Turn Motivation into Sustainable Change
New Years is a time of change.
Of creating better for ourselves, shooting for the stars and enjoying the process.
I have touched on this topic before, but it's worth revisiting to make sure you set yourself up for success in creating sustainable change and growth throughout the year—without breaking integrity with yourself as so many people do.
Change is exciting at first, propelling us forward with renewed energy and motivation. That energy inspires action, which creates momentum. Momentum is a wave that's easy to ride.
After a while, the actions become less exciting, the process less fulfilling. Maybe you thought you would see change faster (very common with diet change and weight loss), or the process just isn't going how you expected it to.
Just because you are having less inspiring moments more often does not make you a failure. It makes you normal.
This is where discipline will take over.
Motivation is the speed of your car moving downhill. Discipline is the fuel in the tank.
The best thing you can do is simplify your route to success, breaking it into small, compatible baby steps, then taking those steps regardless of whether or not you feel like it. Every next action step towards a goal should feel, in terms of ease of do-ability, at least a 9/10 or higher. If it feels more overwhelming than that, break it down into smaller, easier steps.
Then keep moving forward.
This is how you create sustainable change that will last you the entire year and build you into someone who has more capacity to handle what's in front of you. New habits and skills integrated stick and last forever. Habits and skills simply intellectualized don't last nearly as long and have to be repeated. That's why you feel sometimes like you're "starting from scratch yet again".
Always remember this...
You can use the fire of motivation to get going, but when it fizzles out, you have the strength to pull through and move mountains. Create a routine that operates outside of motivational reliance and a mindset that supports moments of discomfort. Ultimately, remember why you started in the first place. This will drive you through that discomfort into ultimate success.
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