Find Your Motivation

Reviewed May 14, 2019

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Summary

  • Finding motivation may involve examining your personal beliefs and desires for change.
  • Three areas to consider for finding motivation: physical, emotional, and spiritual.

When you realize you want to make a change, it can be helpful to think about your reasons for putting a goal into action. They may be external motivators, like wanting to get a raise at work, or they may be internal motivators, like wanting to feel happier. Whether internal or external, roots of motivation often come from an emotional, physical, or spiritual base. It can be helpful and powerful to tap into these meaningful bases so you can sustain your energy throughout the change process.

Three ways to dig up motivation

Suppose the change you want to make is to eat healthfully in order to lose weight or feel better.

Physical motivators

Let’s look at some of the physical sources for motivation that may move you forward:

  • Most people find that when they lose weight they have more energy for life tasks, such as work and parenting or keeping up a home.
  • Healthy food choices are likely to be fruits, vegetables, and lean sources of protein, which can promote clearer skin, a calm digestive system, and feeling full longer after meals.
  • By achieving weight loss, you will be more likely to have normal blood pressure and a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease. These are serious and life-altering physical motivators to change.

Emotional motivators

There are other sources for motivation that are worth examining as well. You may find that emotional motivators for changes are even more compelling. Emotionally-based motivators may include:

  • You may have a deep yearning to feel better about yourself. Viewing an image of yourself feeling more self-confident and optimistic may ignite your change efforts.
  • You may want to stabilize your mood and become someone who has inner strength. By working on self-improvement, you will be less vulnerable to low moods.
  • Perhaps you want to attract positive people into your life. You may seek increasingly happy moments shared with others. Committing to personal change may produce happier ties with others. A mental picture of you having faith in yourself and sharing that strength with others may give you a needed dose of motivation.

Spiritual motivators

Spiritual sources of motivation may also be useful. Perhaps a more connected relationship with the environment and local agriculture may influence you to choose locally grown fruits and vegetables. In deciding to embrace the earth and its rich offerings, often people feel connected with a higher power and with nature. When eating foods that are not as healthy, such as processed pre-packaged mixes or high-fat snacks, it’s tough to remain aware of where food comes from and how it is grown. You may be inspired by the ways you can have a direct impact on your local farming community as well as concerns of the larger world, like global warming.

  • Produce grown locally does not have to travel by air, and is less likely to have been treated with heavy pesticide application. Maintaining an awareness of nature and how food is produced may foster a spiritual relationship between you and the source of all life, and this may help keep you on track.
  • Your spiritual self may guide you to choose meats and poultry that are raised in humane conditions. An animal raised organically has not been given antibiotics, growth hormones, or artificial drugs. They have been raised feeding on a wider variety of nutrients and are more likely to have enjoyed space to roam and access to fresh air.
  • When connected to a higher power, it can be easier to see what can and cannot be changed. In seeing and accepting the things over which we have no power, energy is better focused on the actions and behaviors within our control. We can’t change our genes, but we can change eating and exercise habits.

You can do it

Regardless of the goal for which you seek motivation, realize you can harness motivators for change in physical, emotional, and spiritual realms. It may help to ask yourself what physical, emotional, and spiritual reasons provoke you to take action.

Figure out what will drive your persistence, let go of fear, and launch your change efforts. Write your goals down, and then dig deeply for the drive to succeed.

By Rebecca Steil-Lambert, M.S.W., L.I.C.S.W., M.P.H.

Summary

  • Finding motivation may involve examining your personal beliefs and desires for change.
  • Three areas to consider for finding motivation: physical, emotional, and spiritual.

When you realize you want to make a change, it can be helpful to think about your reasons for putting a goal into action. They may be external motivators, like wanting to get a raise at work, or they may be internal motivators, like wanting to feel happier. Whether internal or external, roots of motivation often come from an emotional, physical, or spiritual base. It can be helpful and powerful to tap into these meaningful bases so you can sustain your energy throughout the change process.

Three ways to dig up motivation

Suppose the change you want to make is to eat healthfully in order to lose weight or feel better.

Physical motivators

Let’s look at some of the physical sources for motivation that may move you forward:

  • Most people find that when they lose weight they have more energy for life tasks, such as work and parenting or keeping up a home.
  • Healthy food choices are likely to be fruits, vegetables, and lean sources of protein, which can promote clearer skin, a calm digestive system, and feeling full longer after meals.
  • By achieving weight loss, you will be more likely to have normal blood pressure and a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease. These are serious and life-altering physical motivators to change.

Emotional motivators

There are other sources for motivation that are worth examining as well. You may find that emotional motivators for changes are even more compelling. Emotionally-based motivators may include:

  • You may have a deep yearning to feel better about yourself. Viewing an image of yourself feeling more self-confident and optimistic may ignite your change efforts.
  • You may want to stabilize your mood and become someone who has inner strength. By working on self-improvement, you will be less vulnerable to low moods.
  • Perhaps you want to attract positive people into your life. You may seek increasingly happy moments shared with others. Committing to personal change may produce happier ties with others. A mental picture of you having faith in yourself and sharing that strength with others may give you a needed dose of motivation.

