Most of us have waited for that burst of motivation to appear – whether it is for fitness motivation, weight loss or some other big change that you want to make in your life. It’s a common misconception that motivation is a serendipitous force that, once arrived, will magically solve all procrastination issues!
However, this is far from reality. Motivation is rarely something that will find you out of the blue; it’s something you cultivate through small consistent habits, steps, changes and actions. Lack of motivation can also be a symptom of something else in your life that needs addressing. More on this later in the blog:
The Fallacy of Waiting for Motivation
The idea that motivation will one day find us, ready and raring to go, is a fallacy that hinders more than it helps. Waiting for motivation is akin to waiting for the perfect conditions to start a project or make a change in your life — it’s likely never going to happen.
The truth is, more often than not, motivation follows action rather than precedes it.
The Power of Small, Consistent Habits
The key to getting started lies in the power of small, consistent habits. These habits, no matter how minor they may seem, are the building blocks of progress. By focusing on creating and maintaining small habits, you’re taking the proactive steps to generate the momentum you need. It’s this momentum, not a sudden burst of motivation, that will carry you towards your goal.
Starting Small, Not Big
The beauty of small habits is that they’re manageable. You’re far more likely to stick with a habit that requires a small amount of effort each day than one that requires a significant time or energy investment right from the start.
For example, if your goal is to get into better shape, starting with a 10-minute daily workout at home, three times a week, is far more sustainable than aiming for an hour at the gym five times a week. Over time, these ten minutes can gradually increase, building your confidence as you go.
It is not just habits, but also small (perhaps less planned) actions that mount up over time. Just saying no once this week to the afternoon office biscuits, having more veg with three meals this week and so on, also builds momentum. Perhaps these are the same as habits, but little actions lead to more little actions. People underestimate the power of small actions as lots of them together add up to one big change!
Consistency Is Key
The effectiveness of small habits and actions lies in their consistency. It’s not what you do occasionally that shapes your life, but what you do consistently. This consistency creates behaviours that become automatic over time. Momentum equals motivation that you don’t even need to think about.
Other Life Factors: It’s Not Always About Habits!
When taking these small steps, sometimes it is worth looking at other areas of your life.
Quite often I find with clients they feel so overwhelmed, they just don’t know where to start, so they don’t start at all. This maybe because they feel they have so much to “fix” (in which case, again, start small with one thing first) or it can be due to other areas of their life such as a stressful job.
For example, if you have a stressful job so you are constantly tired, it will be much harder to find motivation or time to do other things. So in this example, maybe it is learning to say no more, a look at how you manage your time, or addressing a team issue head on.
It could be a lot of things. The stressful job is just one example. Step back and think about what else could be acting as a “motivational blocker” and work to address it.
Remember, it’s not about finding motivation; it’s about building it, one small step at a time through small actions and habits, and by reducing any motivational blockers that are working against you.
So stop beating yourself up and start small!
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