I'd like to share with you 5 of the ways I keep myself motivated, 5 ways that you can use to keep yourself on track with your goals.
The dictionary defines the word motivate as; "to stimulate toward action"
We all have things that we want out of life, some people call them goals and some call them dreams. But whatever you call them it's not just enough to have them, we all need something to motivate us to achieve them and something that will stimulate us toward action!
1. Have a goal wall.
I started doing this about 15 years ago; I would print out each of my goals onto a piece of paper and display them on my wall. Usually in front of my desk or someplace I'd see them every day.
Not just an arbitrary goal like; I want to lose weight, no a specific goal, clearly defined as to what I want. Like " I want to lose 10lbs". Now you know precisely what it is you want. The problem is we all "want" things or "wish" for things in life. So why not change the wording a bit and make it; "I will lose 10lbs". Now it's not a "want" or a "need to" anymore, it's a fact. I WILL lose 10lbs.
But why not take it even further? State the goal as if it's already happened! "I have lost 10lbs". Now it's a foregone conclusion, it's going to happen.
And now set a deadline for this goal "As of Sept 15, 2011 I HAVE lost 10 pounds". That is a clearly defined goal, you know the exact amount of weight you will lose and you know the exact date you'll do it by!
I'll stick these to my wall in my office as a motivator to myself of what I'm going to be accomplishing in the next few months, weeks or even days. It's great, especially if a deadline is coming up and I'm not quite there yet, I now know I've got to get my butt in gear!
Once you've completed a goal don't throw it away. Put a big old check mark across it and put off to the side on the wall. Now if you're ever staring at your goal wall feeling a bit overwhelmed, you can motivate yourself by seeing all the goals you've already gotten done!
2. Tell a good friend about your goal.
This can be a work buddy, your best friend, a relative or your spouse. Let them know what you want to do and when you're going to do it by. Let them help you achieve this goal by giving encouragement and support. They'll also be there to remind you about your goals. Especially if it's something they want to do as well. They want to see if you can do it! And you can use that to inspire them and motivate them as well. If it's possible maybe the both of you can work on this goal together, motivating each other. Like having a workout buddy, you hold each other responsible for showing up to the gym on time!
3. Tell a "not-so-good" friend about your goal.
Find somebody you who's a little "snarky", someone who likes to remind people of their failures. Tell them your goals and when you're going to complete them. But be careful, because they'll probably tell you that you won't be able to do that. And remember that old quote from Henry Ford "whether you think you can do something or you think you can't...you're right!"
The great thing about this type of person is they will take great pleasure in reminding you of your lofty goals. "So John, how's that little goal of yours coming along?" They do this because most people are a lot of talk and no action. And they'll be like "oh, yeah I forgot about that..."
But if you're the kind of people I know you are, you can take great pleasure in saying to them "oh that goal? I'm almost done with it as a matter of fact I'll be getting there much sooner than I expected" To which they'll respond; "oh....well isn't that nice?".
4. Reward yourself.
Have a reward for yourself for when you complete your goal, you deserve it! Sort of the whole carrot and the stick method, you've got something that you really want and it can be yours. Maybe it's one of your goals and you can combine two of them together as a motivator. For instance you want to go on a cruise for vacation and you want to lose 10 pounds. The cruise can be your reward for losing the weight!
Now you've accomplished 2 of your goals at the same time because they both complement each other.
5. Put up positive and motivational quotes to inspire you.
I love quotes; I've got several books full of them on different topics from all sorts of people. My favorite ones I'll print out, like the goal sheets and put up on my wall. I don't have a lot of room in my office for photographs, there's too much motivation going on! I've probably got 6 quotes right now in my office and I'll change them from time to time. And even though they are there, day after day, every once in a while one of the quotes will ring true with me at that point in time. Something's going on in my life at that very moment that this one quote is so perfect for and it really inspires me.
5 things that you can do to motivate yourself;
Have a goal wall
Tell a good friend about your goals
Tell a not-so-good friend about them
Reward yourself for achieving your goals
Display positive and motivation quotes.
Now here's the key thing...do it! You've read the article, you know what to do, now it's time to take some action! Keep yourself motivated and you'll be surprised at what you get done.
Fred Moore is a Speaker, Entertainer, Author and Bald-Guy! His passion is providing companies and people with the resources to "get things done!". Check out http://www.moorefred.com/ to find out how you can get Unique, Professional Entertainment for Worry-Free Events.
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