FINDING THE MOTIVATION TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS
Staying motivated is one of the biggest challenges I face on a daily basis. My To-Do list is usually packed with a whole bunch of tasks that need completing. However, sometimes no matter how great my list is I find myself lounging on the coach, scoffing down Oreos and eagerly watching the latest episode of TrueBlood. Ultimately getting nothing done. When it comes to becoming motivated and staying that way I am one of those people who has to actively make an effort. I have to force myself to be productive otherwise I get lazy. This is why as the years have passed I have developed a few tips and tricks to keeping myself motivated and ultimately achieving what I want to. Don’t get me wrong I don’t always abide by my own rules/guidelines and have spent many a night studying until the am because procrastination go the better of me (Damn Reddit!) but these tricks do help me out 90% of the time and help me achieve what I want to.
* MAKES GOALS
Why do you want to become motivated? What do you want to achieve? Whether it’s dropping a dress size, getting a degree or saving for a new car you need to determine what you want to achieve. Everyone has goals no matter how small they are and determining what they are is the first step to achieving them. So write a list, get researching do what ever you have to do to determine what it is you want to achieve in the short and long term.
* REALISTICALLY DETERMINE HOW TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS
So now that you know what you want to achieve you need to determine how you can do so. I like to start off by creating a mind map. A list or Pinterest Board works too. But the key is to find what works for YOU! When it comes to tackling your goals it’s best to take baby steps and be realistic, especially when it comes to timeframes. Yes, loosing 30kg is doable, but giving yourself 3 months to do and scheduling in 5 hours of exercise a day isn’t realistic (or healthy for that matter). It’s best to start off small and build yourself up. Remember it takes 21-30 days to break a habit and adapt a new routine. So don’t rush yourself. If you are reasonable with your goals and timeframes you are less likely to fail. And even if you do fail, who cares?! Try again and again. As C.S Lewis said ” Failures are the finger posts on the road to achievement”.
* REINFORCE YOUR GOALS
It’s easy to become distracted and forget about what you want to achieve or put your goals on the back burner of everyday life. This is why it is important to reinforce your goals. Whether it be by following a fit-spiration page on Instagram to help keep you motivated to exercise or someone on Twitter who’s in your dream career just to remind you that all that study will be worth it. I personally like to surround myself with the work of designers I love. Not only do I find looking at their works inspiring but they remind me of what I want to achieve. Plus how cool it is to think that maybe one day something I have created is hanging on someone else’s wall inspiring them. Find what stimulates you and inspires (cheesy I know!).
* ENLIST THE HELP OF FRIENDS/FAMILY
The support of your friends and family is one of your greatest assets. Friends and family have the ability to help you out when you need it and give that little bit of encouragement you may need to keep going. If you share alike goals with a friend of family member it’s a great idea to work together to achieve them. Whether that means exercising together, study dates or allowing yourself to be be called out when you find yourself in a motivation slump scrolling for hours on Facebook.
* SCHEDULE IN DOWN TIME
I have mentioned this before, but the importance of taking care of yourself is of the paramount to success. In order to be productive and motivated you need to make sure you are taking care of yourself not just physically but mentally as well. This means allowing yourself time to relax. Taking the time to relax will help relieve stress and allow yourself to live in the moment for a little bit and appreciate day to day life, not just what the future brings. So no matter how goal orientated you become, take the time to relax and indulge in a little me time. Trust me it’s well worth it. I also find allowing myself time to relax helps eliminate bouts of procrastination or me from drifting off when things start to get a tad tedious, like staring at code.
Do you have any tips and tricks to staying motivated? If so feel free to share them in the comments sections, I’d love the hear them!
If you liked this article you may enjoy my “Guide to Balancing Work, Study & Play“.
