Hi friends,

The last few years have really squashed people’s ability to charge forward in life. I’m very specific about that language. It’s not that they’re not doing things or accomplishing things, they absolutely are. People are back to the gym, back to yoga studios, back to work. People in general seem to be doing better than they were 2 years ago. There’s less fear and anxiety. There’s less apathy. They’re ok. They’re good. But they’re not charging forward in the way that they used to. It’s a particular kind of motivation packed with clarity of action, a vision for the future and that kind of momentum that’s exciting to run with, you know the feeling?

I’m noticing some pretty “safe” goals these days.

Comfort goals. Small, easily reachable goals (and don’t get me wrong these are good to have).

They’re just not stretching us in the way we need to in order to grow.

The world is stretching. Things are getting harder, more expensive, more challenging and
I think it’s necessary to keep challenging ourselves to rise to the occasion.

To upgrade our circumstances and stretch ourselves each and every day.

Here’s an example for you. Truth be told, I got a little chunky during covid. I moved my body every single day but my 90 minute power yoga practices turned into 60 minute flow sessions, then 30 minute light stretches pretty fast. I used to workout on top of that too. I maintained a short workout every now and then but honestly it was the bare minimum compared to what I was used to. It was all pretty comfortable and easy and I stuck with it because I knew it was good for me…..but it honestly wasn’t enough.

I found myself in a place where even with that movement, I felt heavier, out of shape, weak and my body just….hurt. Nagging joint pain, a sore lower back, stiff and weak hips.

I worked every day too but found myself spending more and more time on instagram than charging forward with big goals at work. Instead of planning large scale retreats and trainings I started to just “maintain” my business.

The result? My bank account dwindled quickly.

The idea of planning a high ticket retreat or training with endless lockdowns felt next to impossible.

The idea of selling high ticket coaching packages seemed foolish during a looming recession and sky high inflationary periods. Who would pay for my services in a time like this?

I started giving away my services for next to nothing puting my scarcity mindset on other people. I made assumptions about other people’s beliefs about money right now, made assumptions about their capabilities and made assumptions about what they needed. The result of me playing small? Clients that got in at this apocalyptic Karla sales event got support but not the charge forward energy that they would normally get if they committed (and I committed) to holding them to the highest standards possible in a professional coaching relationship. I justified this action as “I am just meant to help people right now” and that thought seemed legitimate.

But the result for them and me was not the same as it could have been had I put my scarcity blinders on and charged forward owning my service, what I could do for them, and how I could get them there.

It kind of started to kill my motivation.

I wasn’t making the kind of money I knew I was capable of and to be honest people don’t work for things in the same way when they’re not stretched or scared a little. It was a comfortable coaching scenario. And coaching my friends… is not about your comfort.

In hindsight, maybe that’s exactly what I needed to do and exactly what these wonderful people needed. Support. And I can rest at ease knowing I did my best and did it with the best of intentions.

But I know from over a decade of doing this work…….people value what they pay for. I was doing myself, and them a disservice by undervaluing the work we were going to do together.

I saw other people running retreats and selling out their coaching programs. I saw high ticket coaches going on as though nothing was happening in the world. I saw other people going ahead with their yoga teacher trainings despite the looming doom of the 2020s…..were they foolish?

Or did they have something that I didn’t?

Where did their motivation come from?

Where did their fearlessness come from?

Why weren’t they plagued with thoughts of scarcity and safety?

Personally I felt like a sloth and I wanted to play it safe.

It wasn’t the time to set big goals anymore.

But then I looked in my bank account.

Then I looked deeper at how I actually felt.

Karla……you are crushing your own motivation because of the actions you are taking (or not taking).

I pulled up my bootstraps and decided to make a different choice.

I decided that uncertainty was certain and I could decide to fail today because the world was this way…. or I could believe in a bright and prosperous future no matter what.

I started with some small steps.

I started getting up earlier (5am to be exact) and when that alarm rang I would spring out of bed so the covers wouldn’t eat me up.

I changed my morning routine to writing, meditating and working on my vision for a bright and prosperous future (instead of rolling out of bed with multiple coffees in hand scrolling through my phone).

I turned off my phone for large periods throughout the day.

I talked to my coach.

I committed to longer, harder yoga sessions and I went back to the gym to lift heavy weights.

