Get Motivated in 2 Seconds
Get Motivated in 2 Seconds, and grab your FREE Motivator APP too!
Here’s How the Motivator APP Works
Each time you make a Simple Self Care Micro Decision, you
🧠 mentally acknowledge it with your positive intrinsic messaging: Example- Good job!… Then, you accompany that positive intrinsic reward to your brain with
👉🏼 the extrinsic reward of clicking the plus (+) button on the APP. That’s it!
Your extrinsic reward shows up as an increase in number.
This SIMPLE click is an extrinsic acknowledgment reinforcing that you just made ANOTHER self care micro decision.
It is that simple!
Turn around the dreaded Self Care scenario where you start off gung-ho with your new self-care plan only to derail as your motivation wanes.
We’ve all been there, and we all do it over and over again. And we all are thinking: I KNOW what I am supposed to do; I don’t have the motivation to do it.
The slippery slope of doing less and less of the actions we promised to follow through with ‘this time’ begins to create negative self-talk.
When you add the negative self-talk to our disappointment, any remnants of motivation we had are extinguished. The typical ‘new’ plan is to set a new start date and wait for motivation to kick back in.
Waiting for Motivation to Kick Back In
The commonly held belief that motivation ebbs and flows and you need to wait for yours to kick back in is holding you back.
It’s easy to understand how we come to believe that our motivation has a natural ebb and flow. But the reality is that motivation increases when we experience pain, fear, big health scares, and/or important events in our lives that we want to look good for.
And because we have ‘enough’ of each of these in our lives, motivation seems to move in and out. We are misinterpreting the uptick as our motivational rhythm. It makes us think sometimes we have it and sometimes we don’t.
Once we recognize we have situational upticks of motivation and that it is our brain’s natural way of responding to stressors, we can Quit Waiting for Motivation.
It’s Not Your Lack of Motivation
It is good to know it is not your lack of motivation but it’s the WAITING for your motivation to kick back in that is standing in the way of achieving what you want.
Research shows that motivation arises FROM action.
Research shows that Motivation arises FROM action, not the other way around. So, the answer to motivation should be to simply take action.
YET-
Just Do It! – Doesn’t Work Either.
Just do it! It doesn’t work either. Forcing yourself to ‘be good’ and repeatedly take an action because you know it is good for you also fizzles out. It all comes down to the brain.
So What Works?
Action that rewards the brain instantaneously and repeatedly is what builds motivation. Working with the way your brain is set up to build motivation is what works.
You can train your brain using 2 Focused Actions that leverage how your brain builds Motivation. It takes 2 seconds. You don’t need to pull a journal out, do a vision board, or follow someone else’s plan to get you going. (These are great tools! Just not efficient at building motivation needed on a daily basis)
What is needed is to hyper-focus on rewarding your brain.
Get your Brain to want more of what you KNOW is good for you by BUILDING Motivation every day, throughout the day, using 2 KEY things that motivate your brain.
To Get Motivated-Build Motivation
Building motivation without waiting for pain, fear, a life event, force, timelines, or huge goals is how you will achieve the lifestyle you want (your 1 Goal).
Placing your 1 FOCUS on building Motivation is how to use the Self Care Micro Decisions to get you lifelong results.
The simplest of explanations of what motivates our brain is all we need to get going.
What Motivates Our Brain?
Pain, Fear, and a Feel Good hormone (Dopamine) hit. These impact the brain, motivating us to jump back on the bandwagon.
We can use the instantaneous hit of dopamine- the feel-good hormone– that motivates us to our advantage.
Taking Advantage of the Feel-Good Hormone to Get Motivated
The brain is primarily motivated by a system of reward and punishment. Dopamine, the feel-good hormone neurotransmitter, plays a major role in motivation. We will focus on POSITIVELY using this to our advantage.
I say we will focus on positively using this because, UNFORTUNATELY, these days, firing off dopamine can be a part of DE-motivating our brain to take action.
It is important to know that not all dopamine hits are positive for us. Let’s quickly look at this, and then we can leverage the knowledge of how the body is set up to work with the FEEL GOOD hormone in a way that GETS you MOTIVATED.
Why Do We FEEL Demotivated?
Negative beliefs, mindsets, and unattainable goals demotivate us. They compound the typical disappointment and negative self-talk substantially.
Negative Self Talk
As the things that initially motivated us – the fear, pain, or event passes, and other priorities- take over, it is natural that the focus, self-care actions, and the gains we made begin to backslide.
We become disappointed in ourselves; the internal negative self-talk begins messaging the brain. Motivation wanes further and done on repeat against the backdrop of social media’s false representation of the perfect lives all around builds a larger hurdle.
Layer on Unattainable Goals
Layer on the unattainable goals we set against additional feedback loops on social media of likes, followers, and comments. It is impossible to measure up, leading to a defeatest mindset and de-motivation.
