Recently, in my Facebook group someone asked this question:
“We all have more than enough how to’s, but how to’s are not enough to build a business or reach a goal. How about ways to get yourself to do what you know you should be doing when you don’t feel like it?”
I found this to be an incredibly powerful question that is so relevant to every area of our life and business. We often know how we should eat to lose weight, or how we should save our money, or build our email list but why do we still find it difficult to do these things?
Usually if we know HOW we should do something but we’re still not executing then we’re probably telling ourselves a story about it. For example:
“Even if I eat healthy it’s impossible for me to lose weight”
“Saving money is only for rich people”
“Building a list is HARD work! No one wants to hear what I have to say”
Whatever it is… usually we have a story we’ve created around the task we’re not doing.
I’d love to challenge you to think of one thing you know HOW to do but can’t seem to execute on, and really dig deep and ask yourself… What story am I telling myself around this?
Next, ask yourself where that story is coming from. Is it from family? Past experiences? Do you have any real evidence to back it up? What is a NEW story you could tell yourself that would better serve you?
This is a super powerful first step to getting out of your own way, telling yourself a NEW story, and executing consistently!
Yet, we also have to look at our strategy and environment.
Decision fatigue can be a huge piece of this.
Decision fatigue occurs when we use up too much mental energy making decisions thus depleting our mental resources causing us to either make poor decisions or to avoid making decisions all together. Decision fatigue significantly impacts our willpower reserves and the quality of the decisions we make each day. As entrepreneurs, this is especially important as we’re often making ALL the decisions in our business on a daily basis.
Then, when we need to use willpower to try a new task or overcome fear we’re depleted because we’ve been making decisions and using our willpower all day (i.e. not turning on the TV, resisting taking a nap, not saying what you really want to an internet troll).
Therefore, to make a transformation and store up the willpower to do what you know you SHOULD be doing some of the best tips are to create useful habits, minimize your decisions when possible, recognize when you’re depleted and eat regularly throughout the day.
I know that for me, creating positive habits and turning over unnecessary decisions (like where are we going for dinner this weekend) really helps me avoid decision fatigue. Many high performers go as far as to wear and eat the same thing every day to avoid decision fatigue.
So my next challenge to you is to ask yourself is… what needs to transform in your business or life to support you in overcoming decision fatigue so that you can do the things you know you SHOULD be doing for yourself and your business?
Finally, we know that creating habits is a hugely important part of our ability to do what we know we should be doing.
For example, we all know we SHOULD exercise but when we fall out of the habit it is SO much harder to get back on! So we need to create and keep the habit in place so we’re not in stop/start mode all the time.
The question then becomes what are the three vital habits you can create to make doing what you should be doing a habit, rather than having to use a ton of mental energy to force yourself to do it??
Also, remember that research shows that habits take at least 21 days to form. Meaning you will find yourself in decision (mental) fatigue for those 21 days, so minimizing other decisions is crucial to implementing a new habit!
My final challenge for you is to ask yourself… what are the three vital habits you need to create for your life and business so you can work more effectively {and successfully}?
I’d love for you to come on over to my Facebook group and share your thoughts!
Then, download my 21 Day Habit Tracker below to help you implement and follow through!
