Why Not Having a Goal Motivated Me

Does this cycle sound familiar: you set a goal, hold to it for a week or two, and then it slowly slips out of your grasp?

You might have a solid goal - like losing weight, eating healthier, building muscle, or taking up yoga. But then there’s that point where you find yourself making excuses to avoid your plan without really realizing what you were doing.

This isn’t necessarily a problem with the specific goal you set for yourself, or even the game plan you created to reach your goal. This might simply boil down to your reason for motivation.

So, to help break out of this old cycle and adapt a new mindset, I thought I’d share what inspired me. Hopefully this will leave you with encouragement to find your path.

What Works For One Doesn’t Work For All

I want to point out that we are all unique and individual beings, and everyone has their own path to take. What worked for me may not work for another. But we can certainly draw on inspiration from each other to create our own plans.

The Struggle

I spent a good number of years trying to find the “perfect” goal that would propel me forward. My goal was simple – lose weight. But in order to lose weight, I needed to eat better and exercise more. Sounds simple enough, right?

Well, not so much. I needed an “end game” – something that would inspire me to put in the work. I considered many avenues… getting back into martial arts, taking up tennis, or running, to name a few. But none of them seemed strong enough to tie me to doing the work. I worried that if I had reached my goal, tried the activity and didn’t like it, I would give up. I would revert back into my old ways because “what’s the point” in continuing to eat healthy and workout if I didn’t like the activity I picked as my goal.

My Revelation

One day, in mulling this over for the 100th time, it hit me – I swear a light bulb actually went off above my head!

What if… just what if… I didn’t have a goal??

What if instead of reaching towards something specific, I threw out the concept of having a goal in order to propel me forward?

In that one moment where this occurred to me, I suddenly felt excited. I felt relieved. The pressure was gone. A weight on my shoulders was lifted.

This was exactly what I needed!

Why This Worked For Me

With no specific goal in mind, what took its place?

No longer did I have a goal, but instead I had something greater: possibilities.

I let go of a specific mindset of what I “had to do” and it left me feeling free. It meant there were no more limitations.

What could unfold for me if I was healthy?

The idea of having possibilities to explore was far more motivating than trying to pick one and stick to it. If I were healthy, I could choose to do whatever activity I wanted to, when I wanted to do it. I might not have known what that activity was; but having the freedom to pick whatever I wanted in the future was what excited me most.

Then I implemented my weight loss plan. I made changes to my diet and exercise and was able to lose 40 pounds in 6 months! It felt easy and natural. And during that time, I had started enjoying activities again that I hadn't been able to do in a quite a while. The reward already paid off, and I still have the rest of the future ahead of me.

Considering your motivation is key to goal setting.

What works for one, doesn’t work for all. When I announced this new way of thinking, I did get push back from some. They would gasp and tell me I HAD to have a goal. But I didn’t let that bother me. I had found my path!

What I’d love for you to take away from this story is to keep looking for and exploring your motivation. It can be unconventional or going against the norm. The important part is that it works for YOU.

Leave a comment and let me know your thoughts!