The better you know yourself, the easier it is to develop strategies that will actually work for you!
No one knows the shortcuts you take or the gaps in motivation you experience.
If we want to experience true change in our lives we must be deeply HONEST with ourselves.
I can want to be the type of person who has a regular blog, newsletter, or social media presence for my business but unless I am honest with my lack of follow through on those things...
I will never confront the real challenge I need to face in order to make change happen.
Change happens when strategies are CLEAR, REALISTIC, SPECIFIC, and ACHIEVABLE.
If we want to attempt something new, it is helpful to think of each task as needing two sets of strategies.
Assemble the tools, tips, and techniques to accomplish the task.
Motivate yourself to complete the task.
For example: I wanted to start writing a blog for Heart Vision Coaching!
The honest truth: I have wanted to start many writing projects but tend to struggle finding the perfect alignment of inspiration, motivation, availability, and resources to do this in a way that feels sustainable or produces anything meaningful.
The second truth: There are no stakes or consequences to me not following through with this outside of my personal goal to do it. I am not accountable to anyone but myself for this project.
1. Assemble the Tools, Tips, and Techniques
Tools: Organized digital folder of ideas, prompts, and resources. Fully charged batteries on all tech. Timer.
Having these tools makes starting or picking up an in-progress idea much smoother and more likely to have action and follow-through. If I have to gather or find things in order to get started, my early motivation is likely to wane or I may get distracted from my purpose.
Tips: I worked with my own coach around my creative process and she told me something that I will never forget, “You cannot only create when you are inspired or you will never create anything!” I learned I need to set clear goals and timelines and commit myself to taking some kind of action. If I feel inspired and choose to write from inspiration, that is a separate creative process for me.
Techniques: Set a timer. Nothing jumpstarts my motivation quite like a deadline! By time-boxing myself into work for a set amount of time (e.g. 30 mins) my productivity and focus increases and I don’t feel like distraction is an option.
2. Motivate Yourself
Motivation: HVC version 3.0 is something I have wanted to complete as a way to push myself and my professional growth. I want my website to reflect the changes I have experienced professionally.
Remembering my larger vision helps me tie completing a specific task to completing my long-term goals (i.e., Writing blog posts for 30 minutes today contributes to my larger goal of evolving my professional public image). This helps me stay committed even though not following through with my writing goals has low-stakes and few consequences.
My drive to rebrand and create a blog as part of my long-term goals is authentic. I want my website and my brand to reflect the progress I’ve made, where I am now, and where I am headed as a coaching professional.
Time to get started!
Your coach,
