There are several theories on the “motivation for change.” One I think about a lot is “current state” versus “desired state”. It goes something like this: Let’s say I have a goal to lose weight. If I want to lose 10 pounds, my current state and my desired state are not that far apart. So while I need to stay motivated to achieve my goal — I can see the near future when I am living my desired state. Now let’s say I want to lose 100 pounds. My current state and my desired state are really far apart — it will require a lot more effort, a lot more time, and a lot more energy to achieve my goal.
When our current state and our desired state are far apart, it’s challenging. We might feel like giving up, we might feel overwhelmed, we might feel like achieving our goal is impossible, or we might feel it will simply take too long.
Lots of goals — not just losing weight — seem impossible when we first set out to achieve them.
Nelson Mandela said, “It always seems impossible until it’s done.” Maybe our takeaway is to visualize how living our desired state will feel. When what we want seems too hard, too far away, or out of reach… recognize that on the other side there is potential bliss and comfort.
Download“It always seems impossible until it’s done.” Nelson Mandela