Motivation

Consistency is key, which means it’s the hardest part of the whole dang thing! How do you stay motivated in making change when the old habits were so easy? How do we stay consistent when everything else needs our attention? We’ll start by taking a look at how you’re motivated. Take a few minutes to consider what motivates you… for most of us, it has something to do with pain or discomfort, but we are definitely motivated by other things such as peer pressure, accountability partners, deadlines, looking good to others, personal goals, self-improvement, pleasure, etc.

How are you motivated?

How can you use this knowledge to design solutions for change?

For example, I can find an accountability partner, I can make it a game where I reward myself at the end of each stage….

If you’re like most people you’ll set new years resolutions, start off great and then falter, and end up giving up on your goals. You may have a million journals and planners that have 2 days filled in them before you decide to throw them into a bookshelf to be forgotten. So let’s start to break down the myth of goal setting. Very few people follow through with “SMART” goals and new years resolutions. For so many reasons. These are like the bureaucratic top-down version of education which doesn’t take into account children’s development, teacher needs, and the realities of the children’s lives. We need manageable ways to incorporate change that keep us motivated and on track without overwhelm and shame. SO let’s figure out how to do this. (I highly recommend the following resources… Atomic Habits by James Clear and Essentialism by Greg McKeown)

What's working? What isn't? What have you tried before that worked? What have you tried before that sucked the soul out of you?

Which area of life are draining you?

How can you make adjustments in those areas?

*Also a note on making changes… New Year Resolutions are an uphill battle for everyone. Winter is literally the worst time to make change. The world is asleep, it’s internalizing and reflecting inward. This is not the time for change. Change is best made in spring or fall when you’re moving with the flow of nature.

Secondly, knowing your personal strengths and weakness is invaluable. If you know that you need novel experiences for you to keep going, incorporate that into your life. You may not need to throw everything out, like a relationship, you might just need to try something new on a regular basis.

Also, by knowing your weaknesses, you can then find support in those areas and avoid volunteering yourself to help with things like that. Accept that somethings you are just not good at and find help to support you in that way.