Setting goals is not enough, you must have the motivation to stay at it until you reach the finish line however that does not happen automatically. There is a difference between knowing how to act and being motivated to act. When you discover specific high personal goals for yourself, you need to reflect at a level of detail that provides an obvious connection to what are your values in life and what you care about the most.
Knowing why the goal matters to you is essential because this information is not only useful at the beginning when you’re developing a plan but also during the course and progress towards your goal when challenges arise. You must be aware and continuously remind yourself of the connection between specific day-to-day behaviors and the larger goal by linking the behaviors with your values. This will effectively overcome any obstacles in your way. And yes, when you set realistic goals, it is essential to identify common obstacles that may appear. These can be external factors such as the pressure at work, at home, from a family member, or internal factors, such as previous failed attempts at health Improvement as a result with the outcome of a lack of confidence or a negative mindset.
Here are a few steps and tips on how you can find your true motivation:
- Understand Your Why
“The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.” – Mark Twain
Understand your purpose and it will fuel your drive. If I told you that you need to sort through a bag of white beans and throw away the rotten ones, would you feel a strong sense of purpose? Probably not so much. But what if I told you that by sorting out the bad beans you are helping the local charity in supplying food to needy families in the area? Would that change your perspective and your sense of purpose in work? Now that you understand the purpose of the work, does it potentially change your attitude or perhaps even your choice of action? I’m not here to dictate what your purpose is. Everyone’s got a different definition based on their experiences in life and their own set of values. What I want you to ask yourselves is: What does purpose mean to me? This is how you find your why. What motivates you to make a difference.
- Stay Focused on the Big Picture
“Create the highest, grandest vision possible for your life, because you become what you believe.” – Oprah Winfrey
I have to warn you: There will be days when tasks feel repetitive, or when you feel like you have 100 things to do on your checklist. There are also those days when you’re just plain irritated. The easy thing to do is to feel frustrated and give up. However, you could stay focused on the big picture and your why, your motivation has to be strong enough to make that happen.
- Have an Accountability Buddy
“Surround yourself with people who push you, who challenge you, who make you laugh, who make you better, who make you happy.” – Anonymous
Let’s say you set a goal of helping 100 new clients within the next year. Now, share that goal with some of your closest friends and colleagues. Guess what? You’ve just signed up for peer pressure. This is an external great way to keep yourself motivated. Don’t believe me? Just wait until you hear someone a few months from now say, “How are you doing in your goal of 100 new clients?”
- Have the Time of Your Life
“There’s no fun in a perfect life. So make a risk. Take a chance. Go where the wind takes you. Have fun.” – Jenny C.
If you’re having fun, if you love what you’re doing, you’re going to be more motivated to do great work. I believe this to be true for the majority of the people. Do you notice that when you’re having fun, you’re more charismatic, upbeat, and optimistic? Do you notice that you’re more productive when you’re actually enjoying the work?
- Meditate
“Meditation is not a means to an end. It is both the means and the end.” – Jiddu Krishnamurti
We live in a world of information overload. Because of that, our brains sometimes get overstimulated, and that’s not a good thing. That’s why we need to meditate. Calm down. Close your eyes. Lie down. Okay fine, you’re probably sitting in front of a computer – just sit up straight then. Breathe slowly, in and out. Do you feel a sense of calm washing over you? Do you notice thoughts starting to creep in? Push them out and focus only on your breathing. Meditation will help you motivate yourself in a few different ways:
- Focus – By clearing your mind, you’ll have a renewed sense of focus. · Happiness – By meditating, you’ll likely feel happier since your stress will be reduced. When we’re happy, we tend to be more optimistic about the future. That optimism can often be a very powerful motivational force.
- Visualize the Future and Go Make it Happen
Need motivation? Think about what you’re going to achieve. Think about the impact you’re going to make. Think of the future you’re going to create. Visualize it. Then go make it happen!
