When was the last time you read a news headline like the one that came out last month, “These 8 habits could prolong your life,” and thought to yourself, I know, I know, I know.

(btw-if you are curious about the headline, keep on reading…)

Of course we already know!

It is not for a lack of information that we do or don’t do what we know we should do. And yet, despite all our knowing, we are not doing.

Why?

Because, as you already know, knowing is not enough.

So on this week’s HealthBite, we uncover the most common barriers to ACTION so we can shift from knowing into doing. 

1. Lack of Clarity- the most critical barrier to action is a lack of clarity about our true motivations, our WHY. We fixate on the habit or outcome we are trying to achieve without taking time to clarify why we even care. Remember when you were a child and a grown-up said,

“Do it because I said so?” How did that go over?

Probably not successfully because the reason behind the action was meaningless to you.

If we fail to uncover our more meaningful intentions, we fail to create the necessary motivation that will move us into action.

2. Fear of Failure- of course we want to succeed and worry about our limitations, potential slip-ups, set-backs, mistakes, criticism from others makes us play small. The fear of failure can paralyze us, making us hesitant to take action. Adopting a growth mindset can help with this. Just like we tell our children, we can remind ourselves that we may not get it right, right off the bat. That we can learn from our mistakes and that by challenging ourselves to get outside of our comfort zones, we allow the possibility of achieving something grand!

3. Procrastination and lack of motivation- these two go hand in hand. Have you ever snoozed your alarm clock over and over again until you whittled away the time you had set aside for a workout or meditation? Or do you procrastinate telling yourself you are going to start the next morning, or next Monday or next new year? Of course you have. We all have! We create excuses and distractions or plainly cite our lack of motivation to keep from taking action.

But here’s the thing,…

Motivation does not just fall upon our heads. Motivation comes when we consistently do the thing over and over and over again, until one day it dawns on us, hey, this workout feels pretty darn good or we realize, wow, I’m feeling so much better these days. Motivation is the outcome of our unwavering commitment, and that does not just come, it is earned!

If this resonates and you find yourself engaging in these self-defeating, but very human tendencies, then listen in on this week’s episode to hear some of the tools that I use with my patients, (and with myself) every single day (in just under 20 minutes.)

Well, that’s a wrap! I’ll see you again next week and until then, stay active, stay healthy, and stay mindful.