TGIM: Emotion Creates the Motion

Welcome back to TGIM! It seems like I’ve consistently been working on Mondays for the past month or so, and inevitably my exercise and sleep get prioritized before night shift. So I hope this all finds you well for Tuesday morning.
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This weekend I was very fortunate to travel to Utah for an in-person training with a trainer I’ve been working with for two years online. We had some great workouts, hiked in the gorgeous mountains of Park City, and indulged in delicious food. The entire experience was wonderful for the people we got to spend time with, the opportunity to see Utah in the summer, and the chance to engage in movement all weekend. And as a bonus, we got to see a moose!

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Being with a group of people who also love movement brought up some great conversations, but one thing kept nagging me in the back of my brain. We know the importance of exercise, eating well, and all that good stuff, but the million dollar question is always why can’t more people stick to it?
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Something I heard recently that has changed my perspective on the matter is that people don’t act on information, they act on emotion.
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Think of something that you’ve had a hard time sticking to. Maybe it’s going to bed early, setting boundaries at work, an exercise program, or drinking more water. You have access to all of the information you could possibly need. You know these changes would be good for you. You know what you have to do. And yet, you just can’t seem to stick with it.

People change when there’s an emotion attached to it. Think about that huge surge of emotion that comes with the change in the new year. You’re super motivated for a week or so and once the emotion wears off, typically so does the drive to change.
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Or think about when people are told by their doctors that they have to change or something terrible will happen? Emotional reaction kicks in, then change.
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Emotion is a strong motivator. It is the reason many people in the personal development space say “start with why.” Figuring out the reason you want to make a change typically reveals an emotional motivator to keep you moving towards you goal. That might meaning changing your health to be their for your kids as they age. Or maybe it’s setting boundaries at work so you can work on growing a healthy relationship with your partner. Clarifying what emotional driver it is that lies at the base of your actions will reveal the reason for change.

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So what’s the significance of this? The first takeaway is that you don’t need more information to act. This is a lesson I’m still learning myself over and over again. But we often think that we don’t have the perfect nutrition plan or the perfect workout to start making the changes to be healthier. Or we think we don’t know exactly what the right career choice is before we act. But the answer is that we don’t need more information. We just need to take action and learn along the way.
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The second takeaway is that continuing to remind yourself of what the emotional driver is will help you stick to making your change. Maybe it’s to age gracefully, maybe it’s to meet your grandchildren, or it could be as simple as knowing this career is restricting you from becoming the best version of yourself. But finding that emotion will help you make the change needed to make it a long term result.

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Consider a change you’ve had a hard time making recently. Then accept that you have enough information and take action. When you do take action, remember what is the emotional root cause that drives you. Keep coming back to this when you feel frustrated or defeated. Emotion can be what makes the difference.
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If you found some value in this, please share it with a friend you think would enjoy it! And let me know if you’d like to be added to get TGIM. Or visit https://walshwellness.weebly.com/ for older editions and if you’d like to subscribe.

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This week, my podcast recommendation is from Mark Manson’s The Subtle Art of Not Giving A F*ck Podcast, “How to be Successful in a World that Wasn’t Built for You ft. astronaut Cady Coleman.”
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With that, enjoy the beautiful summer weather before it slips away from us. Find a cause you’re grateful for and the emotion to keep working for it.
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Until next time,

Shannon