We’ve all hit that roadblock of not feeling motivated. We have the thoughts. We know what we want to do, but we can’t seem to push through and do it. “How do I get motivated?” is the question we’ve all asked, and I hear many times as a Life Coach. So, I wanted to take an opportunity to put my two cents out there.
What is Motivation?
According to Psychology Today, Motivation is the desire to act in service of a goal. It’s the crucial element in setting and attaining our objectives. In other words, motivation is the fuel we use to accomplish our goals. So, gas up and let’s get going!
How can I get more Motivated?
I’ve come up with places to start in order to become motivated. I’ve mentioned before that self-awareness is the first step in making change, and with motivation it won’t be any different. We are motivated by different things. It feeds something within us. What is it? Is it the abused parts of you, feeding the people pleaser? Is it guilt? Shame? Perfectionism? Or is it the healthy parts of you? The desire to learn, grow, change to better yourself. Is it to move forward? Change the world around you?
If you’re being motivated by those not so healthy areas a great place to start is by working through some healing in those areas. (If you believe this is where you need to start, please feel free to reach out to me and I can help you navigate through it or direct you somewhere you can.) If you’re being motivated by the healthier parts of you, you’re one step closer.
Identifying your values
Next, let’s take a look at your values. What do you value? Have you ever identified what they are? Some people feel their values are of those around them or how they were brought up. But you have your own personal values. They are part of who you are. Knowing and understanding what your values are will help you along the way in most areas that you are working on. When your life and goals align with your values, you will become motivated to work towards them. Identifying your needs and values is one of first things I work on with my clients, because it is so impactful. If you don’t know what they are, it’ll make it more difficult to know what is best for you.
Also, knowing and understanding why what you want is so important to you will help motivate you. Ask yourself, “Why is achieving [filling in the blank] so important to me?” What will the results be? What will you get from it? Take a look at the pros and cons of moving forward with it. If you find it’s not very important to you, that may be a huge reason why you aren’t motivated. If you find it is important to you, you should get some motivation knowing why you want to move forward.
Decluttering (the physical)
I want to write a whole separate blog on decluttering! There is so much behind decluttering and why we should do it!
Have you ever wanted to use your office space only to find stacks of papers and mail, piles of random junk, and your last unfinished project cluttering up your space. Or wanting to go make dinner only to find all the dishes, pots and pans left over from last night are still not done? Having a cluttered, unorganized, unclean space can and will prevent you from doing what you intend to do. It’s a major roadblock! One that you might not want to do in order to move on. It might send you back to your seat on the couch and ordering take out as a way to avoid the clutter.
Once you’ve been able to declutter your space, get it cleaned or organized, the best practice (as you may know) is to keep up with it. You may not want to, but once you’re able to do that, you’ll find it becomes easier to work on the tasks at hand. It takes practice, but the more you’re able to keep up with it, it will become a habit. Until you’ve nailed down the habit, take notice of how much easier it is when you have decluttered. Keep in mind to keep it small and a little at a time. If you’re entire house, including the basement and garage is cluttered, this is a whole project within itself. Don’t allow yourself to become overwhelmed. Focus on one space and thing at a time.
Decluttering (the mental)
If you thought decluttering your physical space was a task, take a look at your mental space. There can be so much going on in there!! Worries, stressors, to-do lists, grocery lists, appointments, conversations you had, conversations you want to have. Though, this can seem overwhelming, becoming organized by putting most of these things onto paper will go a long way. Do you have worries and anxieties? Make a list, write them down, assess what you can or can’t do about them. Find some herbal remedies to reduce them. Get help if it’s beyond your ability to relieve them. You can get a calendar or a daily planner book for those appointments. Write down your to-do and grocery lists. For many of those loose or circling thoughts, journal them. Journaling can be so therapeutic! I know firsthand!! If you’re more tech reliable, utilize the options on your phone.
In addition to the forementioned, there are self-limiting beliefs in our mental clutter. The description is in the name, beliefs we have about ourselves or the world around us, that limit what we are capable of. There may be beliefs that say you’re not good enough, or enough to deserve what you want or need, you’re a failure, you’re stupid, you don’t matter, no one will notice or care, you don’t have the looks, the lies go on. And the lies will go on and continue until the moment you decide that that is enough. It can be difficult; I’m not going to lie. One lie can undo one truth, but it could take many truths to undo a lie. Our hearts can be fragile. Thats why we are told to guard our hearts. We are influenced by words of others and what they say about us, the good and the bad. By taking notice and identifying those lies, it allows us to better catch them when they come up in our thoughts. “Man, I’m stupid!” If we hear and say that enough, we believe it. So, the next time you do something stupid, instead of saying, “I’m stupid”, turn it into “That was a stupid thing I did.” Replace the lie with a truth. If you want to take it a step further, look into the Bible, find truth the backs it up. Write these down. Put them on a post-it or board where you can see them often to remind yourself. You’ll also become more aware with what the people around you say about you. If you’re constantly hearing lies being told to you, it will be difficult, and you may need help setting boundaries, but you may find yourself backing away from these people, or even confronting them. Hopefully you’ll find people in your life who speak truth to you and help build you up.
These are just some of my thoughts and suggestions. Everyone is different and has better thoughts and ideas that could help them succeed better. Finding someone to hold you accountable and to encourage you along the way will also bring more motivation. If you need more help finding more motivation or even finding that accountability and assistance, please feel free to reach out. I always offer free consultations to answer questions and emailing is also acceptable (amandallwt@gmail.com).
I hope this blog was able to help motivate you a little bit, if not enough!
Remember to offer yourself grace!
Coach Amanda Lawton
You are welcome to check out my website Life Unlimited Coaching to learn more about what I offer and who I am. If you are interested in learning more or would like to set up a Free Consultation, just click on the link below and I will be in contact with you to set that up.
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