Becoming a lifelong lifter: intrinsic and identity-based motivation

A recent T-Nation article profoundly resonated with me, so much so that I have written about it on my social media and talked about it on my YouTube channel. I also plan to present this idea to clients to encourage them to find the deeper value of lifting for them personally.The author of the article, Andrew Heming, described how two types of people can become lifelong lifters. There are those who fall in love with it and lift because they truly enjoy it (me.) Then there are those people who lift because they see the value in it for a multitude of reasons (also me).....they don't have a true passion for it or LOVE it but do it anyway. So how does the latter continue to lift over the long-term and make it a sustainable habit? Willpower and motivation will only take a person so far. What carries them through a lifetime, decade after decade? I have a friend who has been lifting since he was 12! That's 30+ years.....I know he loves it, but to do it for that long means there is something deeper involved. Connecting your reasons for lifting to deeper set values is brilliant. Ask yourself (and clients) what do you value most in this stage of your life? What propels you to keep moving forward and continue to better yourself? Is it feeling good mentally? Is it battling depression/anxiety? Maintaining a healthy weight you deem for yourself? Being a great role model for your kids? Exhibiting great physical strength? Having great sex for longer and later in life? Looking good naked? Maintaining good bone health? Being able to play with your grandchildren later in life? Any and all reasons are valid. Take time to reflect and make those connections between your reasons for training and your deeper personal values. I'll bet it helps with your decision to continue with something over the long haul.