March 15th, 2022
Could this really be the beginning of spring? This is the first week without snow in the forecast, in what seems like forever. You can almost leave the house without a coat, the days are getting warmer, and the sun is shining brightly! I’m not sure if these factors are the reason for my great mood or if it is because I am back to work. It is probably the combination of everything. Whatever the motivation, I am going to cling to it and stick with my optimistic outlook!
Have you brainstormed ways to find motivation to reach your goal, yet? Finding motivation is only part of the battle, keeping it is a whole other battle. This week we will discover some of the secrets to keeping your newfound motivation. Get your notebook ready to jot down these secrets, or at least the ones that could work for you. Let’s go!
According to www.nickwignall.com, here are 10 psychological tricks to staying motivated to reach your goals:
Create meaningful accountability – by partnering with a friend for when you may be lacking the desire to work in the future.
Chunking – We already discussed this in previous blogs. It is when you break down your goal into smaller tasks – This makes the goal more attainable.
Positive reinforcement – We all like positive reinforcement! Give yourself a reward for completing small tasks on the way to your goal.
Visualization. This is daydreaming about your why. What you will be able to do once you reach your goal.
Gentle self-talk – I personally call this giving yourself a little grace. You didn’t complete today’s task, but you didn’t give up and learned a lot in the process.
Seinfeld strategy – track your goals on a large calendar to see how many days in a row you can accomplish the task(s) on your way to reaching your goal.
Social support – Find someone, whose job is to hold you accountable to your daily tasks. Do not tell them what your big goal is. They are also there to help you celebrate your wins, as well as, to encourage and validate you.
Productive procrastination – Give yourself permission to procrastinate in small and deliberate ways. Put off the task to the end of your day.
Distractions list – keep a notebook with you as you complete daily tasks to write down a new idea, your grocery list or whatever other internal distractions come your way and refocus on your task. This way you will not forget about the items on the list.
Bumpy wagon plan – create a plan to deal with failures. Failure is not final if you get up and attempt again. You can reach out to a supportive friend and/or reflect on how you could have done the task differently. Most importantly, no negative self-talk! Remember to give yourself grace.
Do any of these secrets catch your eye and sound like a good fit for you? Start by picking just 2 or 3 to try out. Choose the ones that solve your biggest setback. Next week we will discuss the benefits of having a coach to help motivate you. Whether this is your first time reading my blog, or you are a loyal subscriber, Thank you! I am so glad you tuned in this week! Do you have a friend or family member that could benefit from this blog? Tell them to subscribe!
Have a blessed week ~ Lacey