Our coaching question of the week comes from a member of the Metabolic Mastery Club Facebook group, who we will call Amanda for the purposes of this post! Are you feeling like Amanda, unsure of what steps to take when motivation isn’t your biggest driver when starting something new?

“I’m very new to this programming thing! How do you guys keep being consistent and motivated? I feel like this is my biggest issue right now, and I haven’t really even started. Can I still be successful if I’m feeling this way?”

Amanda, we are here to help you understand how to redefine what success looks like for you with the understanding that at times motivation may feel low or even absent! Humans may feel challenged when starting anything new, even if the new “thing” seems super exciting! The newness associated with any change can bring about uncertainty as you aren’t sure of what to expect as part of any change. This can feel daunting and overwhelming, so let’s work through some challenging feelings together! 

First, kudos to you for committing to embark on a different path to wellness through our programming. I think it’s important to share a more recent blog post about the “misconception” surrounding motivation.  As stated in this post, “Motivation can feel like a fleeting thing. High on some days, and low on others. That’s normal. Sometimes we feel happy. Sometimes we don’t, right? Why should motivation be any different?”

Understanding that motivation can be fleeting is important, and this understanding can drive you towards a focus on building momentum instead. Focusing on consistent actions helps to build momentum, but it is very easy to get ahead of yourself before even getting started. You may have doubts about your ability to succeed; however, it is important to grasp that your definition of success looks different from others who have utilized our programs as well.

If redefining success, or beginning to build momentum,  sounds more in alignment with your issue, I’d suggest taking a step back and focusing on your “bigger why” to help you work through your own resistance to change.  

Defining your “bigger why” can be crucial to building an attachment to your goals and desired actions.  If your “why” has yet to be defined, or is too vague and fuzzy, that makes the process of change much more difficult.

When motivation is high, it is easy to stick to your goals and desired behaviour changes; however, as motivation fades away, it is easy to throw in the towel and revert back to not-so-healthy behaviours. Change is hard enough as it is, but when change is connected to something superficial, the drive to stay the course can easily decline. 

A wellness vision, on the other hand, allows you to tap into something much more meaningful and can fuel consistent actions that help you meet your short and long-term goals. The blog post attached to this paragraph will walk you through exactly how to create your own wellness vision. 

Upon completion of this exercise, you should have a more clearly defined version of your future self.  Think of your future self as a force that beckons you toward goal achievement even when you are constantly running into obstacles and challenges!  In addition to your future self helping to propel you closer to your own goals, you’ll be able to more clearly define the actions that instill a feeling of success within you. This can take your programming to a whole new level! 

Finally, if you’d like to watch a video on the topic of how to stay committed to the process of change, even through the toughest of times, I’d suggest watching this 7-minute video talk led by Lora and Bella! I think you’ll walk away feeling inspired and you’ll better understand how to make any of our programming guidelines really work for you and your preferences, practical circumstances, and psychology!

Remember that your definition of what makes you successful with respect to your programming goals may be very different from my definition. By developing a personal attachment to your desired change, you’ll more easily work through obstacles or challenges. 

Focus on your small wins, and recognize one or two things that you’ve done well every day. Embrace the tiny victories, and build your confidence around navigating more challenging times. Soon you’ll no longer be dealing with the feeling of “newness” as part of your programming, and instead, you’ll be well on your way to creating new habits and daily actions that help you look and feel more like your future self! 

Photo by Samuel Scrimshaw on Unsplash