This has helped me achieve my goals

I want to share something with you that has helped me over the years.

​I don’t count on motivation.

I don’t even think about motivation. If I feel motivated, it’s a pleasant surprise, a little bonus, not the reason I do something.

I do the things even when I don't feel motivated to do them.

Morning movement routine? Hardly ever motivated. I do it because I know my body feels best when I start my day with movement. I could either do my morning movement three times a year with motivation or approximately 320 times a year without motivation.

Batch cooking? Motivated about half the time. Sometimes I’m excited to get in my kitchen. Sometimes I have to drag myself like someone pulling the leash of their dog that’s sitting on the sidewalk refusing to go for a walk (in this scenario, I’m both the dog and the dog walker).

Writing my Saturday Love Letters? When I’m staring at a blank page, motivation HAS LEFT THE BUILDING. ​​After I have a first draft, however, motivation conveniently shows up and spreads itself over me like avocados on toast. Motivation is funny like that, it tends to show up after we take action.

Doing French lessons? Literally like swimming upstream, in mud, with a laughing zebra tied to my back. I really want to know how to speak French, but nine out of ten times I really don’t feel like learning French.

Taking steps forward and working on the things I want, regardless of whether or not I’m feeling motivated, is the only way I’ve been able to work on my goals.
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​When we don't feel like doing something, it's easy to put it off and do something else, even if that something else is taking out the trash and then scrubbing the inside of the trash can until it glistens. I heard a coach say one time that if she doesn’t feel like working, the only alternative she gives herself is to stare at a blank wall for an hour. After about five minutes of staring at the wall, she gets bored and returns to work! I thought that as genius.

When we prioritize what we want and stay committed, especially when we aren't motivated, the only path is forward.

It turns out the secret sauce doesn’t have motivation in the ingredients. Good thing, since that shit’s harder to find than ume plum vinegar.

Trust me on this, you don’t need motivation. You just need to make a plan and start. And then you need to keep going.

​Whatever you’re working toward, you got this. And you don’t need motivation to make it happen.

Molly