How many times have you said to yourself “I really want to start eating better and exercising but I just don’t have the motivation!”? Be honest with yourself. If you’ve said this so many times that you’ve lost count, that’s totally okay. I hear this all the time from people and I’ve said it myself many times.
One thing I’ve learned over the years about motivation is that it’s usually waiting for you to take action so it can kick in. Motivation comes and goes throughout your daily life which is why it’s important to learn how to not to rely on it all the time to get out of bed and do that workout.
Today I’ll walk you through my step-by-step process on how you can get the ball rolling on eating better, exercising regularly, getting great sleep, or whatever your health and wellness intentions are when the motivation isn’t quite there yet.
Step #1- Write Down Your Specific Intentions
This is an important first step because if you don’t know exactly what you want, you may not know how to actually make it happen. This is one thing that stops a lot of people from having success with healthy lifestyle habits. Being specific will help you carve out a path that you can get excited about and bring your motivation to the surface.
If you want to start eating better, write down what eating better means to you. Does it mean eating more veggies or cooking at home more often? If it’s eating more veggies, how many meals a week do you want to add more veggies to your plate? It’s important to be specific about what you want to do. Eat more veggies is too vague and looks different for everyone. Remember, this is about finding what works best for you and your lifestyle.
Step #2- Write Down Your Implementation Strategy
This is where a lot of my clients get tripped up and feel overwhelmed and why they enroll in my coaching program. The truth is, without the how your intentions are just wishful thinking. If you feel overwhelmed by figuring out the how, starting small (super small if you need to) will help you get your footing with this new habit you’re creating. It’s like climbing up a big flight of stairs. To get to the top you take it one step at a time.
Back to the eating more veggies example, start by making a list of veggies you like to eat or ones you’ve been wanting to try. Next, decide how you’re going to prepare them. A few different ways to cook them are steaming, boiling, sautéing, and roasting. Choose the method that you feel most comfortable with. From there, you can decide how you’re going to make sure you have them ready to cook.
I encourage you to get as granular with your implementation strategy as possible. When I’m guiding a coaching client through this, we talk about every single step it takes to get the veggies on the plate. It might sound silly or unnecessary but this is how we master skills. One small step at a time.
Step #3- Write Down Any Obstacles
Let’s be real. Your day or week may not go as planned. While this is a natural part of life, sometimes it makes sticking to healthy habits a little challenging. Anticipating obstacles will help you feel more confident in your ability to keep moving forward no matter what.
Take into consideration every single obstacle that could get in the way of you being able to take action. It doesn’t matter how unlikely it is. Write it down. Brainstorm ideas on how you’ll overcome it if it comes up. You may only a few obstacles on your list form some habits while others may have a long list of obstacles.
Let’s revisit the veggie example. If you’re concerned fresh veggies might go bad in your fridge, stock up on frozen veggies. These are great to have on hand because they’re usually flash frozen when the nutrients are at their peak and they’re already washed and cut ready to cook.
Now it’s time to take action!
If you still feel overwhelmed by getting started, I’m here to help. Remember, taking action doesn’t have to be a big leap to make progress. Your motivation will eventually catch up to your actions with consistent efforts.
When my clients enroll in my program, they do it through a multi-step process. The first step is getting on a call with me to chat about their intentions and what they want to get out of coaching. The second step is deciding they want to enroll in my program. The third step is actually enrolling in my program.
My point is, it’s not all done at once. Every single step of a process is taking action towards your end goal, whatever that look likes for you. Take action today and book your free Wellness Strategy Session with me today.