Spiritual motivators

Spiritual sources of motivation may also be useful. Perhaps a more connected relationship with the environment and local agriculture may influence you to choose locally grown fruits and vegetables. In deciding to embrace the earth and its rich offerings, often people feel connected with a higher power and with nature. When eating foods that are not as healthy, such as processed pre-packaged mixes or high-fat snacks, it’s tough to remain aware of where food comes from and how it is grown. You may be inspired by the ways you can have a direct impact on your local farming community as well as concerns of the larger world, like global warming.

  • Produce grown locally does not have to travel by air, and is less likely to have been treated with heavy pesticide application. Maintaining an awareness of nature and how food is produced may foster a spiritual relationship between you and the source of all life, and this may help keep you on track.
  • Your spiritual self may guide you to choose meats and poultry that are raised in humane conditions. An animal raised organically has not been given antibiotics, growth hormones, or artificial drugs. They have been raised feeding on a wider variety of nutrients and are more likely to have enjoyed space to roam and access to fresh air.
  • When connected to a higher power, it can be easier to see what can and cannot be changed. In seeing and accepting the things over which we have no power, energy is better focused on the actions and behaviors within our control. We can’t change our genes, but we can change eating and exercise habits.

You can do it

Regardless of the goal for which you seek motivation, realize you can harness motivators for change in physical, emotional, and spiritual realms. It may help to ask yourself what physical, emotional, and spiritual reasons provoke you to take action.

Figure out what will drive your persistence, let go of fear, and launch your change efforts. Write your goals down, and then dig deeply for the drive to succeed.

By Rebecca Steil-Lambert, M.S.W., L.I.C.S.W., M.P.H.

Summary

  • Finding motivation may involve examining your personal beliefs and desires for change.
  • Three areas to consider for finding motivation: physical, emotional, and spiritual.

When you realize you want to make a change, it can be helpful to think about your reasons for putting a goal into action. They may be external motivators, like wanting to get a raise at work, or they may be internal motivators, like wanting to feel happier. Whether internal or external, roots of motivation often come from an emotional, physical, or spiritual base. It can be helpful and powerful to tap into these meaningful bases so you can sustain your energy throughout the change process.

Three ways to dig up motivation

Suppose the change you want to make is to eat healthfully in order to lose weight or feel better.

Physical motivators

Let’s look at some of the physical sources for motivation that may move you forward:

  • Most people find that when they lose weight they have more energy for life tasks, such as work and parenting or keeping up a home.
  • Healthy food choices are likely to be fruits, vegetables, and lean sources of protein, which can promote clearer skin, a calm digestive system, and feeling full longer after meals.
  • By achieving weight loss, you will be more likely to have normal blood pressure and a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease. These are serious and life-altering physical motivators to change.

Emotional motivators

There are other sources for motivation that are worth examining as well. You may find that emotional motivators for changes are even more compelling. Emotionally-based motivators may include:

  • You may have a deep yearning to feel better about yourself. Viewing an image of yourself feeling more self-confident and optimistic may ignite your change efforts.
  • You may want to stabilize your mood and become someone who has inner strength. By working on self-improvement, you will be less vulnerable to low moods.
  • Perhaps you want to attract positive people into your life. You may seek increasingly happy moments shared with others. Committing to personal change may produce happier ties with others. A mental picture of you having faith in yourself and sharing that strength with others may give you a needed dose of motivation.

Spiritual motivators

Spiritual sources of motivation may also be useful. Perhaps a more connected relationship with the environment and local agriculture may influence you to choose locally grown fruits and vegetables. In deciding to embrace the earth and its rich offerings, often people feel connected with a higher power and with nature. When eating foods that are not as healthy, such as processed pre-packaged mixes or high-fat snacks, it’s tough to remain aware of where food comes from and how it is grown. You may be inspired by the ways you can have a direct impact on your local farming community as well as concerns of the larger world, like global warming.

  • Produce grown locally does not have to travel by air, and is less likely to have been treated with heavy pesticide application. Maintaining an awareness of nature and how food is produced may foster a spiritual relationship between you and the source of all life, and this may help keep you on track.
  • Your spiritual self may guide you to choose meats and poultry that are raised in humane conditions. An animal raised organically has not been given antibiotics, growth hormones, or artificial drugs. They have been raised feeding on a wider variety of nutrients and are more likely to have enjoyed space to roam and access to fresh air.
  • When connected to a higher power, it can be easier to see what can and cannot be changed. In seeing and accepting the things over which we have no power, energy is better focused on the actions and behaviors within our control. We can’t change our genes, but we can change eating and exercise habits.

You can do it

Regardless of the goal for which you seek motivation, realize you can harness motivators for change in physical, emotional, and spiritual realms. It may help to ask yourself what physical, emotional, and spiritual reasons provoke you to take action.

Figure out what will drive your persistence, let go of fear, and launch your change efforts. Write your goals down, and then dig deeply for the drive to succeed.

By Rebecca Steil-Lambert, M.S.W., L.I.C.S.W., M.P.H.

The information provided on the Achieve Solutions site, including, but not limited to, articles, assessments, and other general information, is for informational purposes only and should not be treated as medical, health care, psychiatric, psychological, or behavioral health care advice. Nothing contained on the Achieve Solutions site is intended to be used for medical diagnosis or treatment or as a substitute for consultation with a qualified health care professional. Please direct questions regarding the operation of the Achieve Solutions site to Web Feedback. If you have concerns about your health, please contact your health care provider.  ©Carelon Behavioral Health

 

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