The motivation to change
Almost exactly eight years ago, I ran my first marathon and soon after I started Zen Habits. I had changed a dozen or so habits, lost weight, was getting out of debt and had quit smoking. I also quit my job shortly after.
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That was a period of intense and profoundly scary life changes for me, but they were all of my choosing. I decided to make them happen, and I pushed until they did.
Today I would like to share a few things that worked for me, in case you are considering changing your life.
Maybe you want to quit your job and start a business, or start an organization that will change the world in some way. Maybe you want to change your eating and fitness habits and become healthy. Maybe you want to finally start creating that art, that book, that blog that you have been meaning to start someday.
We all have these fears and reasons for not taking action. Yes, the fear of failure and change and discomfort and uncertainty are real … but they are not go
I have dealt with them, and so have thousands, millions of others. You are no worse than me or anyone else — you can face these fears.
Yes, you are busy, tired, overwhelmed, lacking time … we all are. I would get up at 5 a.m. to go for my runs or write my blog, because I knew I would be busy later in the day.
I didn’t have more time or energy — I was motivated, and I prioritized. You can make that happen too.
Find a purpose
You might already know what your purpose is, but it’s good to review it and keep it at the forefront of your thoughts.
If you don’t have a purpose, start here: What will you want to look back on at the end of your life? What will make your life feel significant? What will give your life some meaning?
If you don’t have an answer to these questions, it’s worth spending a little time here. Go for a walk and think about it.
Embrace your desire
You are reading this article because you have a desire to do something positive in your life. Embrace that.
Isn’t it wonderful that you have this desire? See this as the first positive step, one you have already taken. Now use it and take action.
Create the space.
You won’t make any changes if you don’t create a small space for the change. When will you start making the change?
In the morning, in the evening, during your lunch break? Don’t wait for the change to happen — make it happen.
Block off some time on your calendar each day, even if it’s just 10 or 15 minutes. If you don’t have the time, think about how long you spend each day on Facebook, TV, games, or doing smaller tasks that aren’t as important.
Push those back for just a bit, and do what’s most important to you first.
Surround yourself
The best way to make change happen is to surround yourself with others making a similar change themselves, others who will support your change.
Find a few people online or off, and create a support team that will check in with each other regularly. Yes, this might take some work.
Make yourself accountable
Find at least one person who will hold you accountable for making this change. It might be the support team mentioned above, a coach or an accountability partner. Tell them not to let you off the hook.
Take a small step, and get moving. Movement begets movement. Now take another small step. This is how change is created.