On Netflix, Cheetos and Twinkies: Where do we begin when the quarantine couch beckons us?

When the draw of habits that we want to shake off becomes a gravitational force in our lives, we may want to take a closer look at why the habits are there in the first place.

To achieve this, we need to delve a bit deeper into what moved us and what drew us in that direction.

The concept of motivation is curious because, at the surface level, it seems familiar and tangible to us, yet we have trouble grappling with it and what lies beneath the hood in our minds.

The etymology of the word motive, derived from the old French word motif, means to move. Motif can also be used to express a recurring theme, idea, and subject. This may be a clue as to what lies behind our motives.

Recurring themes in our thoughts, emotions and behaviours are linked to beliefs, values, and experiences developed and formed throughout our lives.

A state of habitual inertia can at times feel impossible to augment, and can make you feel like Phil in the film Groundhog day. However, there are techniques and skills one can employ to align oneself with one's motives.

With the following suggestions, I recommend taking incremental steps in the direction you would like to go and aiming low. Aiming low was a tactic used by the ancient stoics to develop new habits in their daily lives. For example, someone who wants to implement a 25 minute daily meditation into their lives could start with a 5 minute daily meditation. What is important is to set realistic, easily achievable goals initially, to allow the habit to form.

1. Mindfulness

The habit of being mindful in real time, just for a minute or even a few seconds, is a step towards understanding your thought processes, beliefs and emotions which you are trying to appease and supplicate with behaviours each day. Just by observing them and understanding them, you will attain a better understanding of yourself, and how to choose behaviours to fulfil them that are more aligned with your aspirations.

Etching out a 5 to 20 minute daily Vipassana (insight) meditation ritual will help you get into this mindset.

1. Taking time to align behaviour with your values.

Taking some time to write down what your life values can be of great help in understanding some of your core motivations, and therefore what steps to take towards them by aligning your behaviour with them. Start with a list of 5 values you have, and then link them with a simple tangible behaviour which you can implement daily. Connecting behaviours with your values will help to energise them.

1. Tying behaviour with purpose.

Taking some time to reflect and write down what one's goals can provide a sense of purpose and meaning in life, helping to forge a clearer vision on what incremental changes are required to get there.

Change is always happening: allow the ebb and flow of change to unfold in the direction you are aiming at by weaving your behaviours with your purpose. Create a small list of mini-goals that you can do daily which link to the greater picture you set out for yourself.

By forming a clearer image of our inner world through mindfulness, and by taking time to reflect on our values and purpose in life, we can create clear incremental daily steps in alignment with what moves us.