Hello and welcome to the Choosing Happy Podcast.

I'm Heather Masters, your host, and this is the first of three podcasts a week that I've started.

I'm kind of shaking things up instead of a normal one.

Thursday, I'm going live Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

And it's Monday myth busting.

And today I'm talking about the uncomfortable truths about Monday motivation.

So join me and find out out more in today's Choosing Happy Podcast.

Hello, and welcome to the Choosing Happy Podcast.

Grab your brew, get comfy, because I'm about to ruin Monday motivation for you forever.

And honestly, you'll thank me for it.

I'm here with three uncomfortable truths about why all that Monday motivation content you're consuming is actually keeping you more stuck than a pair of skinny jeans after Christmas dinner.

So before you switch off thinking this is going to be another motivation is Dead rant, it's not.

It's about why you keep starting every Monday feeling like you need to be motivated to live your own life, and why that cycle is absolutely knackering you.

So if you're tired of that Sunday night dread, followed by Monday morning panic, followed by Wednesday, where did my week go?

Stick around.

Because by the end of this, you'll understand why motivation is the worst foundation you can build your week on.

And as you know, I've been guilty of this as a podcast host giving you tips on Monday motivation.

So let me tell you about last Monday.

Not some client story, my actual Monday.

Because here's the thing about running a podcast called Choosing Happy People expect you to have your life sorted.

And spoiler alert, that is absolutely not the truth.

So last Sunday night, I did what every good entrepreneur does.

I made my Monday list.

Not just any list, a proper motivational masterpiece.

I was going to wake up at 6am, do my morning routine, tackle my biggest project first, meal prep, and probably cure world hunger by lunchtime.

I even set the alarm with bird sounds because apparently that's what successful people do.

And Monday comes around and the alarm goes off.

And you know what I did?

I lay there for 20 minutes, scrolling through Monday motivation posts and on Instagram and on Facebook.

Monday mindset.

Crush your goals.

Make this week your best week yet.

And I'm thinking, right, I need to get motivated first, then I'll start my day.

By the time I actually got up, I was already behind my perfect schedule.

So what did I do?

I told myself, I'll start properly at 9am, then 10am, then after lunch, then tomorrow, then next Monday.

Sound familiar?

I've got out of the habit of my morning exercise.

And I've been telling myself for weeks that I'm starting tomorrow.

So here's what actually happened that Monday, I spent more time consuming motivation than actually doing.

Doing anything that mattered.

And I found with my launching AI, that I'm spending more time learning about AI than actually doing anything to help my clients.

You know, I'll watch three YouTube videos about productivity or AI.

I'll read five articles about morning routines, and I'll listen to podcasts about having an abundance mindset.

And by Tuesday, I was convinced I needed a better system.

By Wednesday, I was researching new planners.

By Friday, I was planning how I'd reset on Monday.

And the uncomfortable truth is, I wasn't unmotivated that Monday.

I was addicted to the feeling of being motivated without actually having to do anything difficult.

Because that's what no one tells you about motivation.

It's.

It's basically emotional chocolate.

It feels amazing in the moment, gives you a proper high, and leaves you crashed out wondering why you feel worse than when you started.

So right here are those uncomfortable truths I promised you.

Number one is that motivation is not a resource, it's a drug.

We treat motivation like petrol.

Like we need to fill up the tank before we can drive anywhere.

But.

But motivation isn't about fuel.

It's a hit of dopamine that makes us feel like we're already succeeding without actually doing the work.

So think about it.

How do you feel after watching a really good motivational video?

Buzzing.

Does that sound like you, like you could take on the world?

And what do you do next?

You go watch another one because it kind of feels addictive and you're thinking there might be a missing piece there.

The most productive people I know are often the least motivated.

They just do the work whether they feel like it or not, because they've learned that waiting to feel motivated is like waiting to feel like doing the washing up.

It's never going to happen.

But there are ways that you can choose to feel motivated.

And that's what the Choosing Happy podcast has always been about.

There's a choice in the moment to do something and to shift your mindset so that you want to do it, that you recognize the bigger goal in achieving what you want to do.

