In the coming weeks on Raise The Bar, we’ll be joined by Tiron Wickramasinghe, founder of Project T. With over 20 years of experience in strength and conditioning, body transformation, and managing elite gym facilities across Colombo, Tiron is a respected name in the fitness industry. His impressive career includes working with professional rugby teams, and since 2013, he has served as the official fitness coach for the Miss. Sri Lanka for Miss World beauty pageant, as well as Mr. Sri Lanka for Mr. World since 2017.
Driven by a deep passion for fitness, Tiron has competed in numerous bodybuilding competitions, placing 5th in Mr. Physique Sri Lanka in 2018, 6th in 2014, and most recently, securing a spot among the top six in the national competition in 2024.
Renowned for delivering results-driven body transformation programs tailored to each client’s lifestyle and goals, Tiron combines practical expertise with a strong academic foundation. He holds multiple certifications, including Level 3 Personal Training, First Aid and CPR, Bodybuilding and Fitness, and is also accredited as a Pre- and Post-Natal Specialist.
His customized programs have empowered a wide-ranging clientele, from celebrities and corporate professionals to business leaders and passionate fitness enthusiasts, helping them build confidence and achieve sustainable results.
In this feature, Tiron Wickramasinghe shares what truly leads to lasting change in health and fitness, and why so many people, despite knowing the basics, still struggle to see long-term results.
Why Motivation Is Just the Spark
We’ve all felt that initial burst of inspiration, after watching a motivational video, reading a quote, or making a bold New Year’s resolution. But for many, that spark quickly fades. Gym sessions become a chore, meal preps are replaced with quick fixes, and old habits resurface.
Motivation is an important starting point, but it’s not enough to sustain long-term change, especially when life inevitably gets in the way.
Tiron puts it plainly:
Most people already:
- Know what to eat
- Know they should exercise
- Know they need more water and sleep
Yet they lack consistency.
Why? Because the key to lasting transformation isn’t motivation, it’s identity and systemic behaviour.
The Real Root of Change: Identity and Systems
Lack of motivation usually isn’t about a lack of knowledge. It’s deeper. It has more to do with one’s identity, habits, emotional patterns, and mindset.
True transformation requires rewiring how you see yourself. It’s not just about building muscle or counting macros. That’s why, Tiron emphasizes, “Motivation is insufficient.”
Motivation is fuelled by temporary emotions, and emotions fluctuate daily. Without a clear system in place, inspiration will always be short-lived. To create lasting change, you must align your identity with your goals. It’s not about saying “I want to lose 5kg,” but rather, “Who do I need to become to live as a healthy, fit person?”
How Identity Drives Behaviour
Many people struggle not because they don’t know what to do, but because their inner identity conflicts with the behaviours they’re trying to adopt.
Consider this example:
Someone says, “I’m trying to eat clean,” but deep down believes, “I’m someone who always craves junk food.”
That belief system always wins.
To truly transform, you must shift your self-image:
- “I’m someone who takes care of my health.”
- “I don’t miss workouts.”
- “I fuel my body.”
This is called identity-based change, and it’s far more powerful than goal-based change.
Why Systems Beat Willpower
Willpower fades. Some days you’re fired up, other days you’re tired, stressed, or distracted. You can’t rely on fluctuating emotions to carry you through months of consistent effort.
That’s where systems come in.
We don’t rise to the level of our motivation; we fall to the level of our systems.
To build lasting habits:
- Design daily routines that reinforce your identity
- Create environments that make healthy choices easier
- Don’t depend on discipline; depend on design
Mindset Matters: Fixed vs. Growth
Another key psychological factor is your mindset.
A fixed mindset says:
- “I’m not athletic,”
- “It’s just my genetics,”
- “I’ve failed before, so I’ll probably fail again.”
A growth mindset says:
- “I can get stronger.”
- “I can train and improve.”
- “Every setback is a lesson.”
Without a mindset shift, your identity, and your behaviour, can’t change.
Mindset shift = result shift.
Fitness isn’t about being “good”- it’s about showing up, even when you’re struggling.
Four Pillars of Real Transformation
- Stop relying on motivation; start building systems
- Shift from a goal-based to an identity-based mindset
- Replace the idea of perfection with consistent action
- Learn to love the process, not just the outcome
Lasting transformation is built on who you believe you are and the systems you put in place to support that belief.
As Tiron Wickramasinghe emphasizes, real change happens when you stop chasing quick fixes and begin aligning your daily actions with the person you want to become.
When motivation fades, and it will, it’s your mindset, habits, and environment that will keep you going.
True fitness isn’t just about looking better. It’s about living differently, thinking differently, and showing up differently; day after day.
Transformation begins not with a workout plan, but with a shift in self-belief.
