#59 The secret to staying motivated

One day a fox spotted an attractive and ripe bunch of grapes hanging from a vine. The fox’s eyes were locked with a watering mouth as he spied on these grapes about to burst and ready to eat. 

These plump grapes hung high on a branch far from an easy reach for the fox. So the fox had to extend himself and jump up to try and get it. He missed it by a long shot. So he walked off a short distance and ran forward taking a running leap towards it, only to fall short once again.

Again and again, he continued to try but all of it was in vain. After quick failed attempts he sat down and looked at the grapes in disgust.

"What a fool I am," he said. "Here I am wearing myself out to get a bunch of sour grapes that are not worth gaping for."

And off he walked very, very scornfully.

The moral of this story: If we only use motivation to achieve results, what happens when it runs out?

Motivation is overrated. It’s a fun and exhilarating feeling that propels us forward but over time it’ll run out. Yes, it can fuel us for a short period of time, but it doesn’t help us go the distance.

What does?

High values and standards on what and who you want to be in life.

If we can set standards for ourselves, we can build consistent habits that we can commit to. 

It’s less about goals that you want to hit and more about continued momentum. By doing this, we cultivate clear motivation through disciplined action. And this creates a higher standard of values and sets us up for real self-mastery.

We actually inadvertently develop our own authenticity because we’re doing the things that matter to us. And that strengthens our integrity. 

But how do you stay motivated and keep showing up?

Discipline and consistency. If you’re setting a high standard for yourself, you should be selecting actions, activities and experiences that make you better. By showing up for yourself everyday, you fulfill your potential.

I work out every day. Every single day. I don’t miss out on a workout unless I'm sick, which is rare. Once in a while I may not be in the mood to go, but I still do it. I know the results of how I’ll feel afterwards. Which outweighs how I would feel if I didn’t go. 

It stopped being about a hardline goal to hit a certain number on the scale. Because when I did hit that imaginary magical number, I still wasn’t happy. I still didn’t like what I saw.

So I changed my mindset. The motivation shifted into a lifestyle shift of wanting to be healthy and lean. Exercising daily is a mental exercise more than a physical one. And it strengthens my behavior to do the hard stuff in other areas of my life.

My motivation is my daily discipline to the high standards and values I want for my life. If I want to achieve more, I have to level up. 

In order to level up, I have to take on new actions and behaviors. 

Had the fox been more disciplined and strategic, he could have had those grapes. But instead he lost motivation and out went the consistent effort to get what he wanted. He decided that the grapes must be sour to justify his mentality.

Don’t be fooled by falling for motivation.

Find your next level of standards to achieve and keep at it.

Here are 5 steps to develop motivated determination and discipline.

1. Envision the lifestyle that you want to achieve. Really sit with this vision of who you want to become and step into. How do you want to keep elevating yourself and growing? When you see that version of yourself, what actions do they take daily to maintain that level? How will you feel when you see the progress and accomplish what you set out to do?
   

2. Define the meaning behind it - why does this matter to you? What’s the point of this? Why does it matter to you so much? If its vanity or its not rooted in a real reason, it’ll be harder to stay committed to. Don’t bother torturing yourself, if it's not for you. And instead turn it towards something that you want to strive for.
   

3. Identify potential obstacles that could cause you to not want to stay committed. We all have life that gets in the way. Think about what nonsense could come at you and how you’d deal with it. What are obvious pitfalls that would make you not get up? Plan out how you’d conquer them when they do arise, because they will. Mentally and emotionally prepare yourself to handle it, so you can stay committed.
   

4. Design the right environment that creates a moat to protect you to keep at it. Knowing what can get in your way, how can you keep distractions out or under control? How can you set up your schedule to make this happen? How can you set the right boundaries in place to make sure you’re getting what you need done first? Then you can take care of everyone and everything else.
   

5. Track your progression. You need to see the data of your progress. Is it documenting work outs? Journal entries? Days marked on a calendar? However you need to track and document your progress, do it so you have a record of your journey. Where you started and how it’s going.
   

Change doesn’t happen overnight. It happens every single day. Even if you miss a day, don’t make excuses to stop all together, make it up and stay committed.

Remember your high standards and your why for doing it.

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