I've identified 3 general ways to stay motivated, with options for each - so that you can harness your drive and WHY power, not rely so much on willpower to get you through.
Daily Focus
One of the most common challenges I hear people cite is a lack of focus. It seems everyone
thinks they are abnormally easily distracted, and many joke they have a touch of attention deficit. I've got news for you- that is average. We are wired for survival, so we are constantly aware and often distracted by things around us. When we see movement, we look. When we are worried, we ruminate, waste energy, and lose sleep. However, you can train yourself to be more focused over time. Many experts suggest a daily meditation practice but frankly while it works wonders, most of us simply won't commit. Therefore, I've identified a few no-brainers to help you achieve daily focus on your goals (benefits are too numerous to list here!):
thinks they are abnormally easily distracted, and many joke they have a touch of attention deficit. I've got news for you- that is average. We are wired for survival, so we are constantly aware and often distracted by things around us. When we see movement, we look. When we are worried, we ruminate, waste energy, and lose sleep. However, you can train yourself to be more focused over time. Many experts suggest a daily meditation practice but frankly while it works wonders, most of us simply won't commit. Therefore, I've identified a few no-brainers to help you achieve daily focus on your goals (benefits are too numerous to list here!):
1. Read your goal daily. Ideally you will also write your goal and reflect upon how great it will be once you've achieved it- but on days when time is tight do this: Wherever it is that you've written down your goal, just take a look at it once daily.
2. Identify 3 small things you can do today that take you step by step closer to achieving your goal. You can do this every morning while brushing your teeth, on the drive into work, or take a few minutes for a "calibration" appointment.
Establish Triggers
Think about how certain smells trigger memories, or certain songs on the radio put you in a mood, good or bad. A trigger is a random reminder about something. You can purposely implement triggers to think about your goal in a positive way. I suggest using regular daily routines, items, patterns so that your triggers occur more frequently, thus reminding you of your goal. (One note of caution: be sure the triggers evoke a positive response and are not stressing you out about getting it done. Also, remember that you choose how you feel about something and can always shift your perspective.)
Some examples:
3. Use a Goal Card placed in your wallet so that you see it every time you open your wallet, or use it as a bookmark for your daily reading, or put it in your car's sun visor or cup holder.
4. Leave yourself a voice-mail message with your Goal Statement (affirmative present tense) so you hear it every time you check messages.
5. Listen to inspiring, motivating audio as you're driving around.
6. Use memo or pop-up reminder functions in your smartphone or on your computer.
7. Set some of your passwords to goal-related word/number combinations so that you think of the goal every time you enter your password.
Accountability Structure
We all know keeping promises to someone else works better than making a promise to yourself- especially if there is no one asking about it or no deadline. To help you achieve your goals by a desired time-frame or to keep your intentions and change habits by a certain date, find a person or persons you trust and set up a basic structure and system for accountability. Talk with them about goals, tasks, commitments, and progress either weekly or biweekly via phone, email, or in person.
8. Identify someone you trust and have good rapport with to be your peak-performance or accountability partner; this includes hiring a professional coach.
9. Join a group that includes a measure of accountability, such as a "MasterMind" group for professional or personal development, bible study, or similar group.
Suggested Action Steps and Resources:
*Take a look at your top goal(s) and identify the most simple way to review it daily (consider the Goal Achieving Guide)
*Establish positive/affirmative statements in the present tense for each goal (Woo-Hoo! I increased my income 10% and booked that family trip to Sarasota! I can feel the sand between my toes and the sun warming my face!")
*Determine 1 or more triggers that may work for you (consider the Goal Card!)
*Start thinking about who you can trust to help you stay on track, or find a local coach!
Get After It!