After we’ve found our motivation, how do we stay on top
of it? Maybe you’re trying to get fit, lose weight, or start your own business.
Maybe you’re trying to do several things at once.
Getting motivated and inspired is the first step of a
goal. We start going to the gym for the first week, set a schedule, make plans
and things go smoothly at first. Soon after the enthusiasm begins fading and it
becomes easy to end up at abandoning your goal.
These are some ways I found useful to stay on top of your
goals, whatever they might be:
# 1:
Start on easy goals – all goals take time and effort, and trying
to accomplish more than three or four at a time is more than most people
can. Try and pick your most important
goals, and remember everything takes time. A good strategy is choosing goals
that can relate to another (eg. If you’re trying to get fit, it may be a good
idea to have a secondary goal of trying to eat healthier, whereas if you’re
number one goal is to write a book, it may not be a good idea to work on
starting a business at the same time).
#2
Think ahead – one reason why we might not accomplish our
goals is because we fail to prepare. You may have heard the saying: “if you
fail to prepare, prepare to fail”. It’s extremely easy to make excuses to give
up on goals such as going to the gym and getting fit due to social events
getting in the way.
Look at your schedule/agenda over the next few
days/months and ask yourself: “Is there anything that might cause
problems/conflict with my goals and schedule?” If you know that weekend you may
be going away, you might plan on going to the gym on Monday and Wednesday
instead of Monday and Friday. If your friend is throwing a big party and you’re
on a diet, you may want to save your “cheat day” for this occasion.
#3
Start good habits – a habit starts by constant
repetition. We wake up and brush our
teeth and shower regularly, these are habits we developed and are considered a
normal part of our day. When it comes to starting a new good habit, it can be
difficult but definitely achievable.
Let’s say we’re trying to get fit, finding a way to add
exercise to our daily routine may help you achieve that. For instance, if you
struggle to find time to exercise, you may consider biking to work, and a few
push-ups when you wake up and a few before you head to bed. By developing good
habits you’ll find it much easier to make progress.
#4
Keep track – when you’ve been working on your goal for a long time,
it may feel like you have not made any improvement. If you look all the way
back from the start, a few weeks, few months ago, you will often be surprised
how far you’ve come. Whether you’ve lost one pound or five pounds, increased
from 10 pushups to 15 pushups, it’s still an accomplishment you should be proud
of.
A good way to keep track is by keeping a log or journal
and writing down all your achievements, big or small, at the end of each week
or month, or just recording statistics (eg. Body fat percentage). It’s not so
important how you keep track but just doing so keeps you going. You may just
want to take a picture of yourself at the end of each month and compare month 1
with month 5.
#6
Seek support and Encouragement – it’s easier to stay on
track when you’re surrounded by positivity. Try and associate with people who
have the same goals in mind as you or friends, family, or colleagues who
encourage you towards your goal.
Find groups that have the same people seeking that same
goal you want to accomplish. Eg. Join a book club, find a gym class or dieting
club. These should provide you with the opportunity to meet people with similar
interests and goals who you can share enthusiasm and offer support and
Encouragement.
Image Source: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1243015
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