Not Feeling Motivated? Find Your Inspiration.

“People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing - that's why we recommend it daily.” - Zig Ziglar

Do you ever feel really excited about starting something new and find that after a few days, weeks, or months, your enthusiasm has dwindled? Do you find that you are no longer “on track” to accomplish your goal or change your habit?

One of my biggest challenges has always been staying consistent with my behavior when I decide to change something in my life. It doesn’t matter if I am starting a new exercise routine, improving my eating habits, or managing my money more effectively; change can be difficult (I really mean that it IS difficult, but I try not to use absolute terms).

So what can we do when we start out with a bang and lose track of our mojo? It is very easy to find motivational resources; there are too many self-help books, tapes, seminars and -- of course -- Google sites to count, all focusing on motivation for every goal imaginable. And now, of course, “there’s an app for that,” too. With all of the resources available to us, why is it so difficult to change our behavior?

I think we rely too heavily on motivation, and when we are not feeling motivated, we stop doing the things that we believe will lead us toward our goals. So, what now?

I think we are more effective in living our best lives when we are inspired. We know we are inspired when we have a clear sense of our purpose and we are eager to pursue our goals even (or especially) when there are challenges. Inspiration is evident when we reflect on our path, set a direction and hold ourselves accountable for our progress.

Now this is not to say that motivation is unnecessary, in fact, motivation is what drives us; inspiration is what ignites the fire that can keep us motivated when we face challenges or become distracted. If you are finding that you lose your motivation, take the time to connect with what inspired you to make the change in the first place.

“In everyone’s life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.” - Albert Schweitzer

Until next time,

Saundra Davis
Wealthcare Coach