You know that thing that you really want to do, but can’t muster up the motivation to get going?

Using social support is a research-based strategy for getting over the inertia to start something and the waiting motivation to keep it up.

The nonprofit organization GirlTREK is a shining example of this. They use social support as the backbone to change the lives of a global community

A Movement to Create Movement

GirlTECK is committed to helping African American women exercise. According to their website, African American women are 20% less likely to engage in physical activity. GirlTREK points to that stat as a leading cause of health issues for African American women.

GirlTREK set out to get women into the movement. So they started one. They encouraged women to start walking in groups around their neighborhood for at least 30 minutes. They found a few women to start walking together and those women encouraged other women to get involved and walk with them.

The group first organized in 2010. Just 10 years later in 2020, GirlTREK welcomed their 1 millionth member. Because of the social network of doing this together, it gets and keeps people moving.

The exercise piece is outstanding, yet the organization found they are working on much deeper issues. They noted through the social support network of GirlTREK, it’s not only changing health, it’s also helping to “heal intergenerational traumas, fight systemic and transform Black lives.” They realized that through the mechanism of social support, groups of women are engaged in a healing journey from the inside out.

Today, GirlTREK represents 7% of the population of African American women.

Social support creates a community environment to take action, because it builds upon our desire to be part of a tribe and fall-in-line with what the tribe does. Naturally, that applies peer pressure to get you into action and keep up with the group.

How to use social support

To use others and “crowdsource” motivation, it’s quite simple. Find a group that is consistently engaged in the activity that you want to do. Use the baked-in accountability to provide the motivation you need.

There needs to be a sense that you don’t want to let the people in the group down by not participating.

To take advantage of the strategy as a leader, ensure that the group itself and the people in the group are the draw. The activities are done consistently and there is always someone to lean on to keep everyone motivated to be involved everyday and act as evangelists for recruiting new people.

Bottom line is social support works when there’s consistency and accountability to do the things that you want to do. Find or create that group and use the power of social support to motivate you to take the actions that you already know it’s time to take.