Monday, October 4, 2010

The Secrets of Motivation

When it comes to motivation, the number one thing people say to me is:

I know what I should do, but I'm just not doing it.

Because we all eat, folks think that knowledge is enough to make a change happen.  Yet knowledge without an understanding of how to apply it to one's specific lifestyle is about as useful as a screen door on a submarine - something that can be useful but must be put in the right context.

In terms of making change happen, 3 things must occur:

1.  Find your true motivation. 

First decide why you want to make the change.  Is it because your nutrition is affecting your health?  Is your eating affecting your performance at work or at play?  Is your nutrition getting in the way of how you want to look and feel?  Is your nutrition getting in the way of things you want to do or the person you want to be?

2.  List the positives and negatives of making that change.

Writing down the positives and negatives of making a change makes you realize the advantages and challenges you face so you can be more realistic about what it's going to take.  Many people want to reap the benefits of making changes to their nutrition but when the rubber meets the road, they aren't willing to take the necessary steps to make that happen.  Therefore it's also important to rate on a scale of 1-10 how ready you are to make a change to assess if you're ready to take action. Change has to be a priority in order for action to occur.

3.  SMART Goal setting

Okay so you're ready to take action.  Now it's time to set up some SMART goals.  Goals should be:
  • Specific - does my goal identify specific actions to take?
  • Measurable - can it be measured?
  • Achievable - can I achieve this given my lifestyle and available resources?
  • Realistic - is my goal within grasp but not too easy?
  • Timely - do I have a specific time period for my goal?
Taking these steps will help you get beyond just thinking about a change but finally making it happen.  You don't have to go it alone.  I'm here to help translate knowledge into action.



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