A Simple Way To Find Motivation

It’s already 2 weeks into the new year, and I’m excited to get back into routine and work on my goals. Unfortunately, it’s been hard to find motivation again after the holidays. Whether you’re in the same boat as me right now or are reading this later in the year, the truth is that creating your own motivation can be tough. Luckily, I know a few tricks that are sure to get you moving in the right direction sooner rather than later. 

The Power of Habits

Before I let you in on the secret to creating your own motivation in five minutes or less, I can’t miss out on the opportunity to talk about the power of habits! Once you create a habit (good or bad) and perform the habit, your body gets a hit of dopamine. That’s right - your brain actually rewards you for doing the same things over and over. That’s the reason why you may find yourself reaching for the ice cream tub each night at the same time, but it’s also why once you get in the groove with, say, exercise, it gets easier to lace up your runners every morning. 

This is one of the reasons I didn’t make new year's resolutions. Rather than resolve to do more or less of something (which takes pure will power), I’m choosing to continue with some of my good habits I was working on prior to the holiday break. The habits I’ve chosen are directly related to goals I want to achieve: finish writing my book, and racing longer bike races. This means I’m getting back to writing each day and biking and training to support my race goals. 

Habits can take awhile to create, but they are definitely worth it. If this sounds like something you’d love to embrace, click on the “Habits” category on the right side of the page for more tips. 

The 5 Minute Trick To Find Motivation

The hardest part of any task is finding the motivation to get started. Whether it’s getting out the door for a walk, doing the stretching that you promised yourself you were going to do, or decluttering a messy area of your house. The anticipation is almost always worse than the actual doing.

That’s where the “5-minute rule” comes into play. It’s simple; Commit to doing whatever task or habit you’re avoiding for just five minutes. That’s it! If you don’t want to keep going after five minutes, that’s okay. But the odds are, you’ll want to keep going. 

Why does this work so well? Because movement creates momentum. Tony Robbins says, “People who succeed have momentum. The more they succeed, the more they want to succeed, and the more they find a way to succeed.” So, if you take that first small step (even for just five minutes), you’re setting off a positive chain reaction.

If you need some ideas, you can:

• Commit to a 5-minute walk after lunch
• Spend 5 minutes planning your next few meals
• Do a 5-minute stretch or meditation
• Declutter an area for 5 minutes

There aren’t any wrong answers, so don’t overthink it. As long as you take that first step, you’re making progress. It’s pretty powerful, if you think about it. You are taking control and creating your own motivation, rather than trying to find it somewhere else. 

REFERENCE: https://cogbtherapy.com/cbt-blog/end-procrastination-5-minute-rule