Achieving goals is something that takes time, everyone knows that.
You probably know of the clichés like ‘just work hard and you’ll make it’ but we often don’t acknowledge the struggles that come in between like lacking motivation.
As you make those small changes every day, it’s common to run out of your motivational juice.
This can make you slack and go back to old habits. Difficult as it may be at first, that however is something you can avoid.
Below are five tips on how you can keep your drive up:
1. Don’t focus on feelings
Our feelings are a special part of us that makes us human. They indicate our emotional state and it’s true we should acknowledge them.
However, you can’t always wait on them when it comes to motivation. The reality is that if you wait to “feel” like working out or starting a project, you never will.
Most of the time, you won’t feel like doing hard tasks and that is why you shouldn’t rely on them if you want to stay motivated.
2. Use fear to your advantage
I know I said that you shouldn’t use your feelings but hear me out, this one is different. Fear can be a very powerful motivator that can actually give you that extra energy you need to keep going.
For instance, if you fear poverty enough, you won’t just sit comfortably and ignore your goals. If you fear illness, you might actually get up, eat healthily and exercise consistently.
If you learn to use fear properly, you can get enough motivation for a lifetime.
3. Don’t break the chain
This is an important secret that you should understand. And it simply means that once you start working on your goals, don’t slack.
The moment you break the routine you had already started without any good reason, you’re at risk of losing that motivation you had built.
Once you take the first step, you need to make sure you’re consistent from that point onwards until you reach your desired goal.
4. Schedule breaks
Taking breaks should also be prioritized in order to keep the motivation going. You might think that you need to always push yourself and never take breaks but that’s actually counterproductive.
Rest is just as important as working hard because your mind and body need to recover.
Respect your rest days and don’t force yourself to keep going when you should be taking a break, it’s not healthy.
5. Learn your habits
Learning about yourself is also a key part of the whole process. We get suggestions on how we should be doing things but you also need to understand what works for you as well.
For example, you might notice that you function better when you work out first thing in the morning instead of at night. Or, it might be better for you to wake up an hour earlier than you usually do because that is when you can kick start your day property.
Those small changes that work for you should also guide you. Learn what others are doing but importantly, don’t ignore the formula that works for you.
