Content

• Steps
• Part 1 of 3: Thinking Right
• Part 2 of 3: Aim for Goals
• Part 3 of 3: Defeat the procrastination habit
• Tips

Individuals like Microsoft founder Bill Gates, Everest conqueror Sir Edmund Hillary, and poet / writer Maya Angelou may seem like superhumans, but in reality they are just like us. The only difference is that they stayed motivated until they achieved their goals. We all strive for some goals, but it is very easy to lose motivation along the way. However, if you are persistent, you can conquer any peaks. To strengthen your motivation, tune in to the right mindset.You can also make changes to how you work towards your goals and beat the procrastination habit.

Steps

Part 1 of 3: Thinking Right

1. 1 Choose a mantra or set of mantras that motivate you. You can come up with a mantra yourself or use a quote. Make it a habit to say the mantra out loud at certain times of the day, such as after waking up, during lunch, or right before bed. It will also be helpful to post mantras around your home or workplace.
   • Here are great examples: "Every day is a new beginning and an opportunity for change", "I am strong and powerful and I can achieve my goals", "If I believe in this, I can achieve it."
   • If you want to paste mantras, you can simply write them out on stickers or print a quote on a beautiful background. Place encouraging expressions on the refrigerator, near the bathroom mirror, or on the walls of your home, in other words, wherever you can see it.
2. 2 Use positive internal dialogues. Each of us has an inner voice, but it is not always friendly. However, if you tune this voice into a positive one, you can change your life for the better. To do this, you need to learn to notice negative thoughts and reformulate them into positive ones. Also, consciously tell yourself positive things about your personality, your life, and your goals.
   • For example, if the thought is spinning in my head: “You are not good enough,” - change its direction, saying to yourself: “I can handle this, but sometimes I am exhausted when I face problems. Tomorrow everything will be different. "
   • In general, tell yourself things like, “I am proud of myself for working hard every day,” “I have achieved a lot, but the best is yet to come,” “I know I can do it if I keep working hard.”
3. 3 Boost your self-confidence with achievements. This is especially useful for people with long-term goals. Do a small task related to your long-term goal, or try something that has always scared you. Keep in mind that sometimes achieving something is just trying it.
   • For example, if your goal is to play your own music, you can boost your confidence by performing in front of an audience in a club.
   • If you feel like you're in a rut, do something daring from your wishlist, like skydiving. It will give you a sense of control over what you are doing with your life and stimulate motivation.
4. 4 Correct activities that do not bring you pleasure. It is quite normal that some of the stretches on the way to the goal will not delight you. Maybe you love your job but hate certain parts of the day, or maybe you want to run a cross country marathon but hate uphill running. Change your perception by imagining it fading and then introducing new emotions. For example, imagine how the stress of a deadline evaporates and how good you will feel after completing a project.
   • Focus on the aspects of the unpleasant activity that you enjoy or benefit. For example, running up hills is not easy, but thanks to it, you can see beautiful views from above.
   • One way to switch to the positive is to focus on what you are actually doing and feeling during the activity you hate. For example, you may hate work meetings, but see it as an opportunity to change your environment, chat with coworkers, or make a good impression on your boss.
   SPECIALIST'S ADVICE

   

   Klare Heston, LCSW

   
   
   Licensed Social Worker Claire Heston is a licensed independent clinical social worker based in Cleveland, Ohio. She has experience in educational counseling and clinical supervision, and received her Master's degree in Social Work from Virginia Commonwealth University in 1983.She also completed a two-year continuing education course at the Cleveland Institute of Gestalt Therapy and is certified in family therapy, supervision, mediation, and trauma therapy.

   Klare Heston, LCSW
   Licensed social worker

   It is important to be able to recognize a lack of motivation. Claire Heston, a licensed social worker, suggests: “First, admit that you lack motivation. It's important not to try to fool yourself. To start stimulating motivation, spend less time on your phone, in front of the TV and at the computer, sleep more, say nice things to yourself more often, and try keeping a journal where you honestly describe your feelings and track your progress. "

   
   
5. 5 Connect with other people who share your goals. Find friends who are interested in the same as you, or join a group of like-minded people. These people will give you tremendous motivation to keep you on track, and they might even give you helpful advice during tough times.
   • Look for like-minded people online or in places related to your goal. For example, you can attend a live performance night to meet other aspiring musicians.
   • You can also search for topic groups on sites such as meetup.com.
   • Don't spend time with people who drag you down. Better to choose those who motivate you.
6. 6 Compare yourself to your past self, not to other people. Despite the temptation to compare yourself to other people, remember this is always a big mistake. No matter how well you do, you will always put yourself in second place. Better to compare yourself to yourself! Think about where you were in the past and where you are now. Try to be better than you were before.
   • If you catch yourself comparing to other people, remind yourself that they are more likely to advertise only the best moments of their lives than their daily routines. The only fair comparison is yourself with yourself.
   • List your positive qualities and accomplishments to remind yourself how far you've come!
7. 7 Make a thank you list. By acknowledging everything you should be grateful for, you can create the positive attitude you need to stay motivated. Write down all the good things in your life, especially the things you worked hard for. Place the list somewhere in a prominent place, such as on the refrigerator or on the screensaver of your phone.
   • It's best to make gratitude lists often. You can even write down 3-5 things every day that you are grateful for.
   • Over time, the thank you list will help you feel more fulfilled in life, which will