The most common misconception about motivation is that we think of it as something that puts us on track to taking action. But motivation actually comes from taking action. It comes after we see things moving forward. We do something, the result lights us up, gets us excited and we get motivated to do more.
And what makes showing up consistently through all the ups and downs and roadblocks are habits… because habits make taking action easier than not taking action. With the right habits in place, it’s easier to stay motivated and get things done.
1. Habit of Procrastinating effectively
The first one is to get into the habit of procrastinating. When we feel like procrastinating, don’t feel motivated enough to take action… it’s actually trying to tell us something.
May be, things are getting boring and we need some change or novelty. Or, may be, we are worrying about the bulk of work that has to be handled and so need to break things down into manageable chunks.
It may be we are worried at some level that we won’t get the results we are expecting and so it’s telling us either to get our confidence up, get some relevant help , or to skill up.
So we need to deal with this the right way, get in the habit of procrastinating the right way. Just like it’s important to manage daily stress so that we don’t end up feeling overwhelmed, when we let ourselves shift tasks for a bit later and do something that makes us feel good, it helps us recharge, feel refreshed, get motivated enough to act on what needs to be done.
Think of it as a mini vacation before getting back to our duties & responsibilities.
2. Finding your why
The habit of asking why is something that helps us initiate action. Like, what would it mean for us to get it done? Why are we doing this?
Say, someone doesn’t like their current job. Why are they still doing it? May be, because it’s allowing them to save up enough so that they can travel the world. Or, it’s sustaining them till they get the training that would land them their ideal job, or It could be a number of reasons that make showing up for the job preferable to not doing it.
We need to get into the habit of drilling down the why till it connects to something close to our heart, speaks to us at a deeper level.
To get motivated to show up, we need to know how it’s going to help our life move, no matter how directly or indirectly, in the direction we want it to move.
3. Creating an action plan
The key is to look at everything as a project you have been assigned. When we look at anything as a project to be handled, we first find the end goal to set direction for our actions. Then, figure out which actions will take us there. We then break these up into chunks that are the right mix to keep things interesting – neither overwhelmingly tough or so easy that it bores us out.
Neuroscientist Dr. Andrew Huberman explains how, dopamine, one of the main neurochemicals that makes us feel motivated, is released more from the anticipation of reaching a goal.
That means, getting into the habit of taking the next step keeps us showing up. Essentially, get motivated to reach the end goal. And acknowledging & applauding every small win along the way helps us stay motivated in the long run.
4. Prioritize priorities
But we can’t plan action into a day that’s already chock full of to-dos, must dos, and need-to-dos. So the next habit that creates space for taking action effectively to get excited & motivated to take the next step, is the habit of prioritizing.
When we focus on things based on their priority, whatever we can fit into our day makes us feel productive at the end of it because we are no longer spinning doing a bit of everything but actually getting things done.
So, when we do things based on how important they are, we are able to complete them, feel the value of our effort. And the feeling of accomplishment it brings, gets us motivated to take further action.
And what helps limit the things we commit to, the things we agree to spend our energy on is saying yes intentionally, saying no to the things that divert us from our priorities, essentially develop healthy personal boundaries because It uncomplicates life and keeps us stay motivated for the right things.
Hope this made how-to-stay-motivated less of an enigma and more of a decision which habit to build. Everything’s possible if you just want it bad enough,
