Understanding Your Motivation

Dean Anderson
By Dean Anderson


Many people struggle with motivation when trying to achieve health and wellness goals, and the challenges aren’t always the same for everyone. Understanding the type of motivation challenge you face is the first step toward finding strategies that work for you.

Take a few minutes to answer the following quiz—it’s a simple way to uncover where you might need extra support.

Instructions: Grab a piece of paper and answer each statement with “True” if it applies to you more often than not, or “False” if it doesn’t. Then rate how much that statement contributes to your motivation challenges on a scale of 1–10 (1 = almost no role, 10 = major role).

Motivation Quiz

  1. My motivation seems to depend on what the scale, tape measure, or the fit of my clothes shows. I feel motivated when I see results, but unmotivated when I don’t.

    SCORE (1–10): _____

  2. I feel like I am in a constant battle with myself. I want to eat what I like, whenever I like, or my body naturally gravitates toward inactivity. It’s very hard to make myself do what I know I need to do.

    SCORE (1–10): _____

  3. I really want to eat healthy and exercise most of the time, but I can’t seem to resist the temptations I encounter daily.

    SCORE (1–10): _____

  4. I would do better if I had more control over my life and time. There are so many demands that I can’t fit exercise and healthy meals into my day as often as I’d like.

    SCORE (1–10): _____

  5. I do well for a few hours, days, or weeks, but then things go downhill. I focus on what I did wrong, get flooded with negative feelings, and feel like giving up.

    SCORE (1–10): _____

Interpreting Your Results & Finding Solutions

Question 1: Relying on External Motivation

If you answered True and scored high, you may be relying too much on external motivators—like the scale or clothing size. These extrinsic factors are helpful, but they fluctuate and can leave you feeling discouraged. Building internal motivation is key.

Try this exercise: Imagine a world without scales, mirrors, or standard body measurements. How would you measure your progress? Focus on how your body feels during daily activities, like standing, climbing stairs, or lifting objects. Set measurable goals based on function—such as being able to rise from a chair without using your hands—and track improvements. Your motivation grows when you see progress in strength, energy, and daily function, rather than just the numbers on the scale.

Question 2: Inner Conflicts with Motivation
If you scored high on this statement, you may feel torn between the desire to enjoy indulgent foods and the desire to meet health goals. Motivation isn’t about eliminating one side of yourself—it’s about balancing your desires. Recognize that both are part of who you are. Strengthen motivation by making conscious choices that consistently support both pleasure and health, instead of seeing them as opposites.

Questions 3 & 4: Feeling Controlled by External Factors
High scores here suggest you may feel that external influences—like tempting foods or busy schedules—dictate your behavior. You can regain control by using “I statements” when identifying challenges:

  • “I choose to prepare a healthy meal instead of grabbing fast food.”

  • “I can fit a 20-minute walk into my day before dinner.”

Shifting your mindset helps you see that you are in charge of your choices and your health behaviors.

Question 5: Perfectionism & All-or-Nothing Thinking
High scores indicate that perfectionism and all-or-nothing thinking are limiting your motivation. Focusing on mistakes rather than successes can quickly derail progress. Instead, try a both/and approach:

  • “I had a slice of cake, and I’ll still go for my walk.”

  • “I missed one workout, and I can get back on track tomorrow.”

Breaking the cycle of self-criticism allows you to learn from setbacks, stay consistent, and maintain motivation for the long term.

Key Takeaways for Sustained Motivation

  1. Combine internal and external motivators—use scales and clothing, but focus on functional and emotional improvements as well.

  2. Balance your desires—motivation improves when you honor both pleasure and health goals.

  3. Take ownership of your choices—replace external blame with “I” statements to feel more in control.

  4. Manage perfectionism—focus on progress, not perfection, and practice both/and thinking.

  5. Track and reflect—keeping a simple journal of behaviors, feelings, and results helps identify patterns and reinforce success.

Motivation isn’t about being perfect—it’s about creating a strategy that keeps you moving forward, even when life gets challenging. Use this quiz and the strategies above to identify your motivation style and set yourself up for long-term success.


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