Forget About Motivation: What You Really Need to Be Consistent & Successful
“Motivational quotes”
“How do I stay motivated?”
“Inspo”
The search functions of nearly every platform from Google to Instagram are full of some iteration of these types of words and phrases. In a world where everyone seems to be chasing the hustle and an arguably unsustainable level of productivity or results, motivation has been the “secret sauce” that is sought after with the hopes of ensuring one’s ability to obtain and maintain those amazing results.
And while appealing in multiple ways, motivation is fickle. It is temperamental, waxing and waning. Motivation is reliant upon a whole host of factors: environment, competing needs and wants, external feeds, varying level of rewards sought after, etc. All in all, motivation is not really what you need if you are seeking to engage in consistent behavior that leads to a certain result(s). Motivation is like having a really great toolbox — it’s great, convenient, and can make things easier — but if it doesn’t have anything in it, it really doesn’t do a whole lot for you. Continuing with that analogy, if you have an assortment of tools, say specific systems and habits, in that toolbox, suddenly your ability to be successful has magnified greatly AND you have the added convenience of a mechanism to carry them around all together when needed.
From the concept of S.M.A.R.T goals to the latest best-seller that is James Clear’s Atomic Habits, there are a seemingly endless list of ways to approach building positive habits and systems or structures that will help you obtain what you want, without relying on the often fleeting feeling that is motivation. Are these options as sexy as motivation? Do they give that same contact high that motivation often does? Categorically, no. Are systems and habits the proven structures for consistent success and achievement? Without a doubt.
My recommendation? Start small. Dissect what habits or systems would support the small behaviors that surround your overall goal or end result, then pick ONE to begin to implement. Once that is solid, move onto the next and let the snowball effect work for you.
Example: The end result is to compete in a bodybuilding fitness competition. One small behavior that supports achieving this end result is ensuring I eat at least 3 well-balanced meals. To do this, I will pre-prepare portions of those meals on Sunday and Wednesday evenings.
Motivation isn’t bad and it can be a very useful and appreciated addition to many parts of our lives; however, for efficiency and consistency in our efforts to achieve and maintain success (whatever that looks like), the creation of habits and systems will be your most reliable, and productive, effort!
