“This is Blog 4 of My 7 Blog posts in 7 day challenge “
So far today I have had at least 4 post topics I have started to compose in my mind. With each one, I was super excited. When I was busy doing other things, I felt the paragraphs forming in my mind. The arguments. The evidence. To conclusion.
They all sounded amazing – even if I do say so myself.
But when I got down to writing them. Poof! They’re gone.
As quick as those thoughts came they have now gone. Even the ones I had managed to jot down a few notes for no longer appeal to me anymore. I can’t return to that state anymore.
It is strange how we feel so invested, so convinced and so enthusiastic about an intention, just for it to disappear later the same day.
The State of Things.
It’s amazing just how quickly our moods can change our feelings towards something or someone. Two hours ago I was completely fine with this person, but now I just can’t stand them. Maybe I’m hangry? Maybe I didn’t get enough sleep. Maybe they actually are a jerk!
This changeability explains why so many of us fail to follow through with our good intentions. We tell ourselves. I will wake up early tomorrow and go for a run. But when the time comes we just don’t feel the same.
The problem is that our state has changed. We change from minute to minute and our future selves many not feel in line with what we are feeling right now.
Get In the Zone.
If we want to reap that benefits of our good habits then we must stick to them consistently. Therefore, we need to make sure our future self is consistent with our present self. Here’s a tip for doing this.
Use A Motivation Ritual
In James Clears amazing book, Atomic Habits he suggests using a motivation ritual to help us get in the right state for whatever we are trying to do. A motivation ritual is a few simple actions that you perform before any given habit. Think of them as small habits that help prepare for the bigger habit you are trying to build.
For example, If you trying to build the habit of writing. Before you sit down, clear your desk and make a cup of coffee (or any drink of your choice). Each time you do this you build an association and your brain starts to anticipate what is coming next.
If you want to start working out at home. Go and fill up a water bottle, grab your headphones and start playing some music to get you in the mood. Holding your water bottle and listened to your workout playlist will now be associated with working out.
You can often see these rituals in top performers to get them in a peak state. English Rugby star Johnny Wilkinson used to perform the same actions before every conversion kick; Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards used to eat a shepherds pie before a concert and Michael Jordan used to chalk his hands and then clap them together right in front of the people sitting behind the scorer’s table before a game. At first, these sound like superstitions. And maybe for some, there were. But the repeated association allowed them to return to a particular state for performing.
Bonus: A good tip is to make these small actions less than 2 mins, easy to do and rewarding, especially for habits you feel a strong resistance to starting. Notice I didn’t say for working out.’Change into your workout clothes’ because that doesn’t feel rewarding.
Conclusion.
Next time you are struggling to stick to a habit, begin it with a small rewarding motivation ritual to encourage you to follow through with your intentions.