Check it off
One more thing
It’s true that the feeling of being motivated changes on a hourly basis. You may wake up refreshed and soar through the morning routine to find yourself too tired to do more than the average stuff after lunch. It may feel as though you used up too much energy being purposeful early on. But maybe the motivation bank just got depleted. Stoking motivation is a lot like showering. You may need to do it more than once a day. It does not just show up on its own. It is a daily work (ugh!) task. You can vary the type of motivation you use though. Sometimes it is just because you want to do something. Sometimes it is a timed requirement. Sometimes you might need to reward yourself. Sometimes it comes from a responsibility. All good reasons to be motivated. But it is an endless activity. There are ways to trick your brain into routines, especially morning ones. They become habits if you don’t question them too much. If you can move from one to the next without thinking about how comfy your bed would be to crawl back into, you win.
Make a List
At this point in this yearlong attempt at transformation, you can check your journal for gems about you. But it is time to make a list for future you. All of this was for that new you that will open their eyes in January and understand how much better they feel about themselves and what they can accomplish. Knowing yourself and being authentically you will not be a challenge if you remember to be truthful with you. Always truthful. You can still pull the wool over the eyes of others from time to time if absolutely necessary but not over your own. You never really could anyway. You just thought you were fooling yourself. It’s time to make a new list.
Peering Forward
It’s nice to look back. It can be soothing when it doesn’t make you cringe. But turn your head forward. Time to get to know the new you. This is where the list will come in. Take the journal and skip a page. Make a header to describe who you are at this point in your journey. New you needs a cute title. This list should be expansive. This list should start with the body and move on to the mind and the spirit. These are not necessarily one-word lists. These are phrases, sentences and even paragraphs that are the book that describes who you are now and going forward. You didn’t start out the year being who you are today so that feeling is easy to tap into. What has changed? Who are you becoming?
Recognition
You may need a mirror for confirmation. You do look different. Describe it. That new swagger becomes you. It is a little more complex to hit upon the description of your new thinking but attempt it anyway. If there is less negative junk, you have done yourself a service. If stupid stuff bothers you less, congratulations! These changes come from that appreciation of your inner spirit. The one who is quiet and determined and knows what being a human really means. You will need to come back to this list multiple times as new thoughts and feelings come to you. You can list those moments when you actually now understand what you really mean to yourself when you pause with eyes closed, hand on your beating heart and breathe with the knowledge that each individual breath is moving you forward. That may have been just an exercise earlier this year. Now, it has deeper meaning. That is how you recognize your new self.
List 30 things you want to do, have or want to be.
