Tapping into Limitless Motivation

Most people struggle with motivation and discipline.

I see it all the time. Someone wants to lose weight, make more money, and have a top-notch social circle.

But we catch them in the same traps:

Can’t stop binge watching the show that everyone is talking about…
Can’t ignore the cookies inside of the cupboard…
Can’t stop scrolling for hours on Instagram and TikTok…
Can’t wake up early to workout…
Can’t end the constant arguing and nagging with their significant other…

And on, and on, and on…

You may have a handful of these issues in your life. You may have them all.

You may have no control over your life and it’s a complete mess.

I’m sorry, but this writing is not for you.

I’m not being mean. If you have ZERO self-control in your life, then what I’m about to share will be extremely hard for you to follow!

I can’t help someone that is at absolute ground zero in their life. I’m not saying that you can’t be helped.

I just can’t be that person. I don’t know how to be.

I can help someone that has at least a little bit of discipline.

So if you struggle with staying focused on work, but maintain a healthy diet, good!
If you are good at money management, but don’t to go to the gym - I can work with that.
If you are great at keeping in touch with people, but have a spending problem - there’s hope.

It’s easier to push a slow-moving boulder than one standing still.

So let me help you by sharing a confession: I struggle with discipline as well.

I have great discipline in some areas. Some areas I do not.
My saving grace is knowing what I need help in and seeking solutions.

I will share a practice that I am using to gain more discipline.

It’s a work in progress for me, but it’s helping.

It’s called the 5 Why’s exercise. Here’s how it works:

First, pick something that you want out of life.

It could be losing weight, gaining muscle, or making more money. Whatever you want...

For me, it’s having more focus and discipline with my attention.

Once you’ve identified what you want, ask yourself why do you want it.
Whatever the reason is, ask yourself why do you want that.
Then repeat this for the next answer.
And do it again.

Do this five times - not more.

The purpose is to dig deep and find the true reason you want something.

You may not need to go five layers deep of questioning to find your true reason.

It may take two or three layers. But it shouldn’t take you more than five to find your true reason. If it does, you are overcomplicating the exercise!

Almost always, the reason that you find will be usually emotional. It hits deep within your heart and soul.

This will take some practice but, trust me, it is worth doing.

Let’s do an example:

I said that I want to have more focus and discipline with my attention

Why? Because I want to be more productive in a day.
Why do I want to be more productive in a day? So I can accomplish my goals faster.
Why do I want to accomplish my goals faster? So I can achieve the life of freedom that I want while I’m young.
Why do I want a life of freedom at a young age? So that I can live in harmony with my authentic self for as long as I can.
Why do I want to live in harmony with my authentic self for as long as I can? Because I can do the things that only I can do. I can help the people that I care about. This is where my true joy lives.

So the initial reason for being more productive transformed into something that really hits my emotion and soul. Being focused and disciplined with my attention will lead to the most joy in life.

This reason creates the life force that provides me with unlimited energy.

When I catch myself distracted by social media, I literally tell myself that what I’m doing is robbing me of achieving tremendous joy. I’m hurting myself and others by being distracted.

Once I’m aware of this, I can get myself back on track.

You see how this raises the stakes with my actions? I can directly tie something that I am doing now, with something that I want in the future.

This is a powerful way to view your actions.

Let’s try another one:

“I want to lose weight and get in shape”

Why? So that I can stop being fat.
Why do you want to stop being fat? So the kids at school stop making fun of me.
Why do you want kids at school to stop making fun of you? Because it makes me feel bad and hate school.

Suddenly, the desire to lose weight is not about looking good. It’s about feeling good about yourself and enjoying school. This is a more emotional reason.

If you are older and not in school, that reason could be different.

Maybe it’s having more energy to play with your kids. Or having more confidence so you can feel proud of yourself. Or proving a family member wrong.

You know that a reason is genuine because it causes an emotional stir in you.

Once you find that reason, you must keep it in front of you at all times.

Constantly think about your reason. Write it down on a memo pad. Make it the screensaver of your phone so you see it often.

Do whatever you can to ensure that you constantly think about your reason. This will help you push past any obstacles and distractions.

Later, I will share more about how I create an environment that allows me to keep my reason (my Why) in front of me.

By using the 5 Why’s exercise, you can convert any superficial reason for wanting to do something into something that is deeply emotional, and moving

When your daily actions are positively driven by a powerful emotion, you find limitless motivation for yourself.