Fresh Motivation and Habit Building
We've all experienced those moments of fresh motivation – that surge of energy and enthusiasm that fills us with a sense of purpose and excitement. It's that feeling when you decide you're finally going to hit the gym regularly, start that novel you've always wanted to write, or embark on a new career path. For me, this always hits me like a truck as soon as we welcome September; perhaps it’s the start of a new football season that has been so concrete in my life to this points as well as a new academic year to which my professional life has revolved around. But here's the catch: no matter when the motivation hits you, motivation is fleeting. If you don't act on it when it strikes, it can slip through your fingers like sand. In this blog post, we'll explore why it's crucial to seize those moments of fresh motivation and how it can kickstart a new journey, challenge, or project.
Psychologists have studied motivation extensively and have found that it often follows a pattern known as the "motivation wave." This wave represents the ebb and flow of motivation over time.
Research by Dr. BJ Fogg, a behavior scientist at Stanford University, highlights the importance of taking action when motivation is high. He developed the "Fogg Behavior Model," which states that for any behavior to occur, three elements must converge: motivation, ability, and a trigger. Motivation is one of the critical components, and it can fluctuate. When motivation is high, it's easier to take action.
Imagine you want to start a daily exercise routine. You wake up one morning feeling energized and motivated. This is your moment of fresh motivation. If you seize it and head to the gym, you're more likely to establish a habit. However, if you procrastinate or wait until your motivation wanes, you might miss the opportunity to kickstart your fitness journey.
The Habit Loop
Habits are the building blocks of success, and they are formed through repetition and consistency. Charles Duhigg, in his book "The Power of Habit," explains the habit loop: cue, routine, reward. When you act on your fresh motivation by creating a disciplined routine, you're setting yourself up for success.
Here's how it works:
Cue: Your fresh motivation serves as the cue. It's the trigger that initiates your action.
Routine: Taking action in the form of a disciplined routine is where the magic happens. When you consistently follow this routine, it becomes a habit.
Reward: The reward is the positive outcome or sense of accomplishment you experience from sticking to your routine. This reinforces the habit loop.
For example, if your fresh motivation leads you to start writing daily, your cue might be that burst of creative energy. The routine is sitting down to write for a set amount of time each day, and the reward is the satisfaction of making progress on your novel.
Environmental Motivation
My recent reading “Atomic Habits” by James Clear also notes the importance of environment and how it links to a more consistent accumulation of feelings of motivation. For me, after watching the Women’s World Cup 2023 and in particular the Lionesses come so close to world domination, I wanted to get coaching girls football in any capacity. I was so engrossed in the games that my environment consisted of wanting to embody that feeling of progress and victory.
In a more mundane example, I definitely do notice the difference of when I take a business call from my desk in my room where I play video games and watch films in comparison to taking calls while walking outside. I associate a walking call with higher levels of productivitiy whereas my desk isn’t solely dedicated to productivity therefore my attention can be shifted in periods of downtime. This is common of office workers who eat their lunch at their desks instead of sitting in a communal area away from their workstation. A small change can help skyrocket your motivation and as a result your productivity when you return.
The Benefits of a Disciplined Routine
Creating a disciplined routine not only helps you capitalize on fresh motivation but also offers several other benefits:
Consistency: A routine ensures that you consistently work toward your goals. Over time, this consistency compounds, leading to significant progress. As I’ve previously blogged about, the greatest version of you is the consistent and displined version of you.
Efficiency: Routines reduce decision fatigue. You don't waste mental energy figuring out what to do next because it becomes automatic.
Stability: A structured routine can provide a sense of stability and control in an otherwise chaotic world, reducing stress and anxiety.
Self-discipline: Following a routine strengthens your self-discipline muscle, making it easier to overcome obstacles and stay on track. I like to document this in writing when I have paper to hand or reflecting in my daily meditations in whatever form that takes!
Goal achievement: Ultimately, a disciplined routine is the vehicle that drives you toward your goals. It transforms fresh motivation into lasting results. Me and my partner have been having fun setting fitness goals between us on our Apple Fitness the last few weeks so that has also given us a fun sense of motivation to achieve our goals!
Just like the ocean waves, this feeling will crash!
Fresh motivation is a precious gift, but it's fleeting. To make the most of it, you must act when it strikes. By creating a disciplined routine, you not only harness that initial burst of enthusiasm but also pave the way for lasting success. Remember the words of Aristotle: "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." So, seize your moments of fresh motivation, establish a disciplined routine, and kickstart your next journey or project. Your future self will thank you for it.
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