Motivation... is overrated
You follow several fanpages devoted to healthy living, you keep up to date with all the news, you buy the coolest leggings in the shop and… You do nothing? Motivation could be responsible for this. Motivation that we all try so hard to find. We set our hopes on it, because we believe that if we are motivated enough, we will achieve our goals.
Unfortunately, you do not have an inexhaustible supply of motivation – it depends on external stimuli. It depends on how you feel, on how much time you can spare and the level of stress during the day.
[Translate to English:]
[Translate to English:]
Niestety, motywacja nie jest zasobem niewyczerpalnym – jest podatna na bodźce zewnętrzne. Zależy od samopoczucia, ilości wolnego czasu i stresu w ciągu dnia.
Opt for habits and self-discipline
There is much truth in the saying that motivation allows you to start something, but you need a habit to persevere. The main benefit of relying on the habit is that it frees up resources.
When you do things automatically, you do not waste time or energy thinking about whether you feel like it or whether you should be doing something else now or whether you could skip it just this once, etc.
With the habit and self-discipline you pursue your objectives conscientiously, regardless of circumstances (unless there are real obstacles, such as illness). Self-discipline is a skill that you can hone at any time. It depends entirely on you, since it requires concentration on the execution of the plan you are in control of.
How do you learn self-discipline?
Self-discipline is a skill that can be learned like any other skill. When you decide to learn Spanish, you do not start by reading poems by Francisco Bernardo de Quiros in the original, but hum a tune from Vamos a la playa while you try to follow the lyrics, right?
Start learning self-discipline with regular repetition of easy activities, which take up little time. Instead of planning 7 workouts per week, try to dedicate 15 minutes a day to any kind of physical activity.
The cultivation of self-discipline is not the shortest path to a goal, but it is by far the most effective. The time invested in acquiring permanent habits will pay off in every area of your life. Do not get discouraged just because it takes time!
You can hear more about motivation in our podcast with Ewa Jochheim.