We keep trying to measure up and get likes, views, comments… because our brain receives instantaneous feel-good hormones.
So, although it becomes a demotivator, we keep doing it because our brain WANTS that instantaneous feel-good hit again.
It is the same with most processed foods. Sugar, alcohol, coffee, the smell, and our reaction trigger a feel-good moment.
Our Brain Drives Us Toward the Feel-Good Moments.
These days, we must be aware that our brain is being tantalized by multiple extrinsic triggers. These triggers are purposely there to reel us in.
Using Extrinsic triggers is how companies court us to use their products.
By knowing there are reasons for the lack of motivation we feel and reasons why we can also feel demotivated, we can stop beating ourselves up.
We can also stop waiting around for motivation to kick back in.
What we want to be doing instead is proactively use what we know about the brain’s reward system to encourage its desire to repeat behaviors that lead us to the positive outcomes we WANT.
Leverage the brain to build MOTIVATION for Self Care
- Place FOCUS on Intrinsic positive messaging that gives the brain an instantaneous good-feel hit.
- Provide an Extrinsic ‘reward’ for each self-care micro-decision layering on a 2nd instantaneous feel-good hit.
Get Motivated: 2 Simple Focused Actions – 2 Seconds
1
Focused Action 1: Positive Intrinsic Messaging
We place our Focused Action on Intrinsic Factor 1. Positive Messaging to the Brain. This is a reward that gets an instant Feel-Good dopamine hit.
Big Goals Can Get in The Way
To realistically achieve more instantaneous rewards, we must let go of the BIG goal mindset we’ve been taught. As I laid out in the beginning, it depletes motivation and even demotivates us.
A FEW Examples of Common Big Goals to put to the side:
- -Following a diet that helped others to lose weight.
- -Deciding to quit all sugar.
- -Trying to stick to a fasting regimen.
- -Swearing this year, you will exercise five times a week without fail…
…you get the idea.
Big Goals Work Against You. Let them go.
Big goals work against you because each time you do not attain that big unrealistic goal, your brain adds up the negative INTRINSIC messaging. The negative self-talk that you start repeating chips away at your motivation.
Negative Messaging Works Against You
This negative messaging makes it harder and harder for you to achieve your big goal because you are demotivating your brain—a LOT.
Your brain wants to protect you from failures. Remember, it wants you to do things that get it the feel-good hormone. It wants the feel-good hormone to guide you toward those things, especially when you feel down and out.
This is how things like sugar, alcohol, caffeine, video games, shopping, likes on social media, and watching other’s lives…get to slide back in.
They give your brain an instantaneous hit, and you perceive them as a ‘treat’- which they are not- but since they are harnessing and leveraging the desire for the brain to feel good instantly, they win. Your BIG Goal loses.
Big Goals Can’t Compete
Big Goals can’t compete because the feel-good reward is too far out in the future. We must bridge the time between setting and achieving a big goal with MICRO WINS! That’s the beauty of Micro-decisions. They add up to the 1 GOAL and BIG RESULTS!
Leverage this knowledge about your brain and swap out big goals that cause it to want to quit.
Replace the big goals with micro decisions. Then ON PURPOSE, congratulate yourself IMMEDIATELY each time you make one more good self-care micro decision.
This is how to provide the brain with intrinsic feel-good messaging instantaneously.
Intrinsic Feel-Good Messaging Over and Over
Repeatedly placing your Focus on acknowledging EACH and EVERY tiny, simple self care decision (micro-decisions) you make works.
That’s right- in your head, you’ll be on the lookout for and count Every Simple Self Care Micro Decision.
Think it’s too Simple? It’s not. Here’s why it Works
When you give your brain a micro hit of- good for me- feeling, over and over, throughout the day, it adds up.
Building this Focused attention to simple self care micro decisions you are making throughout the day helps move you further away from negative messaging. It also helps you get better at the positive messaging that’ll reward the brain with its desired dopamine hit.
Providing the dopamine hit is the key.
I have NEVER met a client who wasn’t an EXPERT at the negative intrinsic messaging to the brain. Clients would spill the 25 things they didn’t accomplish between sessions, and I’d point out what about this or that.
They would nod and agree they did more than they recognized themselves. You will want to work on shifting your focus, too.
Swapping the typical hyper-focus on what they haven’t accomplished to achieve a big goal they set for themselves over to focusing on every self-care micro-decision they made throughout their day is what got them motivated.
Get Motivated by Moving Your Focus
Moving focus over to accomplishments is what ultimately resulted in building their motivation. Motivation is what helped them to stay on the self care course they wanted. It was the key to ultimately creating the self-care lifestyle they wanted.
What is an Example of a Micro Decision that Warrants an Acknowledgment?
