If you’re anything like me, you don’t always feel motivated to do the things you know you need to do.

Even though you feel better when you do things like eat nutrient-dense foods, exercise, set boundaries, and go to bed on time, it can still be hard to “feel like” doing them. “Feeling like” doing something is motivation. And unfortunately, motivation is fleeting. We cannot rely on motivation to take care of ourselves because motivation comes and goes.

So what do we do?

Instead of relying on motivation, we need to build habits and discipline. A habit is a settled or regular tendency or practice, especially one that is hard to give up. Discipline is the practice of training people to obey rules or a code of behavior. Habits and discipline are not learned overnight, so don’t beat yourself up when you’re not perfect on the first try.

We first need to define what we want our habits to be, and then discipline ourselves to do them. Two of my habits are drinking 20 ounces of water within the first 15 minutes of waking up in the morning and eating at least one serving of fruits or vegetables at every meal. These weren’t always habits and only became habits after doing them consistently for many days in a row.

It can take more than 200 days to build a new habit, and it’s definitely challenging. Let’s look at the big picture - is what you feel like doing right now more important than what you want most? The answer most likely is no.

So how do we get ourselves to complete these tasks? The first thing we need to do is get up and start. Your brain is going to tell you things like “no,” “not right now,” “you don’t have to,” and “it’s ok if you skip a day.” We must acknowledge that voice, thank it for trying to keep us in our comfort zone and do what we know is best anyway.

Let’s use getting up for your workout in the morning as an example. You want to stay in bed and skip because that is your current habit and this option is much easier. When we’re trying to build a new habit, we have to complete a new action even when it is difficult. We need to get out of bed anyway even when we don’t want to. Once you do this enough, you’ll feel like doing your workout. Every day you get out of bed, the easier it’ll be. Eventually, it’ll be a habit. You won’t have to fight yourself or think about it as much.

Two other important components are planning ahead of time and setting yourself up for success. What can you do to make the process of getting out of bed in the morning easier? You can set your alarm up across the room or outside of your bedroom to help you get up, lay out your clothes ahead of time, have your water bottle ready, look over your workout so you know exactly what equipment you’ll need, and plan out your breakfast the night before. The more you set yourself up for success, the greater chance you’ll form your desired habit.

Remember, you’re human. You’re going to miss a day eventually, and that’s okay! That doesn’t mean you need to give up this new habit forever. Get back into it tomorrow. You can do this!

What new habits are you trying to create? Send me an email at maggi@calofitnessllc.com so we can chat about them.

Xoxo

Coach Maggi