What are your dreams for the future? How do you see yourself ten years from now? Would you like to be some place else? Would you like to try something different, or to accomplish a goal or dream?
What drives us to want a new circumstance? The answer is growth. We are all programmed internally to want to grow, to mature, and to better ourselves and our environment. Life is a journey, but you control your destination. Here are seven ways to do just that.
Set a goal. Without a goal it is easy to confuse activity with accomplishment. There is no direction without something to aim for and it is easy to get lost, confused and tired without direction. Without goals, there’s no way to measure success.
An ancient proverb says, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Success starts with taking one small step toward your goal. Goals can be immediate or long-term. If you get overwhelmed easily, it’s helpful to have both immediate and long-term goals. Pick daily, weekly and monthly goals, and reevaluate your goals periodically to make sure they’re still in line with your desired outcome.
Reward good performance. If you’ve met your goals for a period of time, set a reward for yourself and schedule it on your calendar. It could be something material, such as buying yourself a gift, or psychological, such as going out with a friend. It might be that motivation you need to take the first step toward accomplishing your goal.
Envision yourself at the end of your goal. If you picture yourself just as you desire your outcome to be, your chance of success will be greater. Be detailed and don’t limit yourself-picture yourself exactly as you want to be after you are through. If you see success in your mind, you are more than halfway there.
Tell someone your goal. Both envisioning yourself at the end of your goal and telling someone your goal aligns your mind for success. If you verbalize what you desire to happen, your mind begins to anticipate it and prepare for it. Telling someone also holds you accountable. They may ask you about your progress, which will trigger you to work harder toward the goal in order to have a positive report to tell them.
Find like minds. If you are around motivated people, they will influence you in a positive way. However, the same holds true for apathetic or unmotivated people. Choose your influences and meet with them regularly.
See yourself as a work in progress. Improvement comes only to those who try to improve.
Keep it realistic. If your goals overwhelm you, break them down into more reasonable chunks and work on them first. For example, if you want to lose 40 pounds, that number may seem intimidating and daunting. Breaking it down into 5 pound increments sounds much easier and less discouraging. Small victories lead to major triumphs.
Many times people use their circumstances as an excuse for not meeting their goal. Outside circumstances such as kid’s activities or sickness can’t always be controlled, but there are two other things that drive success; motivation and goals. Even if circumstances can’t be changed, goals can be changed and motivation can be increased. Circumstances may seem like a stumbling block, but if you work within your circumstance and have a clear vision of what you want in your future, you will succeed, guaranteed.
1 Comment
The best way I motivate myself to exercise is to put the mental benefits first. I know I’m also after the physical benefits, but they take some time before showing up. The mental benefits, specifically the feelings of happiness I get during and after a workout, come right away. I tell myself, “I want to be happy and the best way to feel that way immediately is to exercise.” So, that’s what I do every morning. I exercise to feel happy. There’s no better way to motivate myself than that!