Are you aware that motivation is just a feeling?  I bet you understand that other feelings come and go.  You most likely aren’t angry, sad, calm or even excited ALL of the time.  We visit and revisit these feelings.  Hopefully some more than others but I want you to understand that motivation isn’t what we need to focus on when we are ready to change our health habits.  I assure you, if you don’t feel motivated all of the time you are totally normal.

The subconscious mind is responsible for 95% of the actions we take.  Possibly more depending on how you look at it.  So why would we rely on a feeling that doesn’t take into account the underlying source of most of our actions.  I challenge you to stop focusing on motivation to make change and get things done.

What works instead?  Momentum.  I’m sure you’ve heard of Newton’s first law of motion: objects in motion tend to stay in motion, while objects at rest tend to stay at rest.  So just take the first, and easiest step.  Focus on building momentum no matter how small you start.  Use this principle to your benefit.  

How does this work in action?  Well, if you want to start a morning exercise routine, what is the first easiest step?  Set out your clothes the night before.  The next simple step, put those clothes on in the morning.  The next little step is to put your shoes on.  The next step is to get on the mat, outside or in your car depending on the activity.  Even if you stopped at this point on the first day, you can build the next day.  You can aim for just 5 minutes of the exercise you have planned.  Studies show that if you do the first 5 minutes you are more likely to go longer and every time you do it, it gets easier.  

Now, there is one other step that shouldn’t be overlooked.  Celebrate your small (and big!) victories.  No matter how small, congratulate yourself.  Even if all you did was get dressed and lace up your shoes.  Even if it was just 5 minutes, congratulate yourself.  Thank yourself for putting in the effort.  Be proud of what you DID accomplish.  This step, of acknowledging and celebrating even the smallest of victories helps shift your mindset.  It slowly starts to shift the perception of your identity and this is huge in creating new health habits.  Feeling proud of yourself is a magnifier.  It will help leverage the momentum even further the next day. 

Over time, the habits you are creating get easier and easier.  Imagine you are walking through a meadow.  There is no trail but you push forward.  It’s challenging at first with the tall growth.  You don’t know where to step and you may trip or get stuck for a moment.  Well, this is like your new habits but if you keep taking that path over and over.  You eventually notice it becomes a trail.  Now imagine you have done it so many times, you can put a car through there, then comes a road and at some point it becomes a multi-lane highway.

This is how your neural circuits work.  When you build momentum it gets easier and easier and that is exciting.  Motivation becomes more and more obsolete as you build that superhighway in your mind.  

Now before we go, I want to give you two things you can do if you are still hung up and waiting around to feel motivated.

First, the tough love-

Just do it anyway.  You’re an adult.  Your parents are no longer telling you what to do everyday (hopefully).  At some point, you have to learn to parent yourself.  I like Mel Robbin’s approach.  She’s an author and speaker and she says when you aren’t motivated count down from 5 to 1 to get out of the feeling part of your brain and into the logical part and then just do it anyways.  Learn to parent yourself and I bet a lot of pride will come from the exciting shifts you start to see.

Second, I’m here to help-

If you are struggling and would like some help shifting the subconscious mind to make the habit changes easier.  Reach out.  I’m currently offering personalized hypnosis recordings after a 15-minute consult.