Tips for turning our fears into motivation
1. Choose a fear you can manage
Start by focussing on the smaller fears, the ones that feel easier to manage – like having to slow down in older age because you’re not as physically active as you’d like. Successfully addressing these smaller fears can help you build confidence to tackle larger, potentially more intimidating ones.
2. Ask yourself what's behind that fear?
Try to picture where the fear comes from and what really lies behind it. When you’ve identified the true meaning of your fear, you can take the next step.
For example, take the fear of slowing down as you get older. For one person, the meaningful aspect might be the fear of not being able to join in activities with their kids or grandchildren. For someone else, it might be the fear of having to give up something they enjoy, like a sport, or hobby.
This is your motivating fear – the fear that’s going to help you improve your health and wellbeing as you move forward into the future.
3. Take ownership and share
Make yourself accountable by sharing your motivating fear with friends or family. Sharing your intentions to improve your wellbeing with others will help you commit to facing and owning those fears. If you’d rather keep it to yourself, simply writing it down can also help.
4. Make a plan
What action are you going to take today, tomorrow, next week, and beyond?
Try to make a realistic plan that uses fear as a catalyst to change any unhealthy habits. Start by thinking about what you want to improve – such as your physical fitness or mental wellbeing. If you’d like to be more active but don’t know where to start, then take small steps today towards achieving your goal.
Help to get you started
Making a plan will give you a sense of responsibility over the action you’re going to take and give you greater satisfaction when you start achieving your goals. But how do you start setting yourself goals?
Here are some tips to help you create and stick to a plan:
Top 5 tips to make a successful plan and stick to it
1. Think about your ultimate goal – start thinking what your life might be like if you were to achieve this.
For example, if it’s to lose some weight, it can be a little overwhelming knowing how to start because there’s so much advice about the best ways to do it. This can be enough to put you off taking the first step! Instead, break down your goal into manageable ‘chunks’ that will take you to your ultimate goal – after all, Rome wasn’t built in a day.
2. Make a S.M.A.R.T. plan
Once you’ve identified the more manageable things that will lead you to achieving your goal, make sure they’re:
Specific – it could be as simple as agreeing that you’ll cut out your afternoon chocolate bar.
Measurable – think about 30 chocolate bars all piled up at the end of one month and you’ll feel pleased with yourself!
Agreeable – smaller more achievable goals will give you a real sense of accomplishment and spur you on to try more things.
Realistic – don’t make yourself miserable by cutting out everything you love or doing things you don’t enjoy. Remember, start small, it’s not a race.
Time-bound – why not start this afternoon? Tomorrow? Try it for one week, then two and so on.
3. Get rid of obstacles
Writing lists of the ‘pros and cons’ of reaching your goal can help address any barriers – real or perceived. When you focus on the ‘cons’, think about the likelihood of them occurring. What can you do to proactively address the ‘cons’?
4. Share your plans with someone else – a friend, family member, work colleague or on-line community
Sharing your goals and how you’re going to achieve them can really help you commit to your goal and succeed. As well as this, using a journal to plan and examine your thoughts and reflections, such as a ‘Bullet Journal’ can be a helpful way to track day-today activities and experiences. Planning and learning along the way is the key to success.”
5. Create some urgency, but do things at your own pace
Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today. What you do now is one step closer than yesterday. You may want to improve your fitness but fear not being able to walk or run fast enough to make a difference? Just get out and about anyway and remember, you’re lapping the person who is still sitting on the couch. It all comes back to those manageable chunks.