Monday.

Motivation is procrastination in disguise.

So every minute you spend getting motivated is a minute you're not spending actually doing the thing.

And our brains are clever.

They know this.

They absolutely delight when we spend Monday morning consuming motivational content because it means we get to avoid the scary stuff for a bit longer.

So here's the pattern.

See if you resonate.

You feel overwhelmed by your to do list.

So you consume some motivation to get in the right head space.

But consuming that content takes time and mental energy.

So now you're behind and overwhelmed.

So you need more motivation to deal with being behind.

You can see the cycle.

It's like being late for work and stopping to watch a video about time management.

You're not going to solve the problem, you're making it worse while feeling virtuous doing it.

It's the motivation has to actually come from within.

It's about choosing from within to have a different perspective, a different emotion around the work that we want to do and then doing it, taking the action, getting out of our comfort zones.

Monday Motivation keeps you dependent.

This is truth number three.

The motivation industry needs you to come back every day feeling like you can't start your week without their content, without consuming something from the outside.

Think about it.

If you actually learn to get things done without needing to feel motivated first, you'd stop consuming motivational content, wouldn't you?

So they keep selling you the same recycled quotes with different fonts.

This is your there.

This is your year.

Monday is a fresh start.

Believe in yourself.

As if the problem is that you forgot these things existed.

But here's they don't tell you.

You don't need to believe in yourself to do most things, you just need to do them.

To choose to do them.

To choose to show up, to choose to take the moment, to feel the feeling of the person that you're aspiring to be, and to do it.

Motivation is optional.

Action is what actually changes things.

So what's the alternative?

What do you do instead?

Stop trying to feel motivated and start being practical.

Instead of asking, how do I get motivated?

Ask what's the smallest thing I can do right now.

Not tomorrow, not after I've had my coffee, but right now.

Instead of planning the perfect Monday, plan a realistic Monday.

What can you actually achieve with the time and energy you actually have?

Not the time and energy motivational Instagram thinks you should have.

Not the time and energy that even AI thinks you should have.

If you've ever tried putting in to AI what you should achieve today, sometimes the list is double what's actually physically possible.

So instead of consuming motivation, start consuming your own wins.

Keep track of the things you actually do, not what you plan to do.

Because progress is motivating, but only if you notice it.

Look, I'm not saying motivation is evil.

Sometimes it can be really powerful.

And within those videos, you can take away that one nugget that's going to make a real difference, that's going to flick that switch to change everything.

But I'm saying that if you need it to function, you're building your life on quicksand.

Motivation moving forward comes from within.

So next Monday, try this.

Don't watch anything motivational.

Don't read any Monday motivational posts.

Just pick one thing, one actual thing, and do it before you allow yourself to consume any content about doing things.

So for me, the way that I kind of schedule my exercise routine is to get out of bed before I even think about it, put on my workout clothes and go do it.

And the point is to do it immediately so I don't talk myself out of it.

And the other thing is that I remind myself that it's a, it's a five to ten minute workout, so the time it takes me to talk myself out of it, I could have done it anyway.

So, so that is the way I do my, my morning exercise.

And yeah, I haven't done it.

I admit it.

It's about starting again and actually doing this.

This video is reminding me that that's my one thing.

That's one thing that I know I can do because I've.

I did it for two years without stopping and I can do it again.

So I guarantee you'll get more done and feel better about yourself if you choose that one thing and you do it not because you're motivated, because you're actually moving forward.

Right?

That's your uncomfortable truth for today.

Next week in Monday myth busting, we'll be talking about why your weekend habits reveal about your real priorities.

And trust me, you're not going to like it, but you'll probably need to hear it.

I'll be back on Wednesday, but until then, stop getting ready to get ready and just start.

Have an amazing Monday.

Over and out from Heather at the Choosing Happy Podcast.

Thank you so much for taking the time to listen to this week's episode.

If you enjoyed it or think it would be valuable to others, please do share.

And if you really enjoyed it, please leave me a review.

It really helps the podcast.

All of the links are in the show notes and I look forward to seeing you next week on the Choosing Happy Podcast.