How to Get Motivated
If you’re feeling a lack of motivation or energy right now, you are not alone. Keep reading for tips on how to get motivated and set yourself up for success.
There are a ton of reasons we may feel unmotivated – take for instance, the pandemic that JUST WONT END! Or perhaps you’re burnt from all the responsibilities you have – from work to home, school and everything in between.
For me, pregnancy has throw me for a LOOP! Usually, I am always chasing a goal and on the go, but baby girl has me feeling achy and tired all. the. time!
If you’re feeling unmotivated, like me, the WORST thing we can do is set too many unrealistic goals.
For this reason, I am not a fan of the “75 Hard Challenge.”
If you aren’t familiar, 75 Hard is a “mental toughness challenge” created by Andy Frisella, the CEO of a supplement company. The challenge requires participants to complete 75 straight doing ALL of the following. If you fail to complete any one of these daily tasks you must start over:
- Follow any nutrition plan designed for your goals, with ZERO alcohol and NO cheat meals.
- Complete two 45-minute workouts every day, one of which MUST be outside.
- Drink a gallon of water daily.
- Read 10 pages of an educational or self-improvement book every day.
- Take a progress picture
The idea of “no cheat meals” is problematic because it implies that some foods are good and some are bad, which only makes those “cheats” more tempting.
Good for you if you complete 75 days of eating all clean and green, but then what happens on Day 76? I’m willing to bet you hit the buffet. It’s not sustainable.
As someone who (pre-pregnancy) used to work out 6-7 days a week, I STILL think TWO 45-minute workouts is insanity. And again, NOT SUSTAINABLE.
Drinking more water is great, but I think the goal should be to drink half your body weight in ounces or just aim to increase your daily intake to something manageable and work your way up to a gallon.
Reading 10 pages a day is the one goal that feels most realistic for me. But if you HATE reading this may be 10 pages of torture.
Taking progress pictures places all the emphasis on how you look, rather than how you feel, which again is problematic and can trigger unhealthy and perfectionistic thought patterns.
How to get motivated
James Clear, the author of Atomic Habits famously says, “Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become.”
And I couldn’t love this quote more. It shows the importance of consistency and progress over perfection. Each positive action is a vote for who you want to be. Missing one day (or one vote) doesn’t blow the whole election.
So why does it have to be “hard?”
If you want to get motivated, why not aim for 30 Easy?
Pick 5 small daily goals that feel realistic to you and focus on consistency. Small habits lead up to big impact.
Having trouble sticking to a 7-day-a-week workout plan? Aim for 3.
Struggling with nutrition? Focus on adding some healthier options.
Cold weather keeping you from your daily 30-minute walk? Commit to just 10 minutes.
Here are the goals I’ve set for myself during pregnancy:
- Eat 4 servings of fruit and veggies daily (full disclosure I often don’t meet this one, but I try!)
- Prenatal Strength Training 3 times a week
- Drink 80 oz of water a day
- Eat 3 servings of protein each day
- Do 60 minutes of walking/cardio per week
Accomplishing these small goals makes me feel good, and some days I feel like doing more, in which case I feel like a total bad ass! I use the Productive App to track my progress and I get to add a check mark for each goal I accomplish. I LOVE a good check mark.
Make it easy, make it sustainable
So, if you’re feeling motivated as hell and you want to give something like 75 Hard a try – you go girl! More power to ya! But I urge you to consider your plan after those 75 days are up. What habits are you going to take with you and how can you make it more manageable not just for two and a half months but for a lifetime of healthy habits?
And if you’re like me and the thought of 75 Hard seems daunting – join me for an “Easy 30” instead. Set small, attainable goals customized to YOU, to help you get motivated and set yourself up for success. Celebrate consistency and progress over perfection. And surprise yourself with how much you can accomplish when you start small.
For more tips on how to beat perfectionism and be more confident, check out my book “Strong Calm Confident You” on Amazon.
