Don't let workout intensity drop off

Do you ever see the people at the gym who are there day after day pedaling away on the bike or walking on the treadmill while talking on their cell phone or chit-chatting with their neighbor?
I see those people, and I also see that day in and day out their physiques almost never change. Why would you or anyone else take a precious hour out of the day to go to the gym but not train smart enough or with enough intensity to enact real change?
Your time in the gym needs to be more than just going through the motions. I am not saying that each workout you should busting out new personal records, but how can you work out, seriously, while you have your cell phone TO YOUR EAR? I had a guy in my gym doing barbell curls while on his phone. How can you really think that you are getting a ton out of training while doing that?
If you're going to commit to getting to the gym a few times a week, you need to make the most of it. Everyone's going to have a bad day here or there where your workouts lack the usual fire, but those should be the exception not the rule. With a job, possibly children and a home to take care of, most people have trouble finding the time to get in a workout. But if you're making the effort to get to the gym, then put in some hard work when you're there. You'll get more out of it and probably feel better in the long run.