Motivation isn’t the key to long-term change.
It’s unrealistic. We need to stop thinking we need more motivation to get things done. Motivation moves like a wave, with highs and lows. When I learned this, my world opened up.
The trajectory of our personal health and wellness is not dependent on our level of motivation. While it does help to be in a supportive environment, with others making the same or similar changes, motivation isn’t something we can rely on. So, if you’re anything like me, we need to stop beating ourselves up for not being having the motivation. I don’t know about you, but that’s refreshing! Instead of our habits being determined by motivation, they are dependent on a conscious choice made prior to any kind of action. When our desire to change is strong enough and there is a willingness to make small changes towards our desired habits, motivation can be high or low.
The Motivation Wave
BJ Fogg, a Behavior Scientist and Professor at Stanford University studies motivation and it’s changes in behavior. His research has really influenced the way I create and maintain realistic habits that promote productivity in my work, time management in my day, and habits that support my own health and wellness goals. He basically says that we can’t rely on motivation to get things done. This way of thinking about motivation would be true for how we approach a big project, reaching a fitness goal, a deep desire to sit quietly/meditate daily, or losing excess weight.
Motivation is like a wave. It has highs and lows. Once this idea really clicked for me, I stopped giving myself a hard time about not “being motivated” and realized I needed to adjust my approach. Can you relate? It’s important to be able to surf these waves of motivation and still be and feel successful.
So,how do we do this?
If you’ve ever spent much time at the ocean you know the pulsation of the waves. There are crests and troughs or highs and lows. See the image above. The high points or crest of the wave are simply the temporary moments when it is easier to do hard things. Alternately, there are natural periods where our motivation is low, in the trough of the wave when we are less capable of doing hard things. By putting habits in place when motivation is high, we can create a kind of automation when motivation feels low.
Identify Your Desired Habit
I have a great desire to eat locally and seasonally out of my own kitchen. Eating food prepared out of my own kitchen is inexpensive, more nutrient dense, and vibrant. Plus, there is no guesswork in the ingredients. When I eat this way, I usually feel brighter, lighter, and more satisfied.
The next step is to identify the components of fulfilling this desired outcome that will be the hardest to achieve For my desired habit, I struggle the most with making a meal plan. Using the wave motivation idea, I create a meal plan and grocery list on Saturday or Sunday when my motivation is at its peak.
Structure Your Time
Learning to surf those motivation waves gracefully takes some effort, practice and structure. The structures and decisions we make when our motivation is high are SUPER important and will have a huge impact on the times when we aren’t so motivated.
I carve out 30-45 minutes to go to the store (or harvest food from the garden) and another 1-2 hours to initiate food prep (chop, bake, roast, soak, blend). I want to take advantage of the wave at it’s highest to initiate these harder tasks. I’m big into listening to books right now, so I usually listen to a book if I’m the only one home, or we make this a family affair and everyone joins in. With some fun music, this can become a great time for connectivity.
Ride the Wave
After taking advantage of the high motivation period over the weekend, there is an energy and an ease to the rest of the week regarding what we’ll have to eat and how long it will take to prepare. I soak mung beans and rice overnight and throw together a kitchari first thing in the morning for a hot lunch. I top off a full day of work by pulling together roasted veggies with a favorite sauce or dressing and call it dinner. The best part is that I spend a chunk of time in the kitchen over the weekend and very little throughout the week.
At our house, when we are lined up with a meal plan and some prep time, we do less snacking and more playing. This works out great for me because another of my general desired outcomes for this lifetime is to play MORE.
Take some time to identify what your motivation cycle looks like and learn to surf the waves of your motivation with greater skill and efficiency without giving yourself a hard time. Remember, you can start small by just dipping your toe in the water and go from there.
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Rachel Peters is a yoga teacher, yoga health coach, lifestyle and habits expert, easeful living advocate, and lover of wild places. She leads others towards Embodying Ease through a yearlong wellness & lifestyle journey to dissolve perfectionism, embody daily habits that promote mental clarity, overall ease, and deeper connection to life on this wild ride of modern living. Learn MORE today!