The Most Important Part Of Improving Yourself – Staying Motivated

We can all agree that staying motivated during the way to carry out tasks is crucial, as without the motivation the chance of actually finishing the task is tremendously decreasing. Just think of all the people with their New Year’s resolutions about going to the gym. In the first weeks of january you can see a lot of them attending to train on a daily basis but what about November or any other time of the year? The gym’s are less crowded. Why? Because people set out a big goal but failed to maintain their motivation in the long run. This applies to every aspect of life. If you want to be successful and happy, you just have to stay motivated.

The good thing about the above mentioned is that we are not born to be motivated about anything. We choose to be motivated. Here are the most important rules that I have set for myself in the past and truly helped.

1/6 Break down your goals

It might sound like a cliché, you hear it everywhere. But yes, you hear it everywhere because it is true. If you set a major long-term goal without breaking it down along the way, you will find yourself working without the feeling of accomplishment. In the contrary if you break down the process into smaller chunks of actions, you will not only have a better overview of the whole project, but you will feel satisfied once reaching a target. After breaking down your goals time management can help you achieve them efficiently.

2/6 Get to know your reasons

There will always be tasks that you hate. Create a list of reasons that will motivate you along the way. This will help you cope with these tasks, as focusing on them will help you maintain your motivation.

3/6 Make it fun

Every time you are facing a task that you don’t like ask yourself the question: “How could I make this more enjoyable?”. Even if it means making it a bit more time-consuming in the long run it will pay off. Adding small value on a daily basis can achieve great things.

4/6 Reward yourself

In my opinion this can be the hardest part. People are so focused on the big goals that they feel that they shouldn’t be rewarded for the small accomplishments, as they are natural. Rewarding yourself intentionally after the completion of every small chunk will program your brain to crave for progress. Just make sure that the rewards and the tasks are proportional.

5/6 Stay Accountable

If noone is supervising you, make sure that you share your goals and progress with someone on a regular basis.On the one hand, his will help you stay honest with yourself as you will have to report to someone. On the other hand it will also help you staying motivated as there will always be someone who you can share your achievements with.

6/6 Have a plan for when your motivation is down

Even if you are using all the methods mentioned above there will be times when you will lack motivation. This is part of the human nature. Be prepared for these periods with some activities that you know will motivate you. My recipe is some films about people fighting against the odds and winning.

As you can see staying motivated is your choice. I would recommend looking at it as a lifestyle and building it into your daily habits. You will accomplish more and feel better. People around you will realize this and will want to spend more time with you. Motivation is the root of everything.

Sources

The Mission Podcasts – How to Stay Insanely Self-Motivated, According to Science
Forbes – How To Stay Motivated And Accomplish Anything
Lifehack – How to Stay Motivated and Reach Your Big Goals in Life