How to Stay Consistent When Motivation Is Low
I was listening to a podcast recently where Mel Robbins interviewed Olympic sprinter Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, and one idea really stayed with me. She spoke about the importance of setting standards rather than relying on motivation. You can find the episode here To the episode
As someone who teaches yoga and meditation, this made so much sense to me.
Overcoming Inconsistency
Motivation comes and goes. Some days I feel full of energy and want to move, meditate, get outside and work on my business. Other days I feel tired, distracted or not in the mood. I think that is true for most of us.
Being a teacher, I’m lucky enough to have a long summer break. I use a lot of that time to rest and recharge, and my routines become much more relaxed. But even when the structure of my day changes, I keep a few small practices going. No exception.
For me its my morning routine, it might be a shorter, modified yoga practice, some mobility, a few minutes of breathing, a quiet cup of tea, a line or two in my journal or a walk in nature. But I show up and do the thing in some way, shape or form.
What I’ve learned over the years is that consistency is often more important than intensity.
Our actions often speak louder than words
When we show up consistently, when we set a standard for ourselves, we hold ourselves accountable and give ourselves the clear message I’m the kind of person that shows up and gets on with it no matter what. It becomes a non negotiable, but at the same it sometimes has to be adaptable to our situation.
I talk about this a lot in my classes. Five minutes every day can be more supportive than one big effort once in a while. If I only have five minutes, I give myself those five minutes rather than skip the practice altogether.
Set your standards and show up
For me, a standard is a promise to myself
Such as
- I move my body each day.
- I connect with my breath throughout the day
- I step onto my yoga mat everymorning.
- I take time in nature every day.
Don’t wait to feel motivated
I commit to these things because I think about them as money in the bank, adding to my future self and prioritising self care. Waiting to feel motivated interferes with consistency. Inspiration often comes in those moments after we felt stuck but started anyway, or went out for the walk and felt better, our wellbeing cannot become dependent on our mood. Some days the motivation is there, some days it isn’t.
Show up and do the thing!
On the days when I don’t feel like practising, I show up. A few stretches on the mat, a few minutes mobility and usually the discomfort and resistence softens. One sun salutation. Three slow breaths. A minute lying quietly on the floor.
Importantly I’ve kept myslef to the standard of someone who practices everyday.
That feels very different from skipping it and giving up, which in my experience makes me feel like I can’t keep promises to myself.
So perhaps instead of asking how to stay motivated, its about asking what are my standards and what is my why? Then just agreeing with oneself to show up consistently.
Start Small
When you are getting started choose something simple enough that it feels doable on your busiest or lowest energy day. When it becomes part of your day, you can build on it.
I’m a big believer that wellbeing is built quietly through small actions repeated with kindness. We don’t need dramatic routines to feel better. We just need a desire to show up for ourselves every day.
And sometimes, five minutes is enough.
