ACTION PRECEDES MOTIVATION: TURNING YOUR GOALS INTO YOUR ROUTINES
There’s a version of change that so many of us are waiting for (and waiting and waiting and waiting). It usually sounds like “I just need to get more motivated,” or “I’ll start when I feel more ready/when life feels less chaotic/after [insert big event here] passes.” And it makes sense on the surface, if for no other reason than we hear it (from others and ourselves!) so often. But it’s also what keeps many of us stuck. Because motivation is finicky and doesn’t always just *poof* appear *poof* and because are we ever really ready? Does the chaos ever fully dissipate from life? And if you’re waiting until after a certain event or season ends, (I say this with love) another one is sure to appear on its heels.
While brief bouts of motivation (or really, momentum, I think we often mis-label this in our minds) can sometimes get us started, it’s action – sometimes big but usually small – that keeps us going.
A CASE OF THE “I DON’T WANNAS”
If you’ve ever not felt like waking up, or going for a walk, or starting a workout, or prepping a meal, but then feel better once you’ve gotten started, you’ve experienced this idea of needing to act first. (If this applies to you, you’ve also experienced what I, very scientifically, call a case of “I don’t wanna,” which is the resistance you feel when you, well, just don’t wanna do something.)
When this feeling strikes, I encourage you to act anyway. Even if – especially if – you don’t want to. Just start. By starting, you’re changing the state that you’re in, and things typically go one of two ways:
Oftentimes you start and because you did, you keep going. You build momentum. And you do the thing that you swore you didn’t want to/couldn’t do today. This is great for continuing to build your identity as a person who _ (a person who gets up early, a person who exercises, a person who preps their meals, etc.) by proving “hey, look, I can do these things!”
Sometimes you start and realize that there is a real reason for your resistance (you truly do need more sleep, you aren’t recovered enough to complete your training session, etc.) This is also great because you’re recognizing your needs. AND that just by starting, you’ve broken the pattern of all-or-nothing thinking by doing something – no matter the size of that something.
FINDING THE SMALLEST VERSION OF “THE THING” YOU WANT TO DO
When we are trying to build a new routine or create habits that are aligned with our goals, we’re usually really excited by the prospect of it all (it’s like a new, shiny object), and lots of times we can find ourselves wanting to dive completely in and immerse ourselves in it.
I applaud this! This is usually where those big feelings of “I JUST FEEL SO MOTIVATED TO DO THIS RIGHT NOW!!!” feel prevalent.
And, what I’d love for you to do is take that amazing energy and channel it into thinking about small versions of these routines that you can do today. That you can implement right now. Small things that feel repeatable so that you can start stacking wins.
Let’s say you know you eat out a lot, and when you do eat at home, Door Dash is a preferred option, and your goal is to cook more meals at home. A full overhaul – big grocery trips, new appliances, bookmarked recipes – could create the environment to cook more at home, AND going from 0 to 60 in terms of food prep might not be realistic. (Doable in ideal conditions, yes, but part of my job as a coach is to work with you on what actually feels doable in the current conditions of your life; those two doables usually look different.)
So, that might look like prepping breakfast at home, as you build your skills and confidence of cooking. Maybe it’s focusing on preparing one component of your meals from scratch, and relying on pre-made options to fill up the rest of your plate. It could be committing to trying one new recipe a week, and if you choose one that makes leftovers, you’re increasing the bang for your buck.
Thinking about your goals and actions in small steps isn’t about lowering your standards, it’s about lowering the barrier to entry so that your intended action actually happens.
DECIDING WHAT “COUNTS”
What “counts” is going to look different from person to person. But if you are someone that believes the only version of success is the perfect one (cooking all your meals at home, needing to complete the entire workout, etc.), there’s a good chance you’ll find yourself opting out more often than not (this doesn’t make you broken, this makes you a normal human). When it’s small, attainable actions count, consistency and momentum-building suddenly become more accessible.
Every time you take action, you are adding data to the pile of evidence you’re compiling that you can add to or shift your routines. You’re reinforcing your identity (that whole “I am a person who gets up early” or “I am a person who preps food at home”).
SO…
We know motivation is unreliable; we know that small, repeatable actions aren’t. Over time, these small actions (these actions that you take before and without relying on anything else) are what turn a goal into routines that actually fit, and change, your life.
YOUR NEXT STEP
Does this blog post resonate with you? At Front Porch Nutrition, I coach real people through real-life nutrition — thinking through what your wants, needs, and goals are, and working together to make changes that last not just in the moment, but for the long haul. Get started with 1:1 nutrition coaching today!
