Are your goals getting harder to achieve?
Do you wake up each day and feel like your willpower is waning? Is it getting a little more difficult to take the actions that you need to take?
Are you starting to question whether you still want that goal, whether it’s learning a new language, going after a promotion, working on your strength or weight loss? Maybe it’s about being more present with your family, learning an instrument, or saving up.
If you still want that goal but you find yourself losing motivation, I have good news for you.
You don’t need motivation!
Willpower and motivation are like the sugar high after goal setting. When you first set those goals, your energy shoots up and you put all these plans in place. Then little by little, things don’t happen exactly as you planned. Life starts to creep back in, and you realize that the sugar high has subsided.
You don’t need willpower to achieve your goals. They are not essential in achieving any goal.
You don’t need willpower and motivation to achieve your goal
What’s important is discipline.
Discipline is the actual sustenance – the fuel that will boost you to your goals.
And I have some tricks to make discipline easier to build.
When you think about sustenance and preparing a healthy, nutritious meal, you need a balance of protein, vegetables, fiber, and carbohydrates. You put them together like that and you’ve got a healthy meal. You can do the same for discipline.
You need a balance of action plans, consistency, and accountability. Here’s how these 3 are going to be the foundation of your success strategy, even without willpower and motivation.
Action Plan
With an action plan, you have a list of all the things you need to do to move toward your goal. It makes it a lot easier than having to figure things out every single day.
When you write your action plan, you’re preparing all the things you need to do to achieve your goal and all the options that you have. It’s like having a detailed roadmap to your destination.
My goal is to lose weight, and my action plan isn’t just to do a 60-minute workout every day. Yes, most days that’s what I’m doing, but it’s not realistic for me to do that every single day. Knowing that, I can also list what else I can do when I don’t have an hour to spare.
I can walk for 10 minutes, do yoga, or follow a HIIT workout for 20 minutes. Having these options laid out makes it easier for me to take a step forward even when there are obstacles like time constraints in front of me.
Having that action plan makes a huge difference.
Accountability is the thing that allows you to have that action plan and consistency easily come to you
Consistency
You’ve got your action plan, then you have to make a move regularly. Depending on your goal, you need to commit to it every day, every week, or every month.
You have to do it consistently. Incorporating your action plan into your schedule so that it’s easier for you to be consistent.
It’s all about removing the blocks in your days so consistency is a given.
Accountability
This allows you to have that action plan and consistency easily come to you. Accountability pulls you towards your goal.
The knowledge that someone else is aware of your goals and progress can create a healthy level of external pressure. Reporting your progress or showing up for someone can encourage you to stay consistent in your efforts.
For my weight loss journey, I started exercising to get back to being fit. I’m not trying to get back my pre-motherhood body, but I do want to be stronger. I want to actively play with my kids and not struggle when I pick something off the floor.
When I first set those goals, I was really excited and it was very easy to hop on my Peloton and go. As time went on, it got a little bit harder. I reminded myself of the recipe for success: Action Plan, Consistency, and Accountability.
So that’s what I did.
1. I made a list of all the different things that I can do to move towards my goal every day.
That included a 45-minute Peloton ride and a cool down. It included 20 minutes of yoga, a 10-minute walk, and a 20-minute HIIT exercise. A whole bunch of different ideas and things that I can do written down so I can look and choose.
2. I set a time every single day to work out.
From the time I dropped my kids off and before I started working, that was my workout time. I don’t schedule anything else during that time. It’s on my calendar so there is no excuse but to do it.
3. I worked with a trainer every Monday.
I know that if I can consistently work out on Mondays, the rest of the week would be easier. Since I had the luxury of having a trainer come to my house, I took that opportunity to instill accountability. I know she’s showing up and she’s going to hold me accountable to my goals.
I also found a workout accountability partner in my best friend. He and I both have Pelotons and we work out twice a week virtually at the same time, Tuesdays and Thursdays. That just leaves me with two other days during the week, and with my action plan, it’s easy for me to choose what to do.
You need discipline to achieve your goals
Take Action
You, too, can take any goal that you have and make it easy for you to move forward even when you don’t have motivation or willpower.
1. Create a list of the things you can do: different levels of intensity and different times.
2. Create consistency by identifying when and how often you’re going to do that.
3. Create accountability through a friend, a trainer/coach, a Facebook group, or through your partner and your kids. Yes, your kids can hold you accountable, too.
When you add those things together, you don’t need willpower or motivation. You’ll simply be pulled in the direction of the outcome that you’re looking for.
If you like more conversations about achieving goals as working moms, check out my podcast, The Savvy Working Mom, on Spotify or anywhere you listen to your podcasts. We also talk a lot about prioritization, time management, how to be more fulfilled, and how to find peace in this overwhelming world we live in.
Don’t forget to sign up for my free resource library. You’ll get free printable worksheets, workbooks, and checklists to help with goal setting, time management, and self-care for busy moms.
Let’s makeover your routine at How To Get Unstuck.