EVERY thought you have is a simple self-care thought and/or action. There is NONE too small.
When you replace your laundry detergent, think about how great that is for your body day in and day out—placing your legs up the wall for a minute after a long day, great!
Used the 4-7-8 breathing to get a moment of calm, took the elevator up 3 flights, and walked the last one up to the 4th floor.
Suppose you decide to replace your salt with one without plastic! Whoa, your body is going to benefit each time you pick up the salt and use it. Acknowledge that every time you use it!
Then, there are personal product swaps like changing to non-toxic nail polish.
Think about that: you are eliminating toxins that previously went into your bloodstream. Congratulate yourself each time you admire your nails….
When You Struggle and Think You Failed- Know Where to Focus
Here’s a BIG one: decided not to have a food item you know doesn’t work for your body and opted for something that does? Count it.
It might be a fleeting thought that swirls in your head a gazillion times.
Each and every time you make that momentary micro decision for the better option, acknowledge you just did that, EVEN if you did it 25 times in a row in 5 minutes and then ate it anyway.
Please do NOT FOCUS on – I ate it anyway. FOCUS on- I made a simple self-care decision not to eat it 25 times. That is what will help you get and stay motivated.
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Build the Positive Intrinsic Messaging
The idea is to build, build, and build the positive intrinsic messaging, helping your brain to want to keep making self care decisions. You are developing motivation toward self-care.
FOCUSED ACTION 1:
- Dump the big decisions and the lofty goals that are not serving you.
- Instead, focus on instantly recognizing each self-care micro-decision as you make them all day.
- Give your brain instantaneous positive messaging.
BTW: When I say let go of the lofty goals, I want to share that when you focus on the messaging that feeds your brain, you will ultimately achieve them. Your big, lofty goals will result from your repeated positive intrinsic messaging on the Simple Self Care Micro Decisions you are making day in and day out.
It WILL work. PLUS, you will achieve those big goals FASTER than the start and stop trajectory that you were on.
The slower you go, the faster you will get there because you will create the self-care lifestyle you’ve always wanted.
Okay- that’s the first FOCUS that takes up the first second of the 2 seconds to build Motivation.
The 2nd Focus and the 2nd second take an action tied to the First Focused Action.
Here is what you do. As you congratulate yourself, you add on the benefit of Extrinsic messaging, doubly rewarding your brain.
2
2nd Focus & 2nd Second of Building Motivation.
Extrinsic signals greatly influence the brain. The drive is so strong that even things we know are bad for us, we repeat to satisfy the positive feedback the brain gets.
Instead of letting others hack our brains, we take control and use the positive extrinsic reward to our advantage.
I gave you some examples of extrinsic messages: social media likes, followers, comments, views, compliments, rewards, school stickers, grades, new clothes, sugar, a special coffee, and buying new shiny things. This is a SHORT list.
The Extrinsic reward that spurs the brain to want you to do it again and again can be anything External that gets your brain the -good feel- dopamine hit.
The external motivator encourages you to repeat the action you are taking. We want to use that to build Motivation in the direction WE want.
Dump the extrinsic factors that demotivate you and swap them for ones that build Motivation.
Place your Focus on every self-care micro decision you make. Compliment yourself. Then use 1 more second to reward your brain again by taking a simple action that is an extrinsic signal for your brain.
Taking this action EVERY time you have a thought that compliments a micro decision (positive intrinsic signal) is how you build Motivation in 2 seconds.
…the present study systematically demonstrated that an immediate bonus could enhance participants’ intrinsic motivation. (1)
youR immediate Extrinsic reward can -enhance your internal motivation- exactly what we are looking for when building motivation.
Take a second right after you positively acknowledge the self care micro-decisions and attach an extrinsic reward. Then COUNT THAT as another self care micro decision!
Extrinsic Rewards
Extrinsic rewards can be as simple as a checkmark on paper; they don’t need to be extravagant. All you need is a simple way for your brain to receive the extrinsic message that you just accomplished another self-care decision.
How the 2 Seconds Build Motivation
Second 1. Our brain gets the pleasure from the hormonal dopamine hit from the positive intrinsic signals for every single self care micro decision (the signal is- our positive thought). This is an instantaneous reward to the brain. It wants you to repeat what it likes = Motivation.
Second 2 Reinforces the good feel hormone through the extrinsic signal you offer it. Taking one second to provide a 2nd dopamine hit acts as a reinforcer.
The reinforcement helps your brain increase its desire for you to seek out and make another and another simple self-care micro decision.
Re-Cap
We can leverage the way our brain works, building MOTIVATION for Self Care by
- Intrinsically acknowledging a self care micro-decision with a positive thought or feeling. This is to provide an instantaneous reward for the brain. Then
- Extrinsically provide a ‘reward’ for the self-care micro-decisions as well. This gives our brain a 2nd instantaneous -feel-good- hit.
