One common theme among my friends and myself is that we constantly struggle to find the motivation to do whatever it is we are wanting to do that requires work. The get up and go is hard to come by when your knee deep in dirty diapers, work schedules, laundry, grocery shopping and all the million and one other things that us moms have to worry about. It is so easy to get caught up in the mundane and forget about the big picture.
I am 100% certain we were not put on this earth to sort laundry or negotiate how many pieces of broccoli will be eaten at dinner. And yet, this is where we tend to focus 100% of our attention and efforts.
It becomes this cycle that we get stuck in – set goals, think goals are too big, put them aside, worry about something smaller and forget the goals – and it is one that is hard to get out of. Ultimately, at least for me, it comes down to thinking the goal or the dream is too big. We focus on the biggest, most difficult task required to achieve this goal and we falter.
Sure there are big scary steps to take to reach those big, fat, hairy, audacious goals we love to set – and don’t take this wrong, those are the goals we should be setting. Seriously, a goal or dream that doesn’t scare you a little might not be a goal worth investing time and calories in. This one was a tough one to tackle – being afraid of the things I really wanted because I would rather run from the work than do the work. Staying where you are, spinning your tires is far easier than getting out of the car and pushing it forward.
So, setting those big, scary goals is step one. Let me say this again … do not be afraid to dream big. You should be more afraid to dream small.
The next step would be to break your goal down into all the different steps and tasks that you would need to take to achieve your goal. Do some research and start paying attention to those people who have achieved a similar goal or that live a lifestyle you want to live. What did they do to get there? What do you see in them that might be applicable to your life.
Every day, start with a to do list built from this. Break down your tasks into little bite size, manageable chunks. In other words, take the monster out of your big, scary goals by tackling the smaller goals and tasks that will help you move forward. If you have a task on your list for the day that just sounds painful and awful, do that first. Get it out of the way and never think about it again. So often we look at our to do list and there is one task on there that just fills you with dread all day long. You put it off and you ignore it and it never gets done. But, if you start your day by knocking it out, then you can go into the rest of your day felling accomplished and like a badass. Who doesn’t love that?
And, what is more motivating than starting your day feeling like a badass?