Motivation. Does it even matter?
By Kristy Bertenshaw
Motivation is something that everyone has searched for at some point in their lives.
How often do you feel you’re not getting what you want in life because you’re—
Not motivated,
Lazy,
Busy,
Or some other describing word.
Motivation is like a wave.
It’s slippery. It comes and goes.
Waiting for it is like a surfer out in the ocean, waiting for the perfect wave when there is no wind,
And the ocean is still.
Would you do that? It’s kind of crazy.
So, how else could you do it? What else could you do?
By starting something today.
By taking action.
Starting before you feel ready.
Starting before you know all of the steps you’ll need to take in the future.
What strategy could you use?
Massive Action? It’s one of the most popular notions I see today.
But is it the most efficient and effective?
Will it bring the most joy?
And are you able to keep that up consistently, long term?
Especially if you want to create long-term change.
And what if you just feel like you don’t have the capacity to take massive action all the time?
How about using a way you can do something daily,
With joy,
And ease,
No matter what life throws at you, the weather, if you’re sick, if you’re tired, if you’re hungover, you can still show up for yourself and keep your word.
You can keep your commitments, your integrity, and your dignity and be the person you’ve always wanted to be.
Even when you’re strung out,
Overwhelmed,
Anxious,
Feeling like it’s all too much,
And wanting to give up.
You can still take action to move forward,
And it feels easy,
And is something you want to do.
But how you ask?
The Tiny Habits Method is researched and scientifically proven to be one of the most effective ways to create long-term behavior change which lasts.
Identify a key area of improvement in your life.
These could be:
Physical Body, Health & Fitness
Mindset, Emotions & Meaning
Relationships, Friends & Family
Time
Career, Mission & Work
Finances & Wealth
Education
Fun, Recreation & Entertainment
Spirituality, Contribution, and Community
Select an action you can repeat to help move you forward.
If you’re unsure of where to start, try the Tiny Habits Recipe Maker.
Non-negotiable: Choose something you can do and that you want to do.
Design your new action,
Or behavior,
So it’s easy to perform.
Position it in the right place and time in your day when you have the time, ability, and resources to take action.
Set up your environment.
Sometimes starting something new requires a bit of prep work to make sure we have the tools and resources we need to get the job done.
Practice in advance. In the same way as a sportsperson practices before the big game, we need to rehearse the new behavior so we are familiar with doing it before we show up on game day.
Do it. Take action when you planned.
Generate a feeling of success.
Repeat.
Build success momentum.
Troubleshoot. If it’s not working, change it.
Rinse, repeat, and
Enjoy growing!
When we actively design behavior for success and deliberately allow ourselves to feel that success, when we practice, when we are consistent, we create momentum, which I’ve been told by many clients feels very similar to motivation.
They begin to crave taking action.
And a lot of clients think craving taking action is being motivated.
But they aren’t the same.
As you can see, you don’t need to wait for motivation to strike.
You don’t need to be that surfer out there waiting for a wave in the still ocean.
You have the power to generate this internal feeling,
And have it on demand any time you like.
And it all starts with creating a Tiny Habit Recipe.
Tiny Habit Recipes for when you just don’t even know where to begin!
Often I find clients tell me they just don’t know where to begin. My favorite three recipes are focused on feeling good and something you can do each day of the week.
- After I pour my first morning coffee, water, or tea, I will do a happy dance on the spot and think, “Today is going to be the ultimate, productive day.”
- After I shut my laptop for the day, I will think of one success or win I’ve had and celebrate by saying “Victory.”
- After I rest my head on my pillow each night, I will think of one person I’m grateful for and send them loving energy and smile.