- To work out, you don't need to be motivated for an entire hour to finish a workout; you just need to be motivated for the 10 minutes it takes you to pack up and drive to the gym. Once you're at the gym, you'll always work out.
- To clean out your basement, you don't need to be motivated for the entire afternoon; you just need to be motivated for the five minutes it takes you to transition from what you're doing now to getting started.
- To go for a swim in a cold pool, you don't need to be motivated for your entire swim; you just need to be motivated for the 30 seconds it takes you to jump in and start swimming.
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Just get started
You just need enough motivation to get started. Once we start a task, it is rarely as bad as we think: your attributions of the task change, and what you think about yourself changes, too.
For example, to go for a swim in a cold pool, you just need to be motivated for the 3...
Do something physical
Either you just take a walk around the block for 15 minutes or have an extreme workout session at the gym, it can help get your mind off of work.
Sometimes its better to get your blood going, stretch your limbs, and transition into relaxation mode.
Take The Smallest Step Possible
When you don't feel motivated, take the smallest step possible toward your goal.
Instead of telling yourself to workout for an hour, say you'll go for 10 minutes.
Taking a step bypasses that part of your brain that is alerted when you're trying to make a change.
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