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Denae Brown Performance Coach and four-time CrossFit Games Athlete
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Motivation is a powerful yet tricky beast. The author Steven Pressfield said in his book The War of Art: “At some point, the pain of not doing it becomes greater than the pain of doing it.”
In other words, at some point, it’s easier to change than to stay the same. Every choice has a price, but when we are motivated, it is easier to bear the inconvenience of action than the pain of remaining the same.
That said, motivation itself is unreliable. It comes and goes, and we can’t depend on it. More often than not, motivation actually comes after an action has been taken, not before it. The more you act, the more motivated you’ll be – which is why a string of days at the gym can leave you craving more.
Some of the most successful people in the world focus on habit and repetition, along with planning and preparation, rather than motivation.
So, my tips for setting yourself up to achieve a goal for the long term would be:
1. Set yourself a five-minute task. Instead of focusing on what you need to do – which might seem arduous at the time – set yourself a smaller related task. For example, putting on your gym clothes and sneakers. This will help you gain momentum to achieve the bigger task at hand.
2. Build habits and rituals. Habits are the actions you take without thinking, such as putting your clothes out the night before bed. Rituals turn the ordinary into a more meaningful action, such as sending your gym buddy or friend a motivational text the night before you train and promising to be at the gym the next day. Habits and rituals will always outlast motivation as they are either on autopilot or are more in tune with who you are as a person.
3. Find an accountability partner. An accountability partner is someone who is going to help you stay committed towards your goals. Whether this is someone who tells you exactly how it is or someone who adopts a softer approach, make sure you choose someone who is going to be the right fit for you. S
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