Motivation
- What's Holding You Back?
I often hear,
"I know what I need to do - I’m just not doing it!!
If this is the case for you, here are a few reasons why... and some
ways to break the cycle going forward.
1. My goal is too big - it's not specific enough,
so I don't know when I'll reach it.
Break it down!
Turn your goal into a series of actions or tasks that you can actually
follow. For example, if your goal is to recharge throughout the day,
one of your actions would be to take a 5-minute stretching break at
your desk. Or to take a quick 20-minute power nap in the afternoon.
2. I don't understand/haven't experienced the benefits - what's
the point?
Find someone
who can give you firsthand experience. For example, if you've never
exercised before, but you think it would be helpful... find people who
love to exercise and ask them what it does for them. The other option
(and I highly recommend this one) is to simply GO FOR IT! Do it - for
one week - and chances are, you will have experienced the benefits for
yourself and will want to continue.
3. I don't have the info/resources/support I need to make it
happen.
Find the person who will support you in making it happen. A buddy, an
ally, a coach, or a trainer. Buy the equipment, clothes, food, gym memberships
you need. Buy a book to help you. Take a course. Don't deprive yourself
of the things you need to make your goal a reality. That would be like
sending your kid off to school without any textbooks or a lunch box.
4. I haven't removed the obstacles that are in my way. I don't
have a system for it yet.
Create a system.
If you want to do something, but you haven't created a space for it
in your calendar, it will never happen. If you haven't created a plan
for how to make it work, then it won't happen. Take 5 minutes to create
a plan, and you'll be one step closer. Plug it into your day. Plug it
into your daily routine.
5. No one else is doing it -I don't want to be the only
one.
Someone needs to be first. Be cool - be bold - be the ringleader! Know
that most people need to be inspired by others. Why shouldn't you be
the one to do the inspiring!?
6. NOT doing it is more pleasant than DOING it. NOT doing it is my reward!
Ah, if this is the case, then you need to create a way to make your
goal more appealing. If you want to stop drinking wine at night, but
having 2 glasses of wine each night is your reward for a hard day's
work... then taking the wine away without putting anything pleasurable
in its place will be torturous. But, if you identify something as pleasurable
as the 2 glasses of wine - to experiment with after work - then you're
in a much better position.
7. I tried it before, and I failed. I don't want to fail again.
Watch this negative thinking! No matter what happened in the past, this is a brand new time. A brand new goal. You are a different person than when you attempted this goal the last time.
You have a whole new chance to reach this goal. If you tell yourself you can't, then you can't.
But here's a question. If you've failed time and time again... and you've already gone through all of the questions above, and you've reduced all the obstacles that stand in your way... then perhaps you aren't meant to reach that goal in the first place!
For example, if you've been trying to lose those last 3 pounds for the last 30 years, maybe those 3 pounds aren't meant to be lost. If you've tried to run a marathon every year, but you keep getting injured 13 miles into the race, maybe you're supposed to run 1/2 marathons instead.
