I am a creature of habit. I thrive on schedules and plans and routines. But currently, I feel a bit unmoored as I try to create new routines and habits. That leads to me having a lot more opportunities than usual to get into the absolute funk of just not feeling like it, whatever “it” may be - sometimes eating my vegetables, sometimes getting to bed on time, sometimes trying to get in some physical activity.

When we wait for the motivation to strike before doing something, there is a good chance we won’t ever get it done.  Sure, we all have wild moments of inspiration that lead us to deciding we are ready to start working out or eating better or learning a new skill, but those moments are so rare that if we always waited for that feeling, we would almost certainly never accomplish anything.

But if we act first, we are far more likely to become motivated in the process. As backward as it may seem, action comes first; motivation (usually) follows.

It’s kind of like getting out of bed in the morning. You may rarely want to get out of bed, but it isn’t so bad once you get going.

If you have some goals you want to accomplish but haven’t been feeling particularly motivated lately, here are a few strategies that may help you create some motivation if it’s been lacking:

Write down your goals regularly

You can start with your big picture goal, but it also helps to make sure you’re writing down SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-based) regularly. As a bonus, these should be things that are action items (hit my macro targets within +/- 5g every day this week) vs results-based (lose 2 pounds this week). I try to do this at least monthly, if not weekly. 

My goals right now look like this: work out at least four times this week, average at least 8,000 steps per day, take a long walk (30+ minutes) every weekday. Writing my goals down weekly helps me hold myself accountable, and makes it easy to review how I did at the end of the week, identify what I struggled with, and see where there is room for improvement.

Commit to a minimum

This strategy is pretty similar to having a goal, but I see my minimums as being non-negotiable - even if things go haywire and hitting my written goals becomes more difficult.  Whatever happens, these are things I can and will stick to.  

My minimums are: eat a high-protein breakfast, walk outside every weekday (even if it’s just around the block), drink at least 80oz of water, don’t stay up past 10 PM.

Give yourself an “out”

Set a standard after which you’re allowed to give up for the day.  I know this sounds backward, but I often consider this a way to trick myself into getting started, and it is the thing that is the most useful for me in creating motivation. If I don’t feel like working out, I will tell myself something like “I’m just going to warm up, and if I don’t feel like it after that, I don’t have to do the rest”. Telling yourself that you’re only committed to one part of something that feels like too much work can be a great way to talk yourself into getting started without getting overwhelmed.

Make a schedule instead of trying to fit things in

Even if you do get a surge of motivation to work toward your goals, chances are that your moment of inspiration won’t line up with your schedule in a way that allows you to act immediately. Instead, schedule things that are important to you. If you want to work out daily, schedule your time or block it out in your calendar. If you want to stop eating out every meal, set aside a specific time of the week to get your meals prepared at home.

It may seem hard to get yourself over that first step toward accomplishing your goals. But the good news is that once you get started, you can create your own motivation as you go and, as you create habits over time, that hurdle to get started starts to feel smaller and smaller.  

But the only way to get there is to get started. Motivation will catch up.

Ready to get out of your rut for good? Learn more about our 1:1 coaching and how guidance and accountability from a coach can help you gain the motivation and momentum needed to make big changes.