Finding our motivation through holistic approaches is a journey to a healthier mind, body, and spirit. Our trip to loving and being proud of who we are comes from within. When we tap into our inner self and find inner peace, we start a life of purpose.
A holistic approach to motivation is achieved with guidance and belief in ourselves. Before we can begin our inner peace journey, we must establish why we are searching for acceptance. Patterns of self-sabotage will derail any progress we make towards reaching our self-love goal and defining our reason for our pilgrimage to acknowledge our goals.
Motivation
Before we discuss how to become motivated, we must examine the definition of motivation. Motivation is an act or feeling of determination to achieve a goal. When we want something, we actively set out to do what is necessary for our success. WE find the drive or strength from within to drive us forward. A need, push, or desire for change spurs us to get up and get moving. Some can feel energized or excited to find their direction. When we are motivated, we can see how things can change and what we need to do to adapt to any obstacles in our way.
Before we start any form of self-exploration, we must question why we are doing something and our end goal. Once these questions are answered, we have established why we are motivated to change. Take a moment and ask yourself, “why?” and “what?” Dig deep to find the real answer. Once you find the solution, write it down and start to make a plan to make the goal happen.
Motivation is important because it:
- provides you with goals to work towards
- helps you solve problems
- enables you to change old habits
- allows you to cope with challenges and opportunities
Gaining Motivation
Many people struggle with becoming motivated, and it may be incredibly hard for those who suffer from depression or anxiety. Finding a reason to get up and start on our route builds the foundation necessary to continue forward. Often, what motivates us to keep going is a sense of pleasure. Satisfaction and happiness are found in activities that bring us peace. A few tips for pursuing our goals are:
- Set one goal. Focusing on more than one goal is overwhelming. When we decide on one goal, we can take small steps towards achieving success.
- Determine short and long-term ways to achieve our goal. Break the goal into achievable increments such as days, weeks, months, and years. Baby steps and small victories keep us motivated.
- Set regular reminders. Set up a way to remind yourself of your goal. Program goal activities into a calendar, goal setting program, or write the steps down to create a commitment to keeping our purpose and motivation.
- Celebrate successes. Each time we complete a mark, do something that brings pleasure.
Stay Motivated
We don’t always complete our timelines; instead of giving up, we can reassess our expectations. We can:
- Set aside time each week to review our goal and consider other factors in our lives that affect our ability to progress toward our goal successfully.
- Set and reset our goal. Think about what we want to achieve and work toward the new achievement marker.
- Keep coming back. Habits take three months to become a part of our routine. Don’t give up; anything is possible if we believe in ourselves.
- Reward yourself.
Holistic Approach to Motivation
A holistic approach looks at the whole person, not just one aspect, such as mental health.
Motivation and goal-setting are intertwined. To achieve a goal, we will look beyond our mental or physical being and incorporate our whole self. As we progress on our journey, we learn about ourselves and what we need—learning about ourselves and how to not self-sabotage comes from finding inner peace. Working on our inner peace includes intrinsic motivation. Michigan State University states, “Intrinsic motivation is an energizing of behavior that comes from within an individual, out of will, and interest for the activity at hand. No external rewards are required to incite the intrinsically motivated person into action. The reward is the behavior itself.”
Activities, whether physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual, reward our inner selves. Holistic activities that motivate people can include:
- Deep breathing
- Yoga or Tai Chi
- Chiropractic or another form of spinal manipulation
- Meditation
- Homeopathy
- Proper Nutrition
- Acupuncture
- Guided Imagery
- Painting, drawing, or journaling
- Surfing, cycling, running, or another physical activity
Involvement in an activity that connects us to our mind, body, and spirit allows us to step back, free our mind, discover the connection, and process our goals. We find motivation by learning to appreciate how beautiful we are inside and out.
Integrative Health
Finding our motivation, setting goals, and believing in ourselves is achieved through holistic and traditional approaches. Combining holistic and conventional methods to obtain a goal means your whole being is included in advancing your behavior or goal. Motivation comes from within – that’s why it is essential to treat your whole person – mind, body, and spirit. When we are committed or interested in an activity or goal, we move forward not because we must but because we want to reward the goal or behavior.
Integrative health is considered traditional. Group or individual therapy combined with positive activities or outlets, help define integrative health.
Motivation is within ourselves. Recognizing our need to change, stop self-sabotage, and discover what creates inner peace is a journey. Self-love occurs when we build confidence in our ability to achieve our goals.
When we want to change a habit or lifestyle, we assess what we want and why we want it. After establishing our reason to become motivated, we focus on one goal. Setting short and long-term markers to achieve our goal helps motivate us in our progress. Incorporating a holistic approach to achieving our goal includes finding an activity or experience that connects us to our minds, bodies, and spirits. We remain motivated throughout our journey when we realize it’s okay to fall behind our expected timeline. If we don’t complete a short or long-term goal, don’t give up; take time to reassess that goal’s feasibility. We also remain motivated when we have someone to help us stay focused. A therapist aids us in managing our motivation, finding our inner peace, and completing our goal. Achieve Concierge provides individual and group therapy to keep you focused on our goals. For more information, call (619) 393-5871.