The Power of Recommitment: Sustaining Motivation Through Life's Challenges -15

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Marli Williams [: 00:00:00

Hey, everyone. What's happening? I am super stoked to welcome you to the Marli Williams podcast where we will explore authentic leadership, transformational facilitation, and how to create epic experiences for your audiences every single time. I am your host, Marli Williams, bringing you thought provoking insights, expert interviews, and actionable strategies to unlock your potential as a leader, facilitator, and speaker. Thank you for joining me on this journey of growth, transformation, and impact. Let's Lead Together. The Marli Williams podcast begins now. Let's dive in.

Marli Williams [: 00:00:43

Well, hey, everybody. What is happening? I would love to welcome you back to the Marli Williams Podcast for a solo episode this week. And it's the beginning of February, and I wanted to kick things off with a quote that I heard that said, February is where goals go to die. Right? And when I heard that, it made me laugh out loud, and there's, like, some a little bit of truth to that because at the beginning of the new year, a lot of people set goals, intentions, New Year's resolutions. Maybe you walked through my, How to Manifest Your Dream Life workshop, playshop podcast episode that came out the 1st week of January this year to help you on your journey. And this week is really, a peptalk from my heart to your heart.

Marli Williams [: 00:01:40

And the first thing that I want to say to you right now in this moment, and I'm saying it to you and I'm saying it to myself, and I really invite you to let this land, is that you are doing a really great job. Yes. You, let that in. Let that sink in. You are doing a really great job. One thing I know to be true is that when we set these intentions at the beginning of the year, we don't always think about all of the challenges and the barriers and the things that can happen along the way. For a lot of people here in Portland, there was a giant ice storm and people were out of power and didn't have hot water. And their kids were out of school, and they couldn't get to the gym, or they couldn't, you know, kick start whatever new habit because their routine got thrown off. Right? And I want to invite this idea of that, that life will life you. Life will life us. And my inquiry today, my conversation with you today is, you know, how do we keep showing up for ourselves, for our work, for our mission, for our family, for our friends, for our pets, for our business, when life life’s us.

Marli Williams [: 00:03:19

And in those moments and on those days where we don't feel like it, we don't feel like getting out of bed to work out. We don't feel like working on the business. We feel like curling up into a little ball and taking a nap. And I want to give you permission right now that sometimes, some days, you're going to need to do that. And I think living a big, bold, beautiful, hell yes life isn't about perfection. It isn't about getting it right all the time. It's not about putting all of this heaviness on ourselves to get it all done, check all the things off the to do list. Right? And we end up being again, stressed out, overwhelmed, burnt out.

Marli Williams [: 00:04:08

And often it's because of the expectations that we put on ourselves that can keep us stuck, that can hold us back. And I think that there are some days and sometimes where, you know what? I'm not going to feel like working out today and I'm doing this for me. And when I work out, when I move my body, it's practicing this muscle of showing up for myself. Even if I'm tired, even if I don't feel like it. Right? And when we build these new habits and neuro pathways in our brain, one thing that I know about starting a new, you know, exercise, habit is I get to this point where if I've done it long enough, I know that it feels worse than when I, like, when I don't work out versus when I do. So, in those moments where I don't really feel like it, I'm like, I know that I'm going to feel better on the other side. So, just because I don't feel like doing it right now doesn't mean I get to let myself off the hook. So, that's one side of the spectrum is, like, sometimes we do need to just kind of, like, give ourselves a pep talk. Right? Say, like, you got this. You can do this. You know that you're going to feel better on the other side when you go to that yoga class, when you get on the Peloton, when you go for that walk, that you will feel better on the other side. And we just need to kind of push through that inertia of the I don't feel like it land. Right? Because if we wait to feel like working out, we might be waiting a very, very long time. So, that's one side of the spectrum.

