Staying motivated can be hard even under the best of circumstances. Even the most determined person can lose their enthusiasm at times. Often, we may find ourselves procrastinating without any reason. When we ponder over this, we realize that the reason for procrastinating is usually the lack of motivation. When you’re not motivated, you’re most likely to while away your time and neglect your personal and professional goals.
Once you know what you’d like to accomplish, the next step is to find the drive to do it. Below are a few tips to help you get and stay motivated.
1. Set a goal
It’s critical to know what one’s working towards to achieve it. Therefore, start off by setting goals for yourself. Make sure that your goal is specific, achievable, assessable, realistic and time-bound. Also, create a list of reasons as to why this goal is important to you and how you can achieve it. Knowing what you want and how to realize it is motivation in itself.
Visualize the result and how you would feel once you achieve it. Review your list regularly and make changes if required. If you feel lost during the journey, just take a moment, sit back and remind yourself why you chose this path in the first place.
You may get disheartened if you can’t reach unrealistic goals. Therefore, it is crucial to have realistic goals and deadlines. But this doesn’t mean you can’t push and challenge your boundaries. You definitely should! If you don’t challenge yourself, then it’s not a goal, is it?
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2. Make a Plan of Action
With the busy and distracting lifestyle that we lead, it is easy to wander away and get blown off course. Having a plan of action ensures that you stay on track and meticulously work towards your goal. It provides a lot of clarity and serves as your guide in the worst moments. Also, make checkpoints to track your progress.
Be consistent and organized. Have a strategy for every move you make. But be prepared to change course if you encounter a few minor obstacles along the way. Make a To-Do list with deadlines and stick it on the wall. This will ensure that you complete your tasks on time.
3. Reward yourself
No matter how old you are, getting a reward is always satisfying. This is a great way to motivate yourself positively and keep going. Any reward that keeps you going is the one you should be giving yourself.
A reward could be as simple as a scoop of ice cream after a week of dieting or a late night movie marathon after days of cramming.
Have you been working hard the entire month? Maybe it’s time to shop or pamper yourself with a massage. After you accomplish any big task (like cracking an aptitude exam or something), go ahead and take a vacation. I’m sure you feel burnt out, so utilize this time to relax and recover.
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4. One step at a time
Can you eat an entire burger at once? No right? But, bite after bite; you can complete a full burger. Similarly, try to achieve your goal by breaking it down into smaller tasks. Taking baby steps will help you get started. Later, you can move on and take more significant steps as you get more comfortable adhering to your action plan. The feeling of accomplishment after completing each task should itself be a tremendous motivating factor. All of this will make your goal seem a lot more manageable and far less overwhelming.
5. Take care of your health
Take good care of both, your physical and mental health. Exercising helps prevent depression and low self-esteem – both hurdles to personal motivation efforts. So, move that body. Even light physical activities improve your mood, making you feel more active and dynamic.
You need to start eating on time, and please make it a point to eat healthy foods. Junk food is quite tempting, but it isn’t right for you always. Also, get adequate sleep. Give your mind and body some rest.
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6. Avoid Negativity and Excuses
Remember that excuses will always be there for you, but opportunities won’t. So don’t procrastinate!
Motivation means not making excuses. Try not letting anything come in the way of your goals. Eliminate the negative factors. Negative thinking is a common barrier for someone working towards realizing his or her goals. So, if you start thinking that you can’t reach your goal, the chances are that you probably won’t. So, be an optimist and think positively.
Identify and get rid of distractions. Hold yourself responsible in your own eyes and the eyes of others. Telling trusted people about your plans might actually be a driving force for some. They would give their best to not be embarrassed about failing to execute the plan properly.
7. Get some support
Motivation is infectious. Try and associate yourself with like-minded and motivated individuals who are working towards the same goal. Let your friends and family know about your goal as they will be your biggest supporters and help you get through this journey.
Reach out to a counselor who can support you and give a new sense of motivation to keep you striving.
So, staying motivated is essential if you want to achieve your goal. Do keep these tips in mind and always believe that you can do it!
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