Motivation Is Fleeting

Welcome to Monday Momentum - Your weekly dose of inspiration designed to kickstart your week with energy, motivation, and focus

A Quote I Like:

"Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going."

In the early days of the pandemic, like the rest of us, I was bored, anxious and unsure of how to fill my time. One especially agonizing day, I made a lofty decision: I was going to get into the best shape of my life. All at home and with one set of dumbbells. Easy right? It turns out anger and boredom are fierce motivators...I dove in head first, relentlessly working out and tracking my food. After seeing some real progress, I took my foot off the gas, thinking I had done enough to be proud of myself. Of course, staying in shape requires consistent hard work and not just one manic speed run on the quest for a six-pack. After beating myself up for losing motivation, I got back into my exercise routine and, over time, found a more balanced approach. Fast forward to today - those habits have been forcibly etched into my routine, and now it's actually harder NOT to work out. Exercise became such an ingrained habit that skipping a session felt unnatural.

Once a habit has been established, any mental roadblocks or excuses that stand in the way of you "doing the thing" have been obliterated. To quote from one of my favourite books (again), "Atomic Habits" by James Clear - “You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.” Motivation is fleeting. If you're waiting around for it to magically appear, you're missing out on a LOT of progress you could have made along the way. Whatever your goal is, focus on building systems and habits that make taking action second nature - that will keep you going long after the motivation to start has washed away.

One Thing to Try This Week:

Take 30 minutes to reflect on your habits—both good and bad. Which ones bring value to your life, and how can you build on them? And how can you work on minimizing or removing the bad ones? Awareness of who you are, paired with bold action, can create the life of your dreams - make today your day one.

Here are a few of my habits that I would like to work on:

• Checking my phone when I'm bored or need a distraction. There are endless alternatives to doom-scrolling social media, and I am working on pushing through and sticking to the challenges that I would normally distract myself from by picking up my phone.
• Getting frustrated too easily. I am working on approaching people and situations with empathy and understanding rather than reacting to my own expectations. Everyone handles life differently, and respecting that means meeting them where they're at.
• Not making a grocery list. Before going grocery shopping, I always memorize the things I need and leave the house feeling 100% confident I will return home with a full bounty. However, 100% of the time, I get home to find that I forgot at least three things I had meant to buy (*shakes fist at the sky in anger). It's almost as if walking through the sliding doors at Nester's completely wipes my memory clean. Another awesome tip from my girlfriend - build your list throughout the week so you'll be ready to go when it comes time to hit the shop.

Resource of the Week:

The Quote of the Day Show - A podcast that features daily motivational talks. 5-10 minute motivational audio clips from the world's best and well-known speakers. My dad introduced me to this about three years ago. I found that listening to them on my morning walks helped set me up with a positive mindset for the day. Much like meditation does, but more focused on specific topics regarding life, money, relationships, business, and more. Check it out and see how you feel afterwards.

See you next week <3

~W.L