The first topic was about “Being Present” and this week is about Motivation, as I know a lot of us have found this hard this year, especially in lockdowns.

Most people have a good idea of what’s good for them in terms of health, work and habits. It’s not a lack of information that’s the problem, but a combination of procrastination, lack of follow-through and self-control. In general, it seems we want to do what we know is good for us… Just not right now!

During lockdowns, many people found it a huge struggle to get motivated. My husband was one of the only people I know who lost weight and increased his fitness this year. Most people did the opposite, understandably. Uncertain times affect us all in different ways but lack of motivation is incredibly common. There are days when you won’t want to take action and that’s OK. However, if you’re stressed about your lack of motivation, this can have an impact on your mental health and well-being.

Motivation is a flow, it’s not an on-off switch and there’s normally a driving force behind it, a reason, a purpose. When you accomplish any of these purposes, acknowledging and even celebrating your wins, however big or small is a great practice to get into.  All the little wins count and they create that spark in us. You’re the creator of how you want to tackle your days and what you want to accomplish.

Motivation is much more productive when coupled with kindness. The intent behind the motivation needs to come from a place of care. If you’re motivating yourself or someone else is motivating you with force or shame then it won’t be good for your well-being.

The simple act of writing down your goals can boost your motivation and increase the likelihood you’ll reach your goal by 50%. Having accountability can also massively help. Most people fit into a personality trait where we often break promises to ourselves, but rarely do to others as we’d feel awful letting them down. If you have someone to check in with weekly or do something with that person, you’re much more likely to feel motivated and stick to your plan.

I’ll finish this topic with some “homework” for those who would like to do this for themselves! These questions can help with everyday motivation:

1) What do I want today to be about?

2) What action do I need to take?

3) How will I feel at the end of the day once I’ve accomplished this?