Have you ever thought that despite all your knowing, you don’t actually do what you know you ought to do? Why all your knowing does not actually translate into doing?
If you have had that experience you are not alone. It can sure be frustrating. But don’t be frustrated, because on today’s newsletter I am going to discusses the barriers to taking action and provide you with 6 actionable steps on how to overcome these all too common barriers including resistance, procrastination and lack of motivation.
Here are some highlights:
1. First – manage your expectations.
I think just knowing that you are going to have off moments is not only comforting but motivating. There is nothing inherently wrong with you if your motivation is waning. It is natural, normal and human to have different feelings and moods and drive even towards the things that you love most and are most committed to.
Think about a relationship in your life. Chances are that the start of the relationship was filled with a certain energy, and once you settled into the relationship there was different intensity, energy and even motivation to do the same things, and then of course we even become complacent at times if we are not careful. Different seasons have different motivation. Don’t judge yourself for this human nature.
2. Identify your “why” the bigger reason why you have committed to this goal?
Why do you really care? Vitality? Health? Productivity? Wellbeing? Identify your why and draw motivation from aligning with something bigger than the day to day grind.
Keeping that big picture, our personal values, what truly matters to us, that front and center makes all the difference in the world.
3. Reminders
We can all have important goals and be aligned with our values and we forget.
We can all benefit from reminders. In fact, I think reminders are needed daily. And there are plenty of spaces these days where you can get a dose motivation, inspiration, spirituality. I get mine from writing my weekly messages to you. By reminding you I am reminding myself too. I also spend some time every day either listening or reading something that builds my motivation or inspiration – books, podcasts and the like.
4. The fourth is building awareness and presence.
I have mentioned in prior podcasts how valuable a writing practice can be. Writing can be a great way to dig deep, to define your goals and maintain motivation around them. And there are a few evidence-based practices that can help you do this. The first is a gratitude practice – gratitude is a great way to drumming up motivation. By reflecting on what we are grateful for, we can boster our natural motivation to do our part, not only for the greater good but for ourselves.
Mantras or affirmations. Little messages to yourself that inspire you can serve as helpful reminders to do the thing that is hard in the moment that you might not feel like it.
Another writing practice is savoring. Taking the time to really savor, to revel in the good stuff, the good feeling that we achieve from doing the hard things, we inherently motivate us to continue.
And finally, celebrating your wins. Just like a child that feels validated when acknowledged we can validate ourselves and motivate ourselves by celebrating our wins no matter how small. Recognize and acknowledge that you are sticking to your goals, making time for yourself, engaging in healthy practices. And by doing so you naturally build the motivation to continue.
If you are interested in a writing practice, I have created an awesome 30 day journaling guide.
5. Create a Routine
Routines are a powerful way to stay committed to a goal. Create a standing shopping list, a weekly meal plan, a daily meal prep. Create a routine around your daily movement practice, a night time routine of something soothing before sleep. Don’t overthink it and don’t negotiate around it, just do it. Committing to a routine will create a ritual that becomes ingrained in habit.
6. And finally, the most powerful way of building motivation is by aligning with the feeling after the hard thing is done.
How do you feel when you commit and accomplish a goal? How do you feel when you feel or see the result of the hard work. Really experience that feeling. Bringing that to mind is the most powerful way to redirect yourself in the very moment when the desire to deviate is so strong.
Align with how you feel when you choose a good snack or opt to cook or prepare clean food. Knowing that you will feel light, energetic can serve as a great motivator for choosing what’s right in the moment. The opposite is imagining how you might feel when you react to desire. Think donuts in the breakroom.
How do you feel in your body after you eat a dense, sugary snack. Of course it’s yummy in the moment but then we are left feeling heavy and depleted. (and that’s not to say that we can never indulge in those things, but many of us are indulging daily or multiple times a day and that just does not feel good in our bodies nor is it congruent with our long term goals).
I am re-sharing this episode because it was so impactful for so many of you and one of the most downloaded episodes since last summer! If you have already heard it, I encourage you to listen to it again!
We learn to incorporate knowledge with repetition and this might just be the thing you need to hear to translate all that knowing into doing!
