Working Through a Lack of Motivation
Welcome back to BETTER, an email series designed to give you the tools to progress toward your goals.
Today, we will be focused on strategies to stay motivated.
Read on:
Focus on stacking wins. If you've lost momentum, you must return to a positive cycle. Do this by setting up small, sequential wins that you can complete. Before bed, write down 5-6 simple action items you can complete immediately when you wake up. Examples include making your bed, drinking water, making coffee, making a healthy breakfast, and brushing your teeth. Once you start completing these small tasks, your brain will subconsciously look for more tasks to complete. Encourage yourself to keep up these efforts; you may be surprised how accomplished you begin to feel and how your mood changes!
One Step at a Time. Big goals are fantastic. Working towards losing 10 pounds, adding 5 pounds of muscle, or improving your 5k time are laudable efforts worthy of the time and energy it takes to complete them. They can also be overwhelming, intimidating, and quickly discouraging when progress stalls, leading to a momentum loss. If you feel this way, reframe your thought process to "What is the next step I can take to move me just a millimeter closer to my goal? If you're trying to lose body fat, immediately drink a big glass of water or chew gum to avoid snacking for the next few hours. If you are trying to build muscle, eat enough food today to support your gym efforts. If you want to run faster, plan your next run!
Remember, You can do Hard Things. Meeting our goals seems impossible when we find ourselves at the bottom of the motivation valley. Remember, you've done hard things before. Why not tackle something challenging again!? If you sat down and thought about it, I imagine you could think of at least 2-3 instances where you took on a challenge and persevered. Remember, nothing is stopping you from doing this again!
Don't Major in the Minors. Often, there are so many choices and angles to look at something that we become paralyzed, leading to inaction and a loss of motivation. Remember to look at the big picture if this sounds like your current mindset. Exercise is going to be a net positive, no matter what. Just do something. Forget about making the next meal perfect; ensure it has protein and some whole foods. Is sleep not coming easy? Do the best you can to get to bed on time. Control what you can control, and stop worrying about the rest.
Having our motivation wane is part of the process of growing. It will happen at some point along your journey. The critical piece is what you decide to do when you are low. Are you going to stay there or start climbing?