Today’s big idea is that you may THINK you don’t have motivation to do something, but that just might be on a cognitive level. You might actually have a deeper desire to get going on something that can help propel you into action if only you can recognize it. And a great way to do that is to tune in to and heed the signs that you might be getting.
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Here’s an example
This year, for the first year in many many years, I am observing a Dry January. No wine, no cocktails, no nothing. Not because I want to be virtuous or even because I think it’s a healthy thing to do. But because it’s something I realized I really wanted to do. And I knew that because I keep getting these reminders.
Talked to a friend who said she initially quit drinking for a month and then she was feeling so good that she decided to keep it going. That was the first thing that caught my attention.
Then we had friends over and one of them was off the sauce for a while and again my ears perked up when he was taking about it. Then my conscious mind kicked in and said, not me and poured myself another delicious cocktail, and then that night I woke up feeling like a baked potato I was so hot and did not get back to sleep—I think I slept a total of 2 hours that night. That was three signs, and I decided to trust them. I got on board the Dry January train and it feels really good. I’ve definitely been sleeping better.
Oprah said you can either take the tap your intuition is giving you or wait until you get the 2X4
These signs are the taps. Maybe if I hadn’t done Dry January, I might have gotten a 2X4 that looked like doing or saying something I really regretted. Or would have lost so much sleep that I would have been vulnerable to getting sick. Or just been disappointed in myself for not doing something I was kinda longing to do.
Heed the Signs
I know I’m getting woo here, but if you’re thinking about something, and then you keep getting reminders—something similar happens in a show you’re watching, you talk to a friend who’s going through it, you have a dream about it, someone posts something about it on social media, you are attuned to the frequency of that thing. Your mind may still be going back and forth about it, but your subconscious, your energy has already decided. Just follow it. Heed the signs. Because when your energy is on board, whatever it is will feel less hard.
Which is not to say that everything you’re thinking about and seeing signs for is a destiny changer. It’s just a reflection of your energy, which is something you may not otherwise be that aware of. You’re observing the things that are presenting themselves to you and then noticing how they make you feel. Do your ears perk up? Do you get excited? Or do you lean in, as Sheryl Sandberg would say? Then you are probably more on board with this idea to heed the signs than you may currently be aware of.
Maybe you’re seeing the signs and you’re like, no! Or, ew!
And that’s fine. Noticing the signs AND your negative reaction to them will help you realize that’s just not something that you want to do right now.
What ultimately matters is that choose whether you’re in or you’re out. And deciding NOT to do something is just as important as deciding TO do something. It’ll free up your motivation to focus on something else; something you do want.
Daily Tiny Assignment
Your tiny assignment is to just open your mind enough to look for some signs–something that keeps popping into your awareness in different forms. I like to look for three signs to confirm that it is indeed a pattern and not just a fluke. And then ask yourself, when I recognize the signs am I drawn toward them or repelled away from them?
Don’t put too much emphasis on them. This isn’t about fate. It’s just about seeing what’s going on underneath the radar of your conscious mind. Get curious. Have fun with it.
And come back tomorrow for the final episode on motivation, which talks about how, sometimes, when you just can’t find enthusiasm for something–or for anything–maybe it means you just need to do nothing.
