by Sandy Wade

Ifyoure waiting to start that new healthy lifestyle for when you feel trulymotivated, the bad news is you may never feel like it. Motivation doesntwork. Its never there when you need itand it clearly cant be trusted. Whatcan we do when we want to make a true life change? Here are four things you cando when motivation fails you. These keysteps helped me shed 45 pounds and these same steps are helping me fight tokeep them off.

Whiteknuckling through another failed diet attempt painfully proves relying onwillpower is not the answer. I speakfrom experience, years and years of experience.How many nights did I fall asleep after exclaiming that tomorrow morningeverything will change? I was the queenof starting new diets and new workout plans.I likely hold the longest record with over three decades of diet do-overs. I was ready to launch a new perfect plan everytwo days! Im not exaggerating. I would wake up ready to start this great dayof this new healthy life, only to end the day in complete failure. Broken and disappointed I would begin thecycle again and again.

Accordingto health.usnews.com, 95% of diets we start fail, and 80% of people with gymmembership dont even use them. Themotivation and personal development business has grown to a $9.9 millionindustry in 2019, per marketresearch.com.The truth is motivation doesnt work!Just think back to the last ten years of failed New Yearsresololutions!

Zig Ziglar says, People often say that motivation doesnt last. Well, neither does bathing thats why we recommend it daily. Here are four things you can do today to transform your life, especially when you dont feel like it.

1. Be The Parent

Its time to be your own parent! What does that look like? Parents love you unconditionally and know whats best for you. They also make you do things for your own good and often they make you do those things you dont want to do. Its time to dish out some good old fashioned tough love on ourselves! Loving self-parenting is kind and respectful self-talk. You expect progress, not perfection. You encourage yourself by being supportive, rather than by beating yourself up, in an attempt to self-motivate. You also dont just let things slide. You get things done because you feel encouraged and authentically motivated from the inside out. You shift to problem-solving mode when you get stuck instead of criticizing yourself. You treat yourself with compassion rather than criticism. You dont let yourself off the hook, but you hold yourself accountable.

2. Remember Your Success

Focus on the successes of your past accomplishments. Youre capable of doing so much more than you give yourself credit for. We have a tendency to focus on the bad stuff. If you only think of your failures, youll get stuck in a trap of inaction. Remember how youll feel after youve done the thing you dont want to do, such as workout! Focus on the benefits and upsides of doing what you should be doing. Perhaps you will be in better shape, you will make more money or you will be able to spend more time with loved ones.

3. Failure Is Not Permanent

Life is a journey. The road to change and transformation is paved with ups and downs. Success is not a straight upward line but more of a squiggle. There will be failures along the way. Remember failure is an event and failure is not a person. Its easy to think about failures as permanent things, they are you, but you are not a failure. You are not a loser. Things in life go up and down. Often, the answer to a successful journey is learned from your failures in the past. The truth is, if you learn from it, its not a failure. Learn what you can and keep moving forward. Ask yourself what did I learn? What can I do differently? What is the hidden opportunity here?

4. Give What You Need

The best way to get what you want in life isto help others get what they want. Youget back what you give. If you needmotivation, then help encourage someone else.Youll ultimately end up helping yourself. Help others with what youwant in life and itll come back to you.Lift someone else up and itll lift you up. The golden rule, treat others the way youwant to be treated, became the golden rule for a reason!

Life is a result of our choices. We are all one choice away from a completelydifferent situation, body, relationship, career or life! You just need to take action. Get the ball rolling today. If youre waitingfor the stars to align and for all things to be perfect, youll be waiting fora very long time. If you wait for all ofthe stoplights to turn green, youll never leave home and start that trip. Ifyou wait until you feel like it, you may never feel like it. Everything willnever be perfect. Waiting for asituation to be perfect leads to years of never starting.

Make the choice to start and make a choice to focus. Focus on one day at a time. Focus on one thing at a time. You deserve the tough love of a strong parent who only wants whats best for you. Its time to be the parent. You know whats best. Do that thing. Go to that place. Apply for that job. Get out of the relationship thats not working for you. Reach out to repair a relationship that is good for you. Get off the couch. Go for a walk. Drink the water. Eat the salad. Its all within your power. Its your choice. We are all one choice away from a completely different life. Be the adult. Be the parent. You deserve some tough love! Your new life is waiting.

Sandy Wade is an Inspirational Speaker and Mindset Coach. Shes the author of The Healing is in the R.A.I.N., voted number one new release for Womens Spiritual Growth on Amazon. Visit her website at Sandywade.net to follow her blog. Sandy can also be found on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/TheHealingIsInTheRAIN], and on Instagram @Sandy_Wade_writer.

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Motivation Doesnt Work! - Thrive Global