One thing I’ve always really struggled with in life is staying motivated. I’m sure many people can agree that it is one of the hardest parts of day to day life.

Unfortunately, this is not going to be a post about finding your motivation, this is going to be more like a reality check.

As the title says: stop waiting to feel motivated and GET TO WORK!

Motivation is never as important as discipline. Both words seem a little scary, and are a bit overused in today’s age. However, when I understood what discipline really was, especially to me and my life, everything changed.

I stopped waiting for motivation to arrive, and started getting things done. People try and overcomplicate these things, to the point where we all think we need a step-by-step plan with contingencies, when we don’t. Nothing is as tough as we make it out to be.

Marathons are all as simple as putting one foot in front of the other, again and again until runners reach the end. Think of your own goals in the same way: take a step, then another, then another, until you’ve achieved all that you want.

Don’t get me wrong, at first, it is tough. But I couldn’t keep sitting around overthinking my way through and around my ideas, I had to start doing them.

Instead of waiting for the right time, or the right creative ideas, or the right environment to do things, I took action (even when it was hard). And what do you know, my life started to change.

I changed my name, dyed my hair, got a new piercing, changed my workplace, finished writing my book, and set my life on a new course! It was certainly years worth of hoping and planning to get to that point, I’ll admit, but if I didn’t show up to do those things, they would never have happened.

Sometimes you just have to crack down on these things you ‘want’. Here are some questions for you to consider that helped me:

• If you really wanted something, why haven’t you got it yet? Why you haven’t taken steps towards it yet?
• What about the thing is it that you want? An experience? A feeling? Is it a possession that will bring you joy or fulfilment?
• How much do you want this thing?

That last question is by far the toughest, because you have to be honest with yourself. Maybe you don’t want it as much as you thought. Or maybe you wanted something else more, and you thought this would get it for you, like a relationship giving you validation or money bringing you freedom. If that is the case, cut out the middle man and work towards your actual goals.

It took me a while to realise that I had all the money, ideas, and resources needed to get all my goals. So what was stopping me? Simple (and stupid): I didn’t feel motivated to do it.

Feelings suck sometimes, and though they are important messengers at times, they must not control us.

So, I had to decide what I wanted more: staying unmotivated or the things that I wanted.

Remaining unmotivated meant I would not have to do anything difficult that I didn’t like, but also kept me stuck, dissatisfied, and frustrated.

Doing the things I needed to get the things I wanted was tough, and confusing because I didn’t always know where to start, but it would make me happy and start moving me towards a life that I loved. That sounded infinitely better than what I was currently living like.

Maybe you need to make a similar decision today. To take charge of your life, and take the steps towards achieving your goals, however big or small they may be!