Forget motivation: Will and Way are the true habit-changers

Motivation is not going to change your habits.

Certainly not on its own.

Humans are funny creatures, we often wait until something is intolerable before we decide enough is enough.

Then, we expect that just wanting that thing badly enough will undo years of self-perpetuating routines and mental loops.

But that's why most people never keep their new year's resolution beyond January.

They have the motivation, but they lack the Will and the Way.

So that precious motivation fizzles like a balloon with a sad little hole in it.

Slowly shrinking until it's nothing more than a shapeless reminder of our dreams...

But back to Will and Way.

Would you like to meet them?

HI, I'M WILL! I CAN'T WAIT TO HELP YOU!!!

Will is eager.

Will is the engine that doesn't stop.

Will wants to help you reach your dreams.

But Will needs to know that you want this dream more than anything else.

That's because Will runs on a single track.

A powerful train that will cover large distances, but doesn't steer 'left' or 'right' for the scenic tour.

Will is all about your end destination (the dream).

You can help Will by answering these questions:

• What makes this dream more important than the reality you're in right now?
• What would it help you achieve that you wouldn't be able to now?
• What is the cost of waiting another day, another month or another year?
• What do you stand to gain when you reach your destination?
• How will you know it's time to get started?

The last question is a cheeky one. Because there is rarely a 'right' time to start. The answer is usually now because starting new habits will come with many false starts or restarts, so why put it off any longer?

Will knows this.

Will keeps going despite these challenges because you've given Will the destination (your dream) and there's no stopping this tooting, high-speed train.

But hold on.

How does Will know... wait for it... the Way?!

HI, I'M WAY. DO YOU TRUST ME? TAKE MY HAND.

If Will is the engine, Way is the map and the compass.

Way wants you to know you're in safe hands.

Way is all about the progress, not the destination.

There's no such thing as failure in Way's world, only the joy of experimentation and learning.

Every time Will gets to a new stop, Way reassesses the route.

Are we still heading in the right direction?

Are we covering enough ground?

Should we go faster or slower?

Does the train need any maintenance?

Are the tracks coming up safe to cross?

Way is your guardian angel, watching over the journey to keep you both safe and energised enough to stay committed to the long haul.

Here's what Way wants from you:

• What could go wrong on your way to your destination (your dream)?
• How will you face these obstacles and give yourself the best chance of persevering?
• How will you remind yourself of how important your destination is, compared with the intermittent struggles?
• If Will needs a break to refuel, how will you use that time to stay focused on your dream? Can you take the time to sit and reflect on your progress and lessons learned so you can keep going stronger than ever?
• Are you ready to let go of the '0 to 100' mentality? Even with the highest-speed train, Will has to make several stops and take time to refuel. Way wants to know you won't be yelling 'are we there yet' every time there's an unplanned stop or scheduled break.
• What if progress today looked different from progress yesterday or tomorrow? What's more important to you in the long term? Is it about getting to your destination as fast as possible at all costs... or a sustainable pace that keeps you going once you get there?

With Way and Will connected, the dream is unstoppable. Purpose, patience and perseverance. That's the dynamic duo's gift to us.

Will and Way help us see that we don't get back up because we're motivated.

We get back up when times get tough because:

• (Purpose) We care more about what we have to gain (the dream) rather than what we stand to lose (the intermittent struggles and setbacks)... all because we're so clear on how it will make our lives better than the reality we're in.
• (Patience) We have the wisdom and experience of moving through progress to know that false starts and restarts are a natural part of the new habit-forming journey. The rewards are not in perfecting each step, but rather the undeniable momentum we are building towards our dream.
• (Perseverance) We use our wins and lessons learned to propel us ever onwards, not backward. We don't stand still unless we're reflecting. We don't stagnate because we refocus on what's ahead and double down on reaching our dreams, not on obsessing over our intermittent (and transient) struggles.

Can you see how Will and Way can help you?

What a powerful and unstoppable duo :)

Try them out the next time you want to create a new habit!

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