3 easy ways to motivate towards a goal
It is important we set goals for our self so we can keep moving forward, challenging our self and improving our self. If you have a goal you would like to achieve, planning is important. The better the planning, the better the outcome - why you might ask? It is because through the planning, you have lay out ideas, thought about possible hurdles, and planned for different situations.
However, when you have set your goal, it is sometimes difficult to get moving towards completing the goals, or perhaps you have had a good start towards your goal, but now have relapsed (stopped) and would like to get back towards achieving the goal.
Here are three basic tips to help you get moving and motivated towards your goal.
START SMALL
Is it not better to do SOMETHING than to be doing NOTHING?
Is it the thought that is more effort than the actual task?
Did you know that by doing a task without thinking about it, the task is easier than if you spend time thinking about it?
Start with small tasks, maybe the tedious or quick jobs. This is like getting the ball rolling, and once the ball is rolling, it is more difficult to stop.
- For example –
* if your goal is for exercise – start doing basic exercises, or just walking around the block or a short walk, walk to the local shop for some milk, or at work take a short walk with a colleague
* if your goal is for a work item such as a presentation – start doing all the layout things, put in a border, make a title, add some pictures, scribble perhaps some ideas. Basically, doodling skeleton idea of the presentation and what it will look like.
SET WEEKLY GOALS
There is no benefit in starting small, walking around the block on Monday, and then by Friday still trying to get yourself to walk around the block again.
Set for yourself a weekly goal, something you feel will be achievable. Make it a bit of challenge so you push yourself, otherwise it may be filed away in the boring box.
It is important that this weekly goal is put down on paper, in big bold writing (NOT computer printing) and placed somewhere that will catch your eye OFTEN. The physical act of writing something down, makes it according to the expression “set in stone”, rather than just thinking of it. This moves the idea from fantasy land, into the real world.
Talking to another person or people about your goal and plans is also a good idea, as it gets the mindset into the frame of mind to complete it and also gets another set of eyes as proof that you are going to do a task and cannot back out.
These actions are organising your brain, that the action must be done, it’s building motivation to complete the task. Telling other people what you are doing means it is less likely you will be able to avoid it because they may ask you how did it go, and you don’t want to look like a loser do you?
TRY AND BEAT THE WEEK BEFORE
You have now done your first week, you have started small, and got the ball going, now you want to keep going so you can get the momentum going towards your goal permanently.
To achieve a goal, it is about habit forming, for example if you want to do better at work, or healthier, or more sociable, these are all about improving your self.
You don’t decide a goal, and then wake up the next morning on the right track towards the new goal, no problems.
If only? Your routine needs to be altered, your mind needs to be altered, the way you look at the situation needs to be updated.
Please refer to my pen to paper on what does change mean - for more information.
The best way to keep going forward is to challenge the week before, try and do better or more. It is important that the challenge is a personal challenge to you, not an external challenge, such as a night off, or prize.
In Pauline Quirke (Birds of a Feather series) autobiography Where have I gone? Pauline mentions that she has struggled with weight loss for years. When on a diet, Pauline said she would reward herself with “a slap-up Indian takeaway or a nice bottle of wine”, however instead by using internally rewarding (first ever pedal bike, which lead to gym membership), Pauline found she was self-motivating more and more.
- For example –
* You may challenge your walking or exercise to be faster or further than before
* Your presentation may look more impressive with more information, statistics, facts, interesting things, or more graphics, if you marked the first presentation as a 5 out of 10, then each time improve to a 6, 7 , 8, be really critical to yourself on what you can do to make it more and more better.
Before you know it, after doing these 3 motivational items towards your goal, you will have the goal as a second nature or habit.
That could be because you are doing more (actions) and thinking (thoughts) about doing it less.