Marli Williams [: 00:06:06

The other side of the of the spectrum is, you know, I was traveling this week for work. I gave a keynote, and I was planning on working out in the morning, and it took me a little bit longer to prep and get my slides ready, and I didn't end up working out. And I can either go through the rest of my day shaming and blaming myself and shoulding all over myself. I should've woken up earlier. I should have been more prepared. All of that noise or I can have compassion for myself and say, you know what? There's tomorrow. And so, I worked out the next day. I love this rule of, like, you can skip a day, but you can't skip 2. Right? Permission to skip a day, permission to rest, permission to, you know, pivot. And I love this invitation around recommitting. Can I recommit to myself? Recommit to my routine. If I broke a streak, then we're like, well, I might as well just give up now versus what do I need to do to recommit to myself? And that it's not about the short-term gains. It's about cultivating these habits and this mindset that will support us over the long haul. I don't just want to be healthy for the next 8 weeks during this, like, 8-week transformation fitness challenge that I'm doing. I want to be healthy for the rest of my life. Right? Letting go of this there that we're wanting to get to and just saying, like, who we are ultimately is a combination of our habits over time, not just for a week, not just for 2 weeks, not for 8 weeks. It's like, how do I build these sustainable habits and practices that are really going to nourish me. And I think it's important too to think about how we approach these goals rather than coming from a place of I'm supposed to, and they should work out, and I have to eat healthy, and all of these have to's and should's and supposed to's can be really, really draining versus shifting our mindset, shifting the energy, and saying, you know, I get to move my body. How grateful am I that I have a body that I can move? I get to cook a nourishing meal that's going to fill me up, and, you know, I get to learn these new habits and practices and try out new recipes that are going to support the life and the lifestyle that I want over the long haul.

Marli Williams [: 00:09:02

And this is one of the important pieces of like, you know, sometimes we eat the doughnut, we eat the piece of cake, we have the cookie, and then we're like, I'm giving up on my dreams of, like, being healthy and being strong. It's not these single choices. It's the choices that we make, again, over time, and it's the consistency that leads to results. But that doesn't mean that we're going to be perfect and do it all right and not have, you know, 1 too many drinks or, you know, know that we were full and we kept eating or we had those chips or whatever it is. And, again, I think as someone who is a recovering perfectionist, when I set these big goals or intentions around, you know, my health or my business, I can feel really discouraged or depleted if I'm not seeing results right away. Because it's like, see, it's not working. I might as well just give up now. And I think that that is where a lot of people where they say, February is where goals go to die.

Marli Williams [: 00:10:16

So, my invitation for you this month, this week, this year, is to practice the art of recommitment. Recommitting to what it is that you really want, not just in the short term, but over time. And one of my favorite quotes about goals and goal setting is that, the purpose of a goal isn't to achieve it. The purpose of a goal is to figure out who you are along the way. Achieving it is the icing on the cake. Meaning, who do you get to become along the way of setting that business goal, of getting those new coaching clients, of booking a speaking engagement, of writing a book, of getting on a TED stage, or who do you get to become along the way of being the healthiest, strongest version of you. You get to build this muscle of trust with yourself of, you know, every time you do something small for you to really celebrate those wins and celebrate who you are becoming. Every time you work out, this is me showing up for me. Every time you put that video out there, you put yourself out there, you make an invitation, this is me showing up for my business. This is me showing up in commitment to making the difference that I'm here to make. Even if I didn't feel like it, it's like I did it anyway.

Marli Williams [: 00:11:59

So, one of my questions for you is what's bigger than I don't feel like it for you. Meaning, I don't feel like working out. What is bigger than I don't feel like working out for me is I'm committed to being the healthiest, strongest version of me, and that is bigger than I don't feel like it. And I know that when I do work out, I have more energy. I'm more motivated. No matter what else happened that day, I like, I showed up for me. I sleep better. I eat better. I'm in a better mood overall. So, when we don't feel like it, asking yourself, what's bigger than that? And part of that is knowing why that matters to you. And, like, for me, you know, well, why does being healthy and strong matter to me? I love being active, and I want to be active for a long time. I want to be able to do the things that I love. Hiking and paddle boarding. I want to look and feel good in my clothes. And when I see pictures of me on a stage giving a talk, I'm like, I want to be like, yes. It's really about feeling good in my body for me, not for anyone else, and not for the standards of what beauty is. And I'm not saying that that needs to be your goal either, but it's like knowing the why behind the what. Why do you want to build this business or what is the why behind, you know, I want to create my signature talk or give a TED talk. It's like to make a difference. So, making a difference or making an impact is bigger than I don't feel like making this video right now or I don't feel like working on my talk right now. What is bigger than I don't feel like it?

