As the title suggest…let’s discuss motivation.
Some of you may have it. Most of you will not. So we’re going to unpack how to increase a little bit more “motivation” first thing in the morning.
We mustn’t expect the motivation fairy is going to sneak into our room at night and sprinkle a little bit of motivation dust so you wake up feeling pumped to exercise, excited to hit the gym, or to delighted to pound the pavement for a 10km run.
I’m here to tell you (and potentially burst your bubble), the motivation fairy doesn’t exist. Yep, I’m that annoying older kid who tells you Santa isn’t real for the first time. Sad day I know. The Motivation Fairy isn’t real and don’t expect it. Don’t wish for it. Instead create you own. Believe in your internal motivation fairy.
The main issue is, if you expect a surge of motivation…you could be waiting a while. Possibly your whole life waiting to be smacked in the face with a hard dose of motivation. This inaction is obviously hugely detrimental to your health and overall wellbeing.
Let’s look into what the “motivated” people do, how do they stay “motivated” and why they stay “motivated”. The simple answer is, they know and understand the key principle… action first, motivation later.
By action – this could simply be, the first five meters of their run. Or the first five steps of their walk. Or the first 500 meters on their bike. Or simply getting in the car ready to drive to the gym.
But they TAKE ACTION! And that’s the most important thing. They are very aware that taking action will create a snowball effect of momentum which produces the magic… “motivation”.
To reinforce my point again, don’t expect to be motivated first thing in the morning, because 99% of the population are not. And that’s ok.
I personally am one that is not motivated first thing in the morning. I don’t wake up with a massive surge of motivation ready to rip in at the gym. It doesn’t happen nor do I question myself that I’m “lacking motivation” and should stay in bed. But, what I do know is, I need to take ACTION first. I need to get in the car, or put my shoes on and go. Then observe “motivation” (which is really mood and emotions) levels increase during that particular session. It’s really interesting to watch if you can remove yourself from the situation and observe. Get off the dance floor (the situation) and observe from the balcony (watching thoughts and emotions).
Now, in order to wake up with a little bit more energy, (let’s not confuse energy with motivation either) and remember, there is no fairy that pops into your room and sprinkle you with motivation dust. Right? You need to find the secret dust yourself. But the good news is…it’s really simple.
Ask yourself a few simple questions;
How well did you eat? Did you eat a lot of processed foods?
Did you consume alcohol?
Did you watch any screens before bed?
What exercise did you do?
In order to get a good night’s sleep…it starts with the moment you wake up (seems a little ironic…but it’s true). Get some sunlight. Get some exercise. Reduce blue light before bed. Have a look at your nutrition before bed. Reduce or eliminate alcohol.
If you act on these key elements, you WILL wake up in the morning with more energy and increase your percentage of taking the action as we spoke about above. Are you “motivated” yet by ticking these boxes? Possibly not. But you’ll notice the first five steps are a little easier than the day before. I promise.
So, with this action and momentum, it soon becomes…you guessed it, motivation. If we’re more motivated we’re more likely to stick at something and start creating change. If we start to create change we start to become happier.
It really is as simple as that. Action = motivation. Motivation = change and results. Results = happier life. And a happier life = no limits.
You’ll feel better, more productive at work, become a better parent to the kids, deeper connections with other people, a better sex life and living life WITHOUT restrictions. That’s ultimately what we’re looking to achieve from our time on this planet, right? To lead the best life possible.
Hope you found this useful and please don’t hesitate to ask questions re how I can help you.
Co-Founder Jason Clark