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Aimee Gallo is a Licensed Primary Sports Nutritionist and Certified Holistic Health Counselor helping people lead happier, healthier lives through nutrition, fitness, and uncovering abundant joy. She coaches in person in San Diego and nationwide by phone. Her mission is to provide unparalleled support in helping others live the best life they can imagine! She’s our guest blogger for March, and can be reached at www.vibrancenutrition.com. Thanks Aimee, and Happy Passioneering!
Staying Motivated to Live Your Passion
By Aimee Gallo
Living your passion can be a full-time job. Sometimes it requires significant amounts of overtime, and for most of us there is no time-and-a-half or honorary plaque to put on the wall. When the rewards for our work seem far away the motivation to continue can weaken.
My personal ups and downs along the way have allowed me to gather a fine set of motivational tools. These re-invigorate and reinspire me when my energy and stamina are faltering:
1) Personal Inventory: Do I need to pull the radical self-care card? Have I forgotten myself in all this? If my cup isn’t full, I cannot be the support and encouragement my clients count on. The first thing is to take a moment and self-reflect on what I am feeling and what I need. It may be as simple as extra sleep or emotional support from a friend or it may be something more monumental – like reorganizing my business to accommodate who I am as a person now versus when I started. Sometimes the answers come right away and sometimes I need to sit and allow them to percolate. But first, first we must ask the question. To assist with this, I keep a list of things that invigorate me that I can refer to when I get overwhelmed. Journaling and running also release stuck mental blocks and allow space for my creative brain to find solutions.
2) I look to my own sources of inspiration to find the drive to continue. Who refused to give up? Abraham Lincoln, Colonel Sanders, my father, Oprah Winfrey, Mohandas Gandhi…read a biography, talk to someone in the field you admire, or consider the alternative – giving up your dreams (unthinkable!) and let this pull you up.
3) Take a trip down memory lane: What have you already weathered? How was it worth it? How did you feel when you first began? What initially inspired you? Your own story can serve as a powerful motivator. As the author, you determine which direction the story now takes and how it unfolds. What will you choose?
4) Watch your Mouth: How is your self-talk? When you say, “I can’t do this” or “This is too much” you do not give your infinitely creative subconscious permission to find an answer. Switch your mentality to “How can I make this work?” “What is it that inspires me?” and brainstorm with others as needed for answers.
It’s perfectly normal to have your passion and inspiration wax and wane; none of us can be 100% all the time! When you find yourself struggling, reach both internally and externally for support and motivation to continue living your dreams. It’s not how you do on any given day (or week, or month…) but how authentic and true you are over the journey of your life. May your travels be exciting, rewarding, and abundant!
Aimee Gallo is a Passioneer® inspired by forests, glitter, and how her own body functions. She coaches others on living the best life they can imagine for themselves through food, exercise, and radical self care. She loves to share stories of others’ successes as tools to motivate. To reach her, visit www.vibrancenutrition.com or call (206) 227-1231[/private][/private]
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