Five Ways To Combat Lack of Motivation
You wake up, get dressed, drop the kids off at school, and head to work for 8 or more hours every weekday. Your motivator is your earnings from your job, yet the reward is that you can provide for yourself and your family. As we all know though, getting up and going to work day after day is not easy. In fact, staying motivated to do things we need or desire to do to live a fulfilled life can live at bay for quite some time. Answer this for me: How often have you thought “I’m just not motivated to do it (whatever you need or desire to do)?” Motivation can be the key factor to achieving your goals and leading a fulfilling life.
Here are a few hacks to stay motivated to get out of bed every morning to conquer the world!
1. View your well-being as a necessity
Just like its a necessity to get up and go to work everyday so you can pay the bills, exercising, eating right, and taking care of yourself is too. When you view your health as a desire or want versus a need, you may let go of an obligation to care for yourself and adopt neglect in its place. Try thinking of why you want something, what are the pros of adopting the behavior, and what are the cons. Weigh out the pros and cons, and you will find that doing things to maintain your well-being comes with greater benefits.
2. Hold on to your vision
Close your eyes for a minute. Imagine yourself holding a paintbrush, in front of a blank canvas. There is no one better than you to paint the picture of your vision. You understand your core values, strengths, weakness, and motivators. As you put the brush to the paper, think of everything that would make your life’s vision fulfilling. See it. Feel it. Smell it. Taste it. Hear it. Whether you paint a picture, write a list of what you want to do in life, or simply make a mental checklist, keeping your life’s vision in your back pocket will help remind you of what you wish to accomplish.
3. Set simple, doable goals
Perhaps in your life’s vision, you are 20lbs lighter and more energized. Tuck that behind a door at the top of a stair case. Each step you take up the staircase will get you closer and closer to your end goal. The steps represent goals you must achieve to relish in the victories of your overall vision. In the beginning, set short term goals that are obtainable, but detailed. Setting a weekly or bi-weekly goal like, “I will exercise 4 days (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday) a week for at least an hour at the gym,” will help you stay focused on what it takes to accomplish your vision. Once you have tackled your short term goals, set long-term goals of 3-12 months.
4. Live life by the expectancy approach
What we carry in our minds can affect our motivation to achieve success. When you begin the journey to an improved well-being, expect success, but also expect obstacles. Understanding that life can turn sour from time to time, think of ways to overcome the hurdles that may appear. If you expect that your daughter’s soccer practice may interfere with your gym workout, come up with a solution that will help you get her to practice but also help you achieve your weight-loss goal. Whether your solution is to jog around the field while she practices or hit the gym on your lunch break instead, knowing how to overcome your obstacles will lead you to success. After all, like the saying goes, “nothing breeds success like success, and nothing breeds failure like failure.”
5. Celebrate your successes
Whether small or big, each accomplished goal will get you closer to your overall vision. So celebrate! When setting goals, pre-plan a reward according to your time frame. For example, when you reach your 3-month goal of losing 8lbs, reward yourself with a relaxing foot massage or perhaps a new exercise outfit. No matter how great the success is, having a reward in mind will help you keep your eye on the prize and motivation by your side.
When you find yourself saying “I’m just not motivated to do it,” try viewing your well-being as a necessity, painting your vision, setting small but doable goals, expecting success, and rewarding your accomplishments!
We are also here to help! If you’re ready for support or want more information on how to stay motivated, drop us an email or give us a call at 877-293-9355 ext. 0!
– Casey Edmonds, CHC
