Moving Past Motivation - Feelings Follow Action
We’ve all been there before: 6:17am, snoozing the alarm once again. You know you should get your workout in, but you just don’t feel like it. So you roll over, wondering why it seems like nobody else ever runs out of motivation.
It’s similar to that feeling roughly two days into cutting out processed sugar. The initial motivation for cleaning up your diet has dissipated, leaving you tired, sluggish, and craving that chocolate bar or can of soda. All of a sudden, it feels so hard to stick to your guns and so easy to give in to the craving. The motivation is gone, leaving you wondering how are you supposed to stick with it?
We’ve all been victims of motivation’s Houdini act. One minute it’s there and the next it’s disappeared, leaving you high and dry in a sea of good intentions. So why do some people fall prey to motivation’s failings while others can walk away unscathed?
One word: commitment.
The Power of Commitment
Commitment is crucial to success because, unlike motivation, it does not rely on feelings or circumstances. When someone is committed, they will find a way to follow through no matter what.
When motivation fails you, commitment will carry you through.
The problem is, a lot of people feel committed, when in reality all they feel is motivation.
Commitment is not a feeling; it is an action.
Let me explain.
Say for instance I saw a video of someone cleaning their house and I got motivated to deep clean my kitchen. I get halfway through and burn out of energy before I finish. The shelves are halfway organized, my kitchen table is full of stuff that I don’t know where to put, and I realize I don’t have any of those neat organizing tubs that I saw in the video. My motivation disappears and I end up shoving things back wherever they fit.
On the other hand, I could commit to simplifying my life, and part of that entails maintaining an organized pantry. I choose to get rid of anything I don’t use or need, and prioritize cleanliness and simplicity over unnecessary organizational hacks. When things get hard, I remind myself of my goal to have a simpler life, and recognize that this is one difficult, yet essential step that needs to happen. Even though I don’t feel like it, I follow through on my commitment because I believe in the end result. When all is said and done, I have a cleaner, simpler pantry filled with only the items that I will actually use and love.
Do you see the difference? Motivation is a feeling, and commitment is action. If I rely on motivation to get to the gym, I will only show up sporadically when I feel like it. If I’m committed to maintaining a strong and healthy body, I will show up regardless of my feelings.
Now here’s the good news: Commitment is not an inherent trait that some people have and others don’t have. Commitment is a muscle: the more you use it, the easier it gets.
What does this mean? It means you can harness commitment to achieve your goals by remembering just one thing:
Feelings Follow Actions
While feelings are important and valuable, they cannot always be relied upon. That is why, if you want to move past motivation, you will have to learn to act without it. Oftentimes the hardest part is getting started. Once you start, the feelings will follow and you will find it easier to follow through on your commitment.
If I feel unmotivated to cook a healthy meal but I’ve committed to a healthy lifestyle, I will choose to act on my commitment rather than on my feelings. Once I actually start seasoning the chicken and chopping the vegetables, it will start to get easier and after I finish eating my meal, my commitment will be stronger and my motivation to keep going will have returned. All because I chose to act on my commitment and not my feelings.
Remember, the more you exercise your commitment, the easier it will be to stay committed the next time motivation fails you.
3 Crucial Things
So, what can you do to stay committed in the absence of motivation? How can you choose to act even when you don’t feel like it? Here are 3 crucial strategies for you to keep in mind.
1. Define Your Goal
Without a goal to commit to, how can you stay committed? The first step in moving past motivation is to define your goal, the one thing that gets you up in the morning. The one thing that you will never give up on. That might be setting an example for your kids and empowering them to live healthy lifestyles full of freedom. That might be wanting to stick around for your grandkids and lead an active lifestyle to be present in their life. Whatever it is, make sure that your goal is defined so that you can turn to it when you lose motivation.
2. Define Your Strategy
The second thing is to define your strategy. This means breaking down your goal into actionable steps and tangible habits and setting milestones to measure your growth. Will you focus on mobility and changing your eating habits? Maybe it starts with finding some therapy to dig into the reasons why you’ve always struggled with your weight. Once you choose your strategy, make sure that each step you take is bringing you closer to your goal, and make sure it’s small enough that you will be able to act on that even when the motivation is not there.
3. Define Your Self
All of us are constantly undergoing subtle shifts in our identity. Every circumstance, decision, and action continuously shapes us into the person we will be tomorrow, next year, or five years from now. These changes are so slow and gradual that it can sometimes feel as if we have no control over them. But you have more control over your identity than you may realize. In every circumstance, you get to choose what kind of person you are. With every decision you make, you get to decide who you want to be. With every action you take, you are cementing that identity deeper and deeper into your core.
For instance, every time you choose commitment over motivation, you are telling yourself that you are in charge, not your feelings. You can take charge of who you are and how you act. You do not need to rely on external factors. All you have to do is decide on the kind of person you want to be. Do you want to be kind? Practice choosing patience with others around you. Do you want to be the kind of person who works out consistently? Practice choosing to go to the gym more times than you choose to stay in bed.
You do not have to be perfect. In fact, I guarantee you will not be perfect. But that doesn’t mean you should give up. Your commitment to your goal and your identity will carry you through any obstacle you may face. Even if you have to set aside your goal for a season – whether due to medical instances or a season of extreme disruption – you will be able to pick up the pieces and continue on, because that’s who you are. You are committed.
Conclusion
If there’s one thing to take away from this, it’s that feelings follow action. If you’re committed to a goal, choose to act on it despite your feelings, and the motivation will follow. When it looks like others have an abundance of motivation, remind yourself that motivation is temporary for everybody, and that’s ok.
Wherever you are in your health journey today, know that I am rooting for you! Be patient with yourself. Focus on defining your goal, strategy, and self, then commit to taking action and the rest will follow.
Need help getting started? Our coaches are here to help!
If you want to experience permanent transformation and feel like you could use some guidance on next steps, contact us and talk to one of our amazing coaches today for free. We help busy, hard-working people like you achieve freedom with food and sustainable success – for LIFE!
