Wouldn’t it be nice if you could turn a switch and you’d be fully motivated to do whatever you’re setting out to get accomplished? While there isn’t an easy button, there is a simple little hack or strategy that works just as well. The secret is to figure out your “why”.

Pick something you would like to do, but you’re lacking motivation. Let’s say it’s heading out for a run every morning before work. You have the best intentions, but then the alarm goes off, it’s still dark outside and all that motivation is out the door instead of you.

This is when it’s time to dig deep. Why do you want to go jogging? Is it to clear your head and get ready for a busy day? Is it to stay in shape so you can have a full and active life for years and years to come? Is it to get healthy so you can be around for your loved ones? Or do you want to get in shape so you can play catch with your kids at the park. Continue reading →

Are you bad about starting a big project and then giving up part way through it unless someone is pushing you hard to finish it? It happens to the best of us and it’s not a good feeling to give up. If you’re ready to stop giving up, I have a great little hack for you.

It sounds deceptively simple, but don’t disregard it until you try it. It has gotten me to finish quite a few projects that seemed to take ages. Here it is: Break it down into baby steps.

It doesn’t matter if you’re working your way through a large project at work or are finally tackling that kitchen remodel. Just about anything big you need to get done can be broken into smaller steps. One step in the kitchen remodel might be to pick out a new sink, another would be to tear out the old kitchen floor. You get the idea.

This also works really well when your goal is a little more elusive. Maybe you want to lose 50 pounds, or get yourself into shape to go on a big hike this summer. For those scenarios you may want to break things up into 5 pound weight loss steps, or set up a training schedule that will have you walk 15 miles each week. Continue reading →