Musician and author, Cliff Beach, is our Choices guest today. His new book, Side Hustle & Flow: Shape-Up!, is a guide to transforming your health and fitness journey: a book every one of us needs to read and follow. To that end Cliff has written a guest post for us about motivation and the need for all of us to keep moving.
Here’s Cliff:
Motivation
by Cliff Beach
Angela Duckworth, in her famous TED talk, explains that true grit is ultimate perseverance. For me, I define it as wanting to pursue and keep going long after the initial drive has faded.
There’s a myth about motivation—that people miraculously love doing what they do all the time. Do you think Dwayne Johnson loves working out every day? Or that David Goggins wants to run in the snow or rain for five miles? Or that Oprah was excited about every interview she did throughout her entire career?
More importantly, I’ve learned that the opposite of motivation is inertia, and the antidote is finding the smallest next step to move the needle slightly forward. There was a man who wasn’t motivated to paint his daughter’s room, so his life coach asked, “What’s keeping you from painting?” The man replied, “I don’t have paint.” “Why don’t you have paint?” the coach asked. “I don’t know the color,” the man said. “Who decides the color?” the coach asked again. “My wife,” the man answered. So the coach suggested, “Why don’t you text your wife to find out what color she wants so you can order it?” The man did, she picked yellow, he ordered the paint, and now he was slightly more motivated to finish the project he’d been procrastinating on for so long.
When we don’t know what to do, we tend to do nothing. In both of my books, Side Hustle & Flow and Side Hustle & Flow: Shape-Up, the core underlying principle is the same: it works if you work it.
As Jim Rohn says, “There’s always a good excuse, but never a good reason.”
To debunk the myth of motivation, it’s simple: to stay motivated, keep moving. Motion and momentum are key. If you need to work out, put on your running shoes as soon as you wake up and, as Mel Robbins says, just 5,4,3,2,1—go out the door. You’ll meet motivation outside. You won’t find it inside, where it’s 5,4,3,2,1—no, and you stay in bed, hitting snooze on the alarm.
Hitting snooze on the alarm eventually leads to hitting snooze on life and kills any motivation you could have had. If you’re struggling with a lack of motivation, just repeat Jim Rohn’s words as your motivational mantra when you wake up: “You don’t have to be great to start, but you do have to start to be great!” The alternative is being average—and that’s demotivating and not worth getting out of bed for. They don’t make statues for average either!
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Book Summary
Side Hustle & Flow: Shape-Up! is the second book in Cliff Beach’s acclaimed series. Following the success of Side Hustle & Flow, nominated for a World Entertainment Award for Best Spoken Word Album in 2024, Cliff Beach returns with a powerful guide to transforming your health and fitness journey.
Discover the seven essential steps to achieving a fitter, happier you:
- The Deciding Factor: Uncover your personal motivations and use them to fuel your transformation.
- Checking Your Numbers: Learn the importance of tracking key health metrics, with insights from dieticians and doctors.
- Intermittent Fasting Tips and Tricks: Master intermittent fasting with practical advice on timing, hydration, and managing hunger.
- Picking a Diet That Works for You: Find a diet plan that suits your lifestyle and health needs for sustainable eating habits.
- Exercise: Make it Fun and Be Consistent: Incorporate fun and engaging activities into your routine to ensure consistency and enjoyment.
- Healthy Lifestyle Changes You Can Stick With: Implement small, manageable changes for long-term success.
- Get Into a Support Group Now!: Leverage the power of community and support groups to maintain motivation and accountability.
Side Hustle & Flow: Shape-Up! is more than just a fitness guide; it is a call to action for a healthier, happier you. Cliff Beach’s practical advice and motivational style will inspire you to take control of your health and transform your life. Join Cliff on this transformative journey and take the first step towards a fitter, happier you today!
Publisher: Please and Funk You Publishing
ASIN: B0DKFZLY8T
Audiobook Length: 3 hours and 24 minutes
Purchase a copy of Side Hustle & Flow: Shape-Up! On Amazon, Audible, and Barnes and Noble.
About the Author
Musician and author Cliff Beach has been performing live for more than 20 years. His single “Confident” was featured on Spotify All Funked Up and Funk Drive playlists with over 975k+ streams. He is the host of the Deeper Grooves Podcast and Deeper Grooves on 885FM. Beach is the author of highly successful book Side Hustle & Flow on Black Spring Press Group/Eyewear Publishing, which chronicles his musical journey while still working a day job. He has written previously for Beautytap, Pepperdine and Rock Star Life. He is the winner of the John Lennon Songwriting Contest Grand Prize, two World Songwriting Awards, four Global Music Awards, a California Music Video & Film Award and nominated for four LA Music Awards, one Hollywood Music & Media Award, and one Independent Music Award and more. His music has recently been featured on CNN, SYFY, CW, HBO MAX and in a BMW spot. He was nominated for a World Entertainment Award for his audiobook Side Hustle & Flow and has just released his follow up Side Hustle & Flow: Shape-Up! on Please and Funk You Publishing via Author’s Republic. He is an awarding distinguished toastmaster and VP of PR from Culver City toastmasters and TedX presenter.
Find him online at:
Website: https://sidehustleandflow.net
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cliffbeachmusic
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cliffbeachmusic
Twitter/X: https://www.twitter.com/cliffbeachmusic
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