Pedro. We don’t quit. We work.
You’ve got this. Now let’s get after it.
- Andrew Mejia
Struggling to build that system on your own? That’s what I’m here for. Fill out my form and let’s build a plan that works, whether you feel like it or not.
