Feeling Unmotivated?
Written by Karen Kondor
As a nutrition and lifestyle coach, I often hear, “I just don’t have the motivation.” And, during the COVID-19 pandemic, and during every holiday season, those feelings are amplified AF!
But, what if I told you it’s not actually motivation that you’re looking for? Stick with me here…
Here’s the thing: you can’t rely on motivation. Motivation is fleeting. It gets interrupted by excuses (no time, too tired, FOMO, to name a few), and circumstances, and fades steadily.
What you actually need is DISCIPLINE. Discipline means showing up, regardless of how you feel.
So, how do you cultivate discipline?
Get your feelings out of the way.
Try to disassociate feelings with actions. Letting yourself be dictated by how you feel about getting something done can often result in not completing the thing that you need to do. Think of how many times you had to get a work or school project done that you didn’t FEEL like doing. But, you got it done anyway, because you knew it’s what you needed to do. That’s discipline, not motivation.
Make small changes that will lead to success.
Pick three things each day that you know you can accomplish. Another way to think of it is: BASE, BRIDGE, & BEYOND.
What will my BASE action be today? That is, what is one thing I know for sure that I can accomplish today? This could be something very simple, like unloading the dishwasher, or setting a reminder to drink water.
What will my BRIDGE action be today? In other words, what is one thing I can do that I might need to stretch a tiny bit to accomplish? Maybe this is packing a lunch, or drinking 2L of water.
What will my BEYOND action be today? Or, what is one thing I can do that might feel like a really big deal to get done today? Maybe this is going for a 30 minute walk, or meal prepping for the week.
These three things may look different each day. It doesn’t actually matter what each action looks like from one day to the next; what matters most is that you’re creating those actions for yourself, and that you’re using DISCIPLINE to get them done. Over time, those daily actions will become habits that will come naturally to you. And, you may find it hard to break the great habits you’ve built, simply because you focused on discipline, rather than motivation.
So, the next time that voice in your head says, “Ugggghhh, I am just not motivated to make supper/go to the gym/meal prep/get to bed earlier..,” ask yourself if you are making excuses, and then put in place your Base/Bridge/Beyond plan so that you turn those excuses into the driven, determined, discipline you are looking for to achieve the goals you’ve set out for yourself.
P.S.
This is just one of the many tips that Motivateandbfit coaches use to help you successfully navigate the holidays and beyond!