How to Stay Motivated When Your Motivation Wanes

Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.

—Jim Ryun, Former Track & Field Olympian

January has come and gone, and for many people this also means their motivation has disappeared. New Year’s resolutions can be a tricky thing for many of us; we often commit ourselves to unrealistic goals that are quite difficult to achieve, which results in a continuous stop-start cycle. What would happen if we shifted our mindset completely and instead created small changes that overtime became habits, so that when our motivation is low our rituals keep us going?

This is how I would encourage you to look at your yoga practice. You know that when you practice regularly you feel better, but this logical explanation isn’t always enough to keep you returning to your mat. So, instead of sheer determination driving you forward, what if you created a habit that was much harder to break?

Small Changes

To start, let’s ditch the idea of BIG resolutions and instead go small. Small changes are often easier to sustain and in the long run will have greater emotional and physical impacts on your overall well-being. Here’s an example:
Every morning, I’m going to practice for 5 minutes. The “what” is undefined; I can lie in savasana, practice pranayama, or move through a quick sun salutation or two. The goal is to just go to my mat everyday and see what unfolds. What’s the lesson here? Small changes over time create BIG results. Says James Clear in Atomic Habits, “Here’s  how  the math works out: if you can  get 1 percent better each day for one year, you’ll end up thirty-seven times better by the time you’re done. Conversely, if you get 1 percent worse each day for one year, you’ll decline nearly down to zero.”

New Habits

Instead of focusing solely on habits you wish to break, why not focus a bit more on habits you wish to create? As a culture we often think of habits only in reference to bad habits, but good habits are responsible for much of our wellness behavior. Why do you brush your teeth each day? Why do you reach for a banana when you’re in need of an energy boost? Good habits! How do you create the habit of coming to yoga instead of diving head-first onto the couch at the end of the day? In Atomic Habits, Clear suggests “habit stacking” for creating new habits in your day. Try it out here: “After I _______, I will _______.” So, after I finish my workday, I will go to Razz. ☺️

Remind yourself that new habits should be small—something you can take into actionable steps. 

Don’t Think of it as Exercise

Yoga can be a great form of exercise. And yet, it is so much more. Research shows that when we think of exercise as “exercise,” we are actually more apt to skip it. When we reframe it for some other type of benefit, we are more likely to keep it as part of our routine. For instance, if you walk daily because you need to exercise you might be more willing to forgo your walk when something else arises, but if you look at your daily walk as “getting fresh air” or “clearing your mind”, you’ll see there isn’t an easy replacement. When it comes to your yoga practice, yes, you’ll feel stronger and more flexible after you practice, but you’ll also feel rejuvenated, restored, connected… These are all things that are a lot harder to give up.

Schedule it in

You’ve heard it before, if you think it’s optional you’re giving yourself permission to skip it when you’re not feeling up for it. Reframe your practice as a commitment in your calendar. It doesn’t have to be daily, just schedule it in and treat it like you would a date with your best friend. It’s really no different.

Celebrate Successes

This is where the Razz community comes in! You’ve joined us because you enjoy our community, our teachers and our classes. One of the best ways to keep up your motivation is to be within a like-minded community that celebrates your desired behavior. Showing up for class even when you feel tired is a win. If you spend the entire class in child’s pose, it means that you’ve truly learned to listen to your body. Our team is here for you and we want to see you make your yoga practice one of your unbreakable habits.