There's No Secret To Waking Up Motivated--But This Gets Me Close

"Motivation doesn't last. Neither does a shower." - Zig Ziglar

2 quick ways to kill motivation?

Obligation and guilt.Do it because you care.Do it because you want to.That's way more powerful.And it turns out, it's way more sustainable.The only trick is that you'll need to remind yourself that you care.iOS reminders. Letters to yourself. A time capsule. Post-its on the bathroom mirror.There are a million ways--but you have to make it happen.You don't have to know all the answers right now.You don't have to have some giant epiphany.You just have to start reflecting on your values and interests.What do you like and what do you think is important?What do you find yourself NOT being able to stop doing?Start there and good things will happen.

2 Minute Action

It will take you 1 minute to write down 3 things you care about.It will take you less than 1 minute to ask Siri/Alexa/etc. to remind you about these in 3 months or to text a friend to check in on your progress in 6 weeks.The secret is that big things are actually made up of lots of small, actionable things.Everyone has 2 minutes. You can do this.

The 2 Biggest Killers of Productivity That No One Is Talking About

I should have done more.I should be much further along by now.If I wasn’t so _______, I’d be where I want to be.“Should” is probably the worst thing you can say to yourself, but we do it all the time.Its not helpful, it only makes us feel bad.This is called “shoulding all over yourself.”It comes from the two biggest killers of motivation and productivity that we know:Guilt and Obligation.We feel guilty for taking a break, or for taking time off. We shouldn’t need this extra timeWe feel obligated to stay late, to do work that doesn’t matter, or to commit to a vision of success that is unrealistic. We really should be eating better and working out moreIf obligation and guilt were effective tools, we’d all be billionaires with 6-pack abs.When you start “shoulding” just pull the e-brake

2 Minute Action

What’s something you’re going to do for YOU today?What’s something you’re NOT going to do?Its up to you to decide whether or not to beat yourself up or ruminate with guilt. It’s up to you to define a reasonable picture of what success looks like.Setting up these rules and visions and being fair to ourselves can go a long way if practiced regularly.Whats something that might replace “should” for you? Reply/comment and let me know what’s working for you!