The world we are living in right now isn’t a world any of us have experienced before. We have always had the freedom to do what we want, these days, to stay safe, we can't go outside and interact with friends (and strangers) like we used to.
This is causing a range of emotions from anxiety to depression and beyond. I’m not disagreeing with the government by any means; this is definitely what needs to happen in order to beat COVID but we don’t have to like it (and I’m pretty sure most of us don’t).
How are you supposed to handle this? When you reflect back on this time period, what would you hope to accomplish? When you are telling friends or children about this time, what can you say you did to make the most of this situation? Most would want to appreciate the time with their families or pick up a new hobby. What’s stopping you from accomplishing your goals? Could it be a lack of motivation?
MOTIVATION IS TRICKY
I’m here to tell you it’s not your fault.
You are fighting your natural biochemistry. Your body is programmed to crave safety and comfort. Typically when you are trying to get motivated you have to combat either comfort or your perception of safety.
Take exercise as an example: Exercise causes stress on our bodies. Our muscles stress to grow, our lungs burn to improve circulation and respiration. It’s good stress, necessary stress, but our body still perceives it as stress (last time I checked stress is the opposite of comfort).
When you are locked in your house with limited fitness equipment and family members around driving you crazy while you're working at home...isn't it hard to be motivated to be active? It can feel like an uphill battle. Largely because the biggest place of comfort is home. It’s hard to motivate yourself when you're uncomfortable at home.
However, it’s also important to remember people don’t achieve anything being comfortable.
Instead of guilting yourself for not being active, try to understand your Why. Why do you want to be active? What stops you from being active? What does it truly deeply mean to you? Why will your life be better if you are active or, why will your life be impacted if you aren’t? If you truly want to accomplish something with this time - be it as simple as working out two times a week - you will need to understand the answers to those questions. I encourage you to take a second and explore those questions surrounding your motivation.
EMPOWERED MOTIVATION
Once you understand your Why and the cause of your lack of motivation, that completes Step #1.
Step #2 is Empowering your motivation. I use the word empowering for a reason! That is because all motivation is internal. It is your responsibility to yourself to believe in yourself. If you understand why your goal means something to you, you can understand how much better your life will be if you complete a simple action and then another, and so on. This is how you will find your motivation.
As difficult as this time is, almost everyone I’ve worked with has told me at some point they don’t have time…but now you do! The question is, what are you going to do with it? Now you get to choose how you want to spend that time. It is your choice!
YOUR TIME IS NOW
This is not a time to fall into depression. This is not a time to say "I can’t do it". This is not a time to feel hopeless. This IS a time of awareness. Awareness of who you are and what drives you.
So, are you ready to take on the challenge?
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