How to Motivate Yourself
Something that has been arising lately within myself and those I connect with is the idea of motivation.
In our world, motivation is typically something that we think must be “found”. I often hear others start their sentence with: I need to find motivation to do…
Yet I’m not so sure if motivation is defined as something that is “found”. We’ve been taught to find this motivation, but several of us still struggle to actually ‘find’ it. In past experiences, I’ve found myself believing in this societal term of looking for my motivation.
For example, sometimes I believed reading motivational quotes before bed would help me ‘find motivation’ to go to the gym early the next morning. And, after reading several quotes I thought I successfully ‘found’ the motivation.
I felt good and ‘found’ motivated. However, once my first alarm would go off, the motivation was lost and I would fail again and again to actually go to the gym.
What I have discovered throughout my studies of motivation is that it’s not necessarily something we can ‘find’, but rather something to cultivate. While external factors such as reading inspirational quotes as I had mentioned can enhance motivation, I believe that motivation goes into a far deeper, rooted process.
The Meaning of Tapas
As I studied in my Yoga Teacher Training (YTT), a term that resonated deeply with me was “tapas”.
In yoga, Tapas stems from the verb “Tap”, which means “to burn”. The metaphor is the glowing heat referring to the transformational intensity of the fire element. Tapas translates to self-discipline, passion, and perseverance.
What I’ve found to love in my studies of yoga philosophy is that even if we feel a bit overwhelmed with the terminology – several philosophy terms can be easily broken down and integrated into our everyday lives.
I’m here to invite women into a gentle way to learn about yoga philosophy in order to cultivate their lives. Yoga helps spark a guide within us to connect with our inner wisdom, cultivate mindfulness and foster personal growth.
With this being said, Tapas is considered to be one of the five Niyamas. Niyamas are defined as the ‘ethics of yoga’ which focus on your internal world – it makes sense that the idea of motivation and self-discipline falls within this limb of yoga.
Through practicing Tapas, it invites us to internally ignite the ‘inner flame’ within us that cultivates the fiery motivation, allows us to overcome challenging obstacles and achieve our goals.
Motivation vs. Discipline: Why Motivation Isn’t Enough
It’s easy for us to get caught up in ‘looking for motivation’ and hoping that once it feels ‘found’ that we’ll actually be able to follow through with it. And, this is where discipline (or tapas) comes in.
The word ‘discipline’ has always felt a bit heavy to me. The word has brought about feelings of harshness or intensity. Yet, I’ve learned that discipline can feel soft and gentle through practice.
Discipline is the gentle commitment to keep going, even when we don’t particularly feel inspired. This ‘tapas’ invites us to do the work and put in the effort – when we ‘aren’t in the mood’.
Through this inner work, discipline forms a stronger self-love for oneself. The consistent effort of showing up proves that our goals, dreams and well-being are truly worth it. It’s allowing us to become who we wish to become.
Cultivating Motivation Through Tapas
Motivation is cultivated through the inner fire of tapas. It starts with small, yet intentional steps. It’s not one big leap to the end goal – instead it comes from the small moments of discipline that add up over time.
Starting small and simple allows us to choose one goal that feels doable. Maybe a goal of spending 10 minutes reading each morning if the goal is to read more books. Or, perhaps it’s taking a short walk after lunch if the goal is to become more active.
As we continue on our journey of working on our goals in a ‘doable’ manner – with less obstacles and simplicity, it leads to building routines that are nurturing our self-discipline in a way that feels good to us.
This could mean brewing a favorite cup of tea before reading or queuing a favorite playlist before starting an afternoon walk. This not only gets us a bit more excited to stay disciplined, but also helps us show up with intention. Although enhancing our discipline through a reward system can be very helpful, there will still be moments where resistance will show up. There will be times when it feels easier to skip your practice or push off a goal.
Tapas reminds us to gently push through this resistance, knowing that on the other side is growth and a deeper connection to our internal strength.
The true beauty of tapas is in the consistency, not in doing things perfectly. It can be confused often that the discipline must be ‘perfect’, but resistance won’t allow for perfection each day. This is why it is important to celebrate each day that we show up, even if it is just for a few minutes – the
consistency was followed through.
Overtime, we realize how much the small steps forward matter.
How Tapas Transforms Motivation
As we continue to practice tapas, the discipline that once felt difficult actually begins to fuel your motivation. We feel capable of staying committed to the path we’re on. The steady commitment of small actions each day creates a ripple effect.
As we nurture our self-discipline in one area of our lives, it naturally extends into others. As we cultivate tapas, our motivation also becomes consistent and stable – not because you’ve waited for it to find you, but because you’ve created it within yourself.
Gentle Steps to Begin Practicing Tapas
Tapas is as simple as choosing something meaningful to you, even if it is just for 5 minutes a day. All that matters is that you show up for yourself, even in the smallest way.
Don’t overwhelm yourself with a big, daunting goal. Start with something that feels achievable and slowly and gently build from there. Focus on the steady and consistent effort – set kind and realistic expectations for yourself.
I invite you to embrace the discomfort. Through embracing discomfort with kindness it allows you to push past the resistance and build your own inner flame.
I’ve found it helpful to track and reflect on my progress when building new goals. I purchased a large month
habit tracker for my refrigerator. I took a picture of what the tracker looked like at the end of each month and kept it in a folder on my phone.
Through tracking my habits and consistently reflecting on them, it allowed me to slowly, but surely improve on my goals. I’ve noticed so much better consistency through being aware of my actions. It’s amazing to watch how my motivation naturally grows through consistent effort.
You Are Worth the Effort
As you begin to practice tapas, remember that motivation isn’t something you need to search for. It’s already within you, waiting to be nurtured through steady, loving discipline. Trust that every small effort you make is leading you toward a stronger, more motivated version of yourself.
Be gentle with yourself. Start small, stay consistent, and know that your motivation will grow, one day at a time.
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