Marli Williams [: 00:13:56

So, practice the art of recommitment. Remember, you can skip one day, but not 2. Not 2 in a row because then that usually leads us in the wrong direction, but we can always skip a day and give ourselves permission to take a beat, to take a rest, knowing that we can recommit to ourselves tomorrow. And then the other layer here is when we don't feel like it, ask yourself what's bigger than that? What's more important than I don't feel like it right now? And I don't have to feel like it to do what I know feels good for me. And knowing how you feel on the other side and also knowing that anyone out there who is trying to cultivate a new practice, a new habit, it does take time. And sometimes we fall off the wagon as it were or we get, life will life us along the way, and so we just get to say, you know what? I get to recommit. We don't have to wait until January 1st 2025 to recommit. Every single morning when you wake up is an opportunity to recommit to yourself. We don't have to wait for the 1st of the month. We don't have to wait for a Monday. You just get to decide right now what you want to recommit to.

Marli Williams [: 00:15:19

And I invite you to do that with so much love and grace and compassion for whatever it is that you're going through right now. I know that we are complex beings, and some of you are parents or taking care of your parents or taking care of, you know, your business and your partner, and there's just so many layers. And so, again, I invite you to consider this idea. Instead of being overwhelmed by all the changes that you winna make is the idea of the one-degree shift that if you change your course just 1 degree over the course of hundreds of thousands of miles, you could end up in a completely different place. So, instead of feeling overwhelmed thinking that you need to do everything and change everything, I like to invite people to consider what is the smallest change that you can make that's going to make the biggest difference for you as a parent, as an entrepreneur, as a coach, as a speaker. And that could be as simple as like getting enough sleep so that I'm rested and energized. So, maybe that's going to bed a little earlier or maybe it is working out in the morning or having a morning practice, but again, that can be 5 minutes. It can be going for a 10-minute walk, moving your body every day. Right?

Marli Williams [: 00:16:42

These small wins and how can you, again, strengthen that muscle of trust with yourself, of practicing the art of recommitment to you, knowing why it matters. Knowing why it matters is so, so important. So, again, I'm going to end where I started and just to remind you that right now in this moment, if you could take a minute, put your hands on your heart, and just tell yourself, you are doing a great job right now. You are enough just as you are and that life is ultimately a series of choices and decisions we make over the long haul. Not for 1 week, not for 1 month, but it's just, who do you want to be? Who are you stepping into? What do you want to commit to for yourself, not for anyone else? So, I hope that this gives you a little peptalk, a little boost of motivation and inspiration as we head into February, the 2nd month of the year, knowing that your goals don't have to die this month and that you can just recommit to you and to what matters most. So, with that, as always, if this resonated with you, feel free to love it, like it, share it, leave a review on the podcast. Let's spread this joy. Spread this love. Spread the positivity and the inspiration. And if you know someone who could use a little pep talk, feel free to share this with them. And, again, thanks for listening. Thanks for tuning in. Thanks for being here on this journey with me. So, so grateful to support you on your path of transformation, leadership, and just being the best version of you. Alright, everybody. Until next time. Take care.

Marli Williams [: 00:18:36

Thank you for joining us on another inspiring episode of the Marli Williams Podcast. We hope you're leaving here with renewed energy, and valuable insights to fuel your leadership, coaching, and speaking endeavors. I'd love to invite you to subscribe, rate, and review this podcast to help us reach more aspiring leaders and speakers like you. We have more exciting episodes and remarkable guests lined up, so make sure to tune in next time. Until then, keep leading with purpose, coaching with heart, and speaking with conviction. This is Marli Williams signing off. See you next week.