Is Too Much Motivation A Bad Thing?

It's a strange title
I mean - motivation
It's what drives you to do the exercise. Yo eat well. Do all the fitness stuff.
So why would it be a bad thing to have too much of it?

I was listening to something the other day which made me think about how when you want to get in shape, your motivation is super high and without realising, can easily set you up for failure.

Let's take a random person, we'll call her Kate.
Kate is unhappy with how she's looking, how she's feeling and wants to lose weight and tone up.
Kate buys a diet book.
Buys workout clothes.
Joins the local gym.
Everything is new, fresh and shiny and this gives Kate a huge motivation boost.
She's going to conquer it alllllllllllllll!

In this high motivation mood, Kate sets out her plan:
1) Quit all junk food
2) Eat only healthy foods
3) Exercise every day
4) No, wait, twice every day!
5) Get 8 hours of sleep every night
6) Drink 2 - 3 litres of water everyday

Do you think this is realistic or very over-committed?
Is this something you're guilty of doing in the past?
How long do you think this could really last before something slips?

And the problem is, many people like Kate are prone to an all or nothing mindset
"It must be 100% all the way or not at all"
Let's fast forward a few weeks:

Real life has gotten in the way (which the bugger always does), motivation has dropped and Kate hasn't been able to go to the gym every day. She's tired from a long day at work and that boiled broccoli with plain grilled chicken breast doesn't seem worth the effort.
So fuck it. Takeaway.

Then the slippery slope happens.

Gym visits tail off
Junk food creeps back in
Kate ends up back at square one or slightly worse shape.

A better way would be to leave yourself slightly wanting.
Keep some of that hunger to get in shape inside you.

What do I mean?

Say you tell yourself "I'm going to exercise every day!".
How about setting a more realistic target of "I'm going to exercise 2 - 3 times a week"
That way, if everything is optimal and you can get to the gym more times, it's a bonus. If you can only get to the gym 2 - 3 times, you're on track with your plan.

Say you tell yourself "I'm going to stop eating all junk food and only eat healthy food!"
How about setting a more realistic target of "I'm going to limit my takeaway to 1 every 2 weeks and eat healthy meals 50 - 70% of the time"
It gives you some wiggle room if you get caught out or have some snacks. If you can do better for a period of time, bonus! If you can stick to the more realistic plan, it's still helping you to make progress.

If you're guilty of being a bit over-ambitious when you're feeling super motivated to achieve a goal, ask yourself:
a) is this something I am really going to stick to?
b) what could I tone this down to that I know I can definitely stick to and make progress?