Motivation: it’s just a feeling.
Like any other feeling it can come and go.

Motivation is often too much relied on as the sole means of achieving one’s goals.

We need more than just a feeling to move us to do the things we do each day. Motivation can be a great emotion to get us started. It can often be the catalyst that ignites us to make that first step but we must look elsewhere to ensure success is maintained over the long term.

Motivation waxes and wanes.
With this waxing and waning comes frustration. We can start to blame ourselves, cursing our lack of willpower and discipline. If we don’t want to have this up and down cycle with our goals then we must broaden our horizons and look elsewhere for solutions.

So what else can we do?

If we can’t rely on motivation, what else can we rely on?…routines and habits!

To cut through the chaos of our busy lives, establishing and maintaining daily habits and regular routines is something we must utilise in order to move forward.

We need to re-frame the way we think about motivation.

Instead of thinking, “I am motivated, now I will start and now I will achieve what I am after”, we need to think another way:
“I am motivated, and it is growing because I am seeing progress and achieving small steps along the way.”

START SMALL

Consider your goals.
The ones that you have pushed with motivation.

For someone that has been successful in achieving these goals, what actions do they take in order to get to that outcome?
How can you use this information and create habits to support your goals?

Start with 1-2 small actions:
Go to sleep 20 minutes earlier every night.
Have 500ml extra water each day.

Focus on 1-2 small things for a few weeks. Prove to yourself over time that you can do it.

From here, add another layer:
Meditate every day for 5 minutes.
Go for a 20 minute walk every Monday and Friday.

Check yourself off every Sunday and tell someone that you trust.
Make your actions well known.
Before you know it, you are doing things automatically.

You are becoming more motivated. Because you are taking action and seeing results!

By focusing and nurturing these habits, you are becoming more automated.
When you feel crappy or can’t be bothered, it is your habits that will get you through.

And habits take work.
They are not created in a set number of days.
They are created by putting in the work, consistently, day to day, week to week, month to month.

Start small: choose something that will give you a big bang for your buck and make you feel great!

TASK: Brainstorm

1. What habits do you need create in order to push your goals forward?
2. How can you nurture these habits to ensure they form?

If you would like some help identifying these, let us know, we would love to help!