Motivation

None of this is expert advice. It's what people worked out for themselves, usually the hard way — what actually helped, and what they'd tell someone standing where you are. Take what fits and leave the rest.

How this was put together

  1. Commit to not drinking for just one evening at a time rather than forever.

    It feels far less scary.

    4 people, independently

  2. If you are tracking repetitions, try counting by fives instead of ones.

    One pharmacist reported this speeds things up by 5x.

    one person who lived it

  3. Spend extra morning time on non-productive activities like drinking coffee or playing games to make waking up easier.

    Avoiding productivity goals makes it easier to wake up early.

    one person who lived it

  4. Find a new goal that is genuinely uncertain and where you might fail to reintroduce discomfort and meaning to a mechanical routine.

    Uncertainty is what made daily actions meaningful before; knowing the system works makes it feel mechanical.

    one person who lived it

4 more on this
  1. Encourage rather than praise to preserve intrinsic motivation.

    Wrongly used praise destroys intrinsic motivation by replacing self-evaluation with approval-seeking behavior.

    one person who lived it

  2. If you struggle to follow your self-improvement list, associate ignoring it with disrespecting those who support your growth to deter negative impulses.

    Viewing inaction as a rejection of supporters creates social pressure that helps stop unwanted behaviors.

    one person who lived it

  3. Limit prolonged fantasizing about desired outcomes, as it can trick your brain into feeling satisfied without taking action.

    Extended fantasy can create a false sense of having done the thing, reducing motivation to actually execute it.

    one person who lived it

  4. Listen to 'Rise' by Katy Perry, 'Fighter' by Christina Aguilera, 'Unstoppable' by Sia, or 'The Champion' by Carrie Underwood during workouts.

    They push and motivate.

    one person who lived it

Close