4 Steps to Stay Motivated
One of the biggest struggles we face when looking to make a change (ie: get fit, cut back on alcohol, tackle eating habits, etc.) is staying the course of a new habit. Let’s be honest, we don’t always FEEL like meal planning, getting up early to exercise, or going to sleep at a decent hour.
But we know CONSISTENCY is what brings those long-term benefits.
So how do you stay motivated when you just DON’T FEEL LIKE IT?
Here are 4 tips to help you stay on track and keep motivation alive:
1. Create a routine.
When it comes to following through, create a rhythm and it will be easier to stay on beat. Set a certain time to kick off your activity so you know when you will be following through.
ie: “On Sunday afternoons, I will spend 20 minutes planning healthy dinners for the week.”
Be specific as to what the behavior is, so you know when you’ve followed through and completed successfully:
ie: “Every morning at 6:00am I will walk on the treadmill for 20 minutes.”
Create a routine that fits into the lifestyle you want to create, and is something you can commit to currently. Identify opportunities where you can level-up in small but impactful ways.
ie: “Every evening after dinner, I will declare out loud ‘I am finished eating’ and make a cup of herbal tea before bed.”
Humans are creatures of habit, and the more we practice a behavior, the easier and more likely it becomes. Creating a steady structured routine helps construct the path for a long term habit. (The Power of Habit)
2. Get Uncomfortable!
Practicing self-discipline and refraining from instant gratification can be tough. It feels uncomfortable following through on new behaviors, which is why we to lose motivation to follow through on things like daily exercise, giving up wine, or avoiding processed foods.
Learning to make a game of getting outside your “comfort zone” can help you launch into action.
Your body and brain resist new behaviors because it threatens your sense of immediate comfort and security (your brain & body want to conserve as much energy as possible, and minimize all potential threats). But today, we’re not surviving like cavemen. We’re living in highly evolved civilizations, and we have to practice our heightened awareness to take action despite discomfort.
Here are some simple perspective shifts to help you plunge outside your “comfort zone” to keep growing:
1. Recognize your discomfort/unease as a sense of heightened excitement. You’re alive! Lean in and embrace the challenge to step up!
2. Launch yourself into action with a “5-4-3-2-1-BLASTOFF”! Take immediate action on behavior within 5 seconds, before you find an excuse. (Check out Mel Robbins’ 5 Second Rule)
3. Replace a negative mindset with an opportunity mindset. Instead of: “I don’t FEEL like doing xyz…” try: “Doing xyz will have me feeling so good afterwards!”. Focus on the long term rewards of following through.
Learning to embrace discomfort is a skill that can be developed with practice! The more you challenge yourself, the more you grow!
3. Track your progress (and celebrate) along the way.
If you want to make progress, you need to track your behaviors. This can be as basic as checking off the calendar every day you perform your behavior (ie: exercised for 20 min today, CHECK!). There is something intrinsically reinforcing about accomplishing a task and checking it off a list. (check out this Habit Tracker)
Tracking helps you become aware of your progress. Make sure you also recognize and celebrate wins along the way. Keep in mind the reward should align with your goal, to avoid turning a celebration into a self-sabotaging moment (ie: celebrating with ice cream after a weight-loss goal). Instead, celebrate victories in ways that continue to promote your goal of feeling happy and healthy (ie: take a day trip to a beautiful park for a picnic, buy yourself a new piece of clothing, share your progress with a friend who supports you, get a massage, etc.)
4. Create Accountability.
The goal is to get to a point where our new behaviors are automatic, and we follow through out of habit. But there is some gearing up to get you to that point, and creating external accountability can ignite your fire!
You can easily create accountability by sharing you’re goal and objectives with another person. This could be a close friend you trust in, a supportive co-worker, a personal coach. You can take it a step further and create public accountability by sharing with a group of people or announcing on social media. (check out this Habit Contract)
Working with a coach, or an accountability partner can really help you keep on track, especially when you may be tempted to hold back. You’ll sense a greater responsibility to not only yourself but to others as well, which will help you follow through on developing your routine and habits.
You won’t always FEEL like doing the work, but leveraging the power of routine, developing a strong mindset, tracking progress and creating accountability all help cultivate powerful habits. Remember life isn’t a sprint, it’s a marathon- so develop a steady pace with the things that are important and you will live a happier life.