Think about the last time you set out to do something: maybe lose weight, find a relationship, or get healthier.
If you were really honest with yourself, which one of these "camps" were you in?
- You were motivated because you were so miserable with where you were.You were 100% willing to grind, hustle, elbow, and take action—any action—just to get away from it. Maybe you were trying to get away from your tight pants, a number on a scale, a rocky relationship, a negative bank account, a struggling business, or poor health. In the coaching world, we call these "Away From" motivators because you're trying so hard to run away from what you DON'T want.
OR
- You were motivated because you were excited by your future vision. You could see possibility ahead of you, and you couldn't wait to get to the other side. You could feel in your bones that the outcome was inevitable, and you knew that you just had to keep your eye on the prize and take one step at a time. Maybe you were excited about a vibrant and energetic body, the perfect relationship, an ever-increasing flow of abundance, endless clients, and the perfect blueprint of health! These are called "Toward" motivators; when you focus on moving toward what you DO want.
Pssttt....some little-known, ju-ju wisdom
When you're motivated by what you DON'T want, reaching a goal feels really hard. All that grind, hustle, elbowing, and action is exhausting. It's easy to get overwhelmed. And you know what happens next...when you're exhausted and overwhelmed, you give up (hello potato chips, couch, NetFlix, and wine!), which is then compounded by shame, anger, worthlessness, and feeling unloveable.
Yet when you're motivated by what you DO want, taking action to get to the finish line feels fun, easy, and inspired from within. This path is typically pretty short and quick because you don't much deviate from it, or when you do, you get right back on and start walking again without a lot of internal drama.
How to stay motivated
If you want to reach a goal, here are 3 steps to stay going toward what you want (rather than away from what you don't want):
- Create a specific goal, along with a date.
Instead of a non-specific goal to "lose weight," make the goal clear and timed: "I lose 10 pounds by December 31." Ask yourself, "what's important to me about this goal?" The answer becomes your clear "why."
- Create a juicy vision for completing the goal.
Use ALL of your senses in creating a vision. What does it look like, taste like, sound like? Who are you with? What do you feel? What do you hear? How are you celebrating? Use every possible sensation you can think of; get very micro and specific in the details. Put everything you WANT in the vision (and none of what you DON'T want)!
- Check in with your vision every day.
This is probably the most challenging step—because it's easy to forget—yet it's also the most impactful. Remind yourself of your vision every single day. There are so many ways to do this: journaling, create a video or slide show, do a vision board, write yourself love notes, meditate, write yourself a letter every day. There's really no wrong way to do this!
A bonus step would be to set yourself up with support! Get a coach, find an accountability partner, create a check-in system for yourself (I'm a fan big fan of daily checkboxes), or get creative in coming up with some other way to support yourself!
Remember, the easiest path is to go TOWARD what you want. You've got this!
-Jennifer
If you're looking for support with your motivators, check out my upcoming 5-day masterclass, just $37.
Get empowered with fresh, new approaches to turning DOWN the negative chatter in your head and turning UP your confidence, self-trust, and motivation. Learn how to show up more authentically and in alignment with that spark inside of you, the one that reflects your truth, passion, and purpose.
- Learn WHY you haven't been able to achieve your goals in the past.
- Re-kindle those personal goals and dreams that you put on a shelf for the “right time,” and get inspired to pursue them with new confidence.
- Walk away with an arsenal of tools that will help you start taking action and let your soul shine!