Leveraging the knowledge that our brain wants us to do things that get the good feeling hormone to repeat, we feed that drive. We do that by Focusing on providing ongoing positive intrinsic messaging. We then actively strengthen that messaging with extrinsic rewards throughout the day, EVERY day.
These intrinsic and extrinsic factors that we offer influence the brain to seek out more of the same = Motivation.
When we make a habit out of recognizing and rewarding our self-care micro-decisions, Motivation Builds and sticks around. You now have the Motivation you were waiting for.
Motivation in 2 seconds or less.
Motivation plays a significant role in our ability to create the self-care lifestyle we want. Build Motivation to attain the results self care provides you.
The KEY to the RESULTs you want is developing the Motivation to stay focused on 1 Goal, 1 Focus, and 1 Micro-decision at a time. You’ve got this!
A Simple Extrinsic Tool
Intrinsic positive reinforcement comes easier for most. It’s one of the reasons people gravitate toward quotes. A simple, Good on me. Good job, way to go. Those repeated throughout the day are exactly what will work. Mix it up, have fun with it, or repeat the same positive words in your thoughts each time.
The Extrinsic reinforcement is where I realized there was friction. It was often left behind. Over the past couple of years, I’ve worked on different ideas on how to remove that friction. I came up with the MOTIVATOR.
When I began thesimpleselfcarelifestyle.com website, I knew providing the self care road map of the One Goal, One Focus, and One Micro-decision would work much easier with positive reinforcement for every self care tip that subscribers implemented, so I’ve been working on the Tool that could provide that for you. And now it’s ready.
Because my goal is to build thesimpleselfcarelifestyle.com as a resource that you can rely on for the information, tips, and tools for your success, I work on each post topic until I can offer what you need to walk away from that post with everything you need in your hands to succeed.
Sometimes, it’s a ton of research and links; sometimes, it is phone calls and trying out products for you.
For this post about Motivation, I wanted a SIMPLE Tool that would provide you with a powerful Extrinsic reward for your brain.
I Waited to Publish the Post on Motivation Until I had the SIMPLE Tool Ready for YOU.
The Motivator will help you Build YOUR Motivation. It is ready to support you!
AND The Simple Self Care Lifestyle Motivator APP is 100% FREE!
With it, you can benefit from both Intrinsic and Extrinsic reward signals in 2 sec or less.
You’ll get good at focusing on and acknowledging each and every SIMPLE Self Care micro decision you are making, and when you are intrinsically cheering yourself on, you’ll layer on the Extrinsic reward.
Here’s How the Motivator APP Works
Each time you make a simple self care decision, you mentally acknowledge it with your positive intrinsic messaging: Example- Good job!…
Then, you accompany that positive intrinsic reward to your brain with the extrinsic reward of clicking the plus button on the APP. That’s it!
Your Extrinsic reward shows up as an increase in number.
This click is the extrinsic acknowledgment reinforcing that you just made ANOTHER self care microdecision.
It is that simple!
Your Brain’s 2nd Instant Reward!
The Motivator APP gives your brain its 2nd instant gratification. Your brain gets to see and take in that you’ve made yet another self care micro decision.
Additional positive feedback
PLUS, because the Motivator APP adds up all those self care micro decisions you make for the day, the week, the month, AND all time…you get additional positive feedback. (more good feel hormone opportunities)
All the Simple Self Care Micro Decisions you make are kept from being dismissed, lost in the hectic of your life, or the common issue of being drowned out by negative messaging. The brain is moving from snuffing out your Motivation to building it!
You help train your brain to seek out more and more self-care micro-decisions to get that next reward. The rewards add up to the BIG results that used to escape you while waiting to get motivated!
Getting the Motivator APP is Easy and FREE!
You can get on the list for the APP here and then as soon as it is available you’ll be the first to have it in your hands.
Get the MO-TIVATOR APP!
The MO-TIVATOR APP gives your brain instant gratification, BUILDING YOUR MOTIVATION.
Practioners
* Practitioners, MO-TIVATOR is a GREAT tool to help your clients implement the strategies you are working on together!
Grab A Micro Decision!
Peruse posts for Simple Self Care Micro Decisions with a big payoff. Many are Simple Self Care Swaps that, once you make them, keep on protecting your body. Explore the simple self care lifestyle Blog for more.
Here are a few posts Simple Self Care Micro Decision ideas for you.
If you are new here, a great place to start is with 1 Goal, 1 Focus, and 1 Micro Decision at a time.
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References for you
- Liu Y, Yang Y, Bai X, Chen Y, Mo L. Do Immediate External Rewards Really Enhance Intrinsic Motivation? Front Psychol. 2022 May 16;13:853879. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.853879. PMID: 35651575; PMCID: PMC9150741.