If you constantly switch from one thing to another, if your ambition to go to the gym lasts no more than a week, and if you have a list of on-line courses you’d like to take, first of all you need to consider your real needs. Your needs determine the level of your motivation.
It’s all nice and clear when we talk about our basic needs. A person feels hungry — so they go to eat. Such motivation does not require any additional reinforcement and does not depend on the person’s mood or state, that’s why it is called ‘stable motivation’.
Less basic needs are not that urgent. We won’t rush looking for knowledge or communication the way we would go looking for food. Motivation to meet these needs is described as ‘unstable motivation’, and we need to sustain it, just like fire in a fireplace.
You may lack motivation at a particular moment, because:
– you’re setting the wrong goal (you don’t want to lose weight for yourself, you want to do it because your boyfriend thinks you should);
– you don’t have enough energy;
– your environment imposes certain habits and lifestyle that you would like to leave behind (it’s hard to eat healthy if you go to fast food places with your friends every week);
– fear and perfectionism are your ‘BFFs’.
Start by recognizing what is actually hindering you. After that, you can make a plan: set a goal, find support for your decision, and consider the steps you are taking to achieve it.
Self-therapy can be an essential tool for personal growth and self-improvement.
Browse through our courses and see the positive changes they can bring to your life.
You are not sure where to begin?
In order to sustain ‘unstable’ motivation, you need to:
1. Understand what kind of need is behind your specific goal
Don’t just tell yourself you’ll be going to the gym starting from Monday; set your mind to do it twice a week and go for a walk every day, because your body needs movement.
2. Maintain self-discipline
It is a set of skills that make you do what you’re supposed to do, even when you don’t really want to.
3. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself
Give yourself time to adapt to the changes in your life. If you are introducing a good habit, don’t expect that it will become regular overnight.
4. Get perfectionism out of your head
It’s always better to take a small step forward than to stand still.
And don’t forget to pat yourself on the back!
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