Those small actions created motivation in me…..they didn’t come from motivation. They came from a decision that led to a small action. Those small actions became easier and easier and turned into motivation, momentum and energetic charge.

My confidence, inspiration and clarity of action grew and grew and I started feeling like my pre-pandemic boss self again.

After a while I took a BIG step.

I found the best possible coach in my industry and I committed to her method.

Her method was going to take what little I had in my bank account after losing my brick and mortar business to covid.

This was a stressful decision y’all.

But I realized I had sunk myself so deep into the comfort zone…..that it was do or die time or I would have nothing left. No wealth, energy, motivation or confidence.

So I dove in with self trust, blind faith and the decision that failure was never an option and that bright and prosperous future was here for me no matter what.

That risk I took? Stretching myself financially and way past my comfort zone (when I was already in a pinch from endless lockdowns draining my bank account) lit the necessary fire inside of me that I needed to turn this all around. It didn’t just happen. I WORKED for this friends. Even I knew this was scary. I needed that to shake myself back into reality. I needed this to take a good hard look at my actions. I needed to OWN my thoughts, moods and actions……as well the current state of my business. It was not comfortable or easy. I didn’t find motivation to do this, I made the decision to take action and those actions created the motivation in me to keep going…..and to do better.

My life and my business are completely different now.

I have never been busier.

I have never been so convicted and sure footed and unshakeable.

My financial goals are beyond what I ever would have set for myself in the past and the client’s that I am attracting are excited to show up in the same way. They are stretching themselves, able to move through discomfort and are charging forward in life and in their businesses in the exact same way.

I’m sharing this story with you all to remind you that you don’t wait for motivation to hit you before you act. You act in order to create motivation. And this all starts with a decision. A decision to focus on a vision for yourself.

We create motivation and use it as momentum that you get to ride into the future of your dreams. We get so stuck in our heads. We get stuck in our comfort. We tell a lot of stories to ourselves that encourage us to stay safe and small.

I had to take uncomfortable action when I didn’t feel like it. I had to get really clear on where I was at and own my thoughts, moods and actions. I had to trust in a long and beautiful FUTURE and let uncertainty about the world take a back seat.

I can tell you now that allowing myself to act, regardless of how I felt was exactly what I needed to do to propel myself into a bright and prosperous future. I created motivation through my small daily actions and my willingness to act regardless of my feelings.

Your feelings lie to you my friends. They’re not as helpful as you think.

As a coach I get this question/problem a lot. It sounds like this.

“How do I find the motivation to do ______?”

“I’m not motivated.”

“I lose motivation.”

“Help me stay motivated.”

I am not an accountability coach.

I am the mirror that reflects you to you.

YOU have everything you need inside of you to do what you need.

You have everything you need inside of you to create motivation and momentum.

No one can do that for you.

A coach just helps you tap into that inner knowing.

Then you take the reins.

If you’re listening to this and are thinking……”yeah, I AM a little too comfortable right now.”

Or “I’m not really doing those things that I want to accomplish.”

If you’re feeling pretty good but also like the past few years sucked your fire and motivation to do big things I have three easy things for you to do right now.

Check in with your energy (not your feelings). Feel what’s in your body. Is there something in you that feels snuffed out….something that’s pent up and dying to get released and make something already….or something that feels just dense. Get honest with yourself about what you’re doing to create this energy in you.

What’s the next best step to upgrade your energy? Do you need to turn off the doom and gloom news and go outside? Is it time to move your body again? Do you need to drop the daily wine habit? Think micro.

Create a BIG vision for yourself and create your daily practices around that vision. We change over time, not all at once. You ARE your daily practices so show up and act like the person you want to be today in some small way….each and every day.

If you want to be the person that makes change in the world, or is prosperous, or a thought leader or an artist then start doing small things each and every day that THAT person would do. What daily practices would lead you to that vision? Is it daily writing, daily movement, daily conscious steps towards working on your business? Keep moving, even when you don’t feel like it. It’s the only way through.

Look, you’re not going to shift things overnight but you will over time if you just keep moving forward. If you’re in a funk right now, just stick to these three simple steps. You’ll start building brick by brick the confidence to start taking big and bold steps that will move you faster into that bright and prosperous future.

Screw uncertainty. Screw waiting around for motivation. You have action……and it’s all you need.

With grace and grit,

Karla Joy Treadway