If you have struggled to turn healthy choices into long-term habits, it may be time to consider your motivation, or “your why.” When we have a firm understanding of our values, our vision and motivation will align with those values.
You start with an outcome in mind and then ask why that outcome is important 5 times. Here’s an example.
“I want to eat healthy.”
Why? (1)
“I want to feel better; have fewer aches and pains.”
Why? (2)
“I want to be able to keep up with my kids and grandkids (someday).”
Why? (3)
“I want to keep making good memories.”
Why? (4)
“Because I love doing fun things with my family.”
Why? (5)
“Because I feel so much joy when I see them making good memories.”
So the root feeling or emotion that is important is feeling joy from seeing the kids and future grandkids make good memories. That’s a lot deeper than just wanting to eat healthy or be pain-free. When we take a few minutes to do this impactful exercise, we get to the root of why a particular outcome matters to us. This, in turn, becomes motivation, our “why” when we are faced with choices. You can ask as many whys as you need to get to the root that resonates most deeply with your desired outcome.
From this exercise, you can write reminders on sticky notes and place them in locations you will likely see when facing choices. You can also use the reminders feature on your phone, change the wallpaper that includes a visual reminder of your why, or find other ways to keep your why in sight as a reminder to help motivate you.
Finding your why is not a guarantee that you will make better choices; you still have to make the choice that aligns with your values when you are faced with those choices. Finding your why will help you discover your motivation and values.
If you do this exercise and find that you are still having difficulty making the choices you want to make, you can try asking Why 5 times to see what you discover. In the example above, the question would become, “I have difficulty making healthy choices when it comes to food.” Understanding the root of this gives insight into the anchored feelings or emotions that are keeping you from achieving your desired outcome.
CARS Employees, remember you have access to free and confidential coaching through our Employee Wellness Program. A coach would be a great resource to help you to get clear on your whys and firm on your values and motivations.
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