Action Precedes Motivation
Do the damn thing…
A client recently shared a saying with me that has been keeping her moving towards her goals; "Action Precedes Motivation". She told me that this simple saying has been helping her keep up the momentum to act and make changes in her life. (story shared with enthusiastic consent)
There are two things I love about this realization:
1. This saying is ACTION oriented. (Action is a huge element of coaching and is what drives a lot of what coaches and their clients work on together!)
2. Use MANTRA to anchor her into action. (I am personally a big fan of mantras, affirmations, quotes, internal dialogue, etc.)
Action Precedes Motivation
The number one misunderstanding regarding motivation is that most of us think “motivation will come to us”. That one day we'll wake up and be motivated to take on it all! And sure, those types of days do still happen, but the science behind motivation actually shows us that it's really ACTION that drives motivation.
According to Benjamin Hardy at Psychology Today, "You can’t wait until you feel inspired to act. Motivation doesn’t just happen; instead, it is a reaction to intention and integrity. When you begin taking small steps in the right direction, motivation, and momentum immediately kick in. You need to think in advance and plan ahead, even just slightly."
Coaches spend a lot of time focusing on action. From the Association for Talent Development, "The coach also helps the leader understand their current competencies, see how they’re perceived by others, and focus on identifying and clarifying current goals as well as the appropriate action steps to reach those goals."
According to the International Coaching Federation (ICF) to which I am accredited from; there is an important set of core competencies called “Facilitating Learning and Results” – an essential part of facilitating learning and results is connecting with action. No where in the core competencies does it say: motivate first – take action next.
The Power of Positive Affirmations
In 2018, Yoga Journal wrote an excellent article about the science of using mantras. Reciting mantras is a longstanding practice in Eastern cultures, and is a practice we are implementing more and more in the West. Research has shown that reciting a mantra, prayer, song, chant, etc. can help decrease stress in the body, calm our nervous systems and help slow the wandering mind.
I am personally a big fan of recommending the use of mantras/sayings/affirmations to my clients to remind them of what they really want.
I am a 200 hour Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT) and part of the practice of the eight limbs of yoga is Dharana. Dharana is the sixth limb of Yoga and according to Chopra “Dharana is about being completely focused on the present moment in what you are doing.” You can use mantra to bring you back to the present moment. Whether it is chanting or simply repeating your intention/affirmation/resolve in times of struggle; you can always remind yourself of what it means to align to what you want through the use of positive affirmations.
Summary
Next time you need to take action, maybe try on a mantra or positive affirmation to anchor too? Find a quote, saying, mantra, rhythm, song. Something that works for you. Something that guides you towards staying the course and supports you in focusing on what is really important. It can be as simple as reminding yourself “you got this”. Or perhaps you find yourself saying "breathe" when you need to center during a stressful moment.
And once your anchored; do the damn thing, folks.
As always if you need to dig a little deeper to find a mantra/affirmation that works for you or you want to work towards taking action with something going on in your life, you know where to find me!
This article was co-written by Lindsay Austin and Catherine Swancoat - property of Coaching By LA © 2022