James Clear, the author of the best-selling book, Atomic Habits, said, “Many people think they lack motivation when they really lack clarity.”
As we head into 2021, if you are wishing to start some new habits or stop some old ones, it’s important to begin with clarity in mind.
If you are having trouble drumming up the energy to get started, it may be because the desire to eat healthier seems large, daunting and a little vague.
The simple process of being specific about what you want to achieve and writing it down, keeping it small, attainable, and measurable, can give you the clarity you need to get started and make it easier to keep going.
Instead of ‘eating healthier’ your goal is to choose a salad for lunch, 3 times this week. Or, it’s to skip getting an iced coffee 3 days this week. It’s crystal clear, measurable, and realistic.
Getting specific can also help if you are feeling especially motivated and you tend set the bar really high, deciding to make changes at every meal or to try to go cold turkey with a habit. This can lead to burn out and loss of motivation pretty quickly.
There are many tools I use with my clients to help them maintain their motivation on the path to success, but we always start with clarity.
What habits do you hope to start or stop this year?
Karen