The Key to Motivation & Consistency

You know those days when all you can think about is the list of things you didn’t do? Or, as I like to say: you’re “should-ing” all over yourself? 

I SHOULD be doing this…

I SHOULD be exercising more… 

I SHOULD be eating this, not that…

We tend to focus on the negative first. Oftentimes it’s easier to point out what could be going better before noticing what IS going well. We’re wired to find the kinks in the system so we can fix it as soon as possible. 

As a busy mom or mom-to-be, you’re constantly juggling what feels like a million responsibilities. It’s understandable that some days you might not feel like you’re keeping up with everything or doing a good enough job. On the days when everything feels like too much and you can only seem to focus on what you haven’t done rather than what you have made progress on, you might feel less motivated to make healthier choices.  

One of the keys to motivation and building consistent, healthier habits is acknowledgement. Acknowledging and celebrating what you ARE doing is way more motivating than criticizing what you’re not. 

Criticism might work in the short term, pushing yourself to make different choices. But ultimately criticism causes stress which is not good for your mental health or effective long term. That bullying voice inside your head telling you that you’re lazy for eating those potato chips instead of going outside for a walk might get you moving right then, but it’s not a healthy long term strategy. 

Acknowledging yourself for all that you’re doing isn’t boasting. It’s also not about giving yourself an out when you haven’t actually put in the effort. Instead, it’s about harnessing that positive energy to help propel you forward. When you acknowledge a win, you’re able to see what’s possible and build momentum. 

Let’s try it out: 

What’s ONE good thing you can celebrate this week that you did or at least made an effort towards? Your “win” if you will. 

It doesn’t have to be a major thing, it can even be something small — maybe you got to all your appointments on time, ate a salad, hit your steps goal, drank water, or were lucky enough to enjoy a few peaceful minutes of reading. Anything!

It’s ok if celebrating the small things feels hard to do right now, you’re not alone. Whenever it feels like those little efforts still aren’t enough, I like to remember this phrase that my mentor shared with me: small hinges swing big doors. Little efforts add up over time to create big change.

You’re doing an amazing job, and it’s ok to acknowledge yourself for the efforts you’ve made!