Friends and family who know me would probably say I'm a pretty motivated person. I can understand why. I regularly set and achieve goals. However, only those people who know me most intimately (my husband) know that I've been in the habit of setting easily achievable goals. Goals that rarely stretch me out of my comfort zone. So yes, I am motivated. Motivated not to fail.
When it comes to striving for bigger life goals my motivation wanes. I can be an expert procrastinator and I'm even better at being busy. Recently I've set a HUGE goal for myself. Insecurities have surfaced that I never knew existed. Nevertheless, I'm taking courage and pressing forward. One of the biggest obstacles, however, is staying motivated in the midst of my insecurities. Here are 7 tips I've learned to help me and can help you stay motivated.
- Lose the negative self talk
Would you agree that it's impossible to get anything done when we're stuck on thoughts like, "I suck at life " or "I'm not worth it" or "everyone is better than me" or "I'll never follow through".
Thoughts like those make us want to never try and stay in the routine of our everyday lives. Positive thoughts are guaranteed to start you on your way to being a motivated person. If you find yourself slipping into negative thoughts (it's easy to do), stop yourself and deflect your attention elsewhere.
Try reframing your thought. For example, instead of thinking "I never follow through." Think "I will follow through this time." Also, you should display that positive thought in a location you'll see repeatedly everyday. That positive thought will become you.
- Drop negative people
Negative people are like leeches. They will suck the life and motivation right out of you. Now is a time to give yourself permission to be selfish for your own wellbeing. Someone else's negativity is not your responsibility to deal with. If they're bringing you down, you need to spend time away from them.
- Be Confident
We've all had accomplishments in our lives. Take a moment to count your successes. What do you have going for you? What have you done in the past that was awesome? What resources do you have at your disposal? Think of all the things you've achieved in the past. For what reason would you not be able to achieve what you want now?! You've done similar things before.
- Start with small goals
Having lofty goals is tough. Instead of "I want to lose 50 pounds" think of something like "I want 2 pounds this week," or "I want to work out 4 or 5 days a week." These will illicit but are easier on the mind
- Be prepared for set backs
You are not perfect. Give yourself permission to make mistakes. Being a perfectionist about yourself will just leave you frustrated and tempted to give up. There will be times when you fail. You just have to know that you're capable of getting back up and, better yet, that you will. Your failures or setbacks have nothing to do with you and everything to do with being human. They happen. Sometimes they'll happen because of you, but sometimes they'll happen because of circumstances that are beyond your control.
- Track your progress
Keep a journal of your progress. It will help you in two ways. First, you can look back at your accomplishments for continued motivation. You'll see where you started and how you've progressed. Second, you can look back and see what you tried that worked and didn't work while trying to reach your goal.
- PRAY everyday
PRAY, PRAY, PRAY! Prayer reminds you that you are not alone. God is with you supporting you and cheering you on. When you get discouraged prayer reminds you that God the almighty is on your side and often carrying you through difficulties.
Taking the first step to reach your goal is often hardest. Step out in faith you'll never be more proud of yourself. What goals have you set for yourself? Are you ready to take the first step to reaching that goal? You'll never know if you can or if you can't until you try. Go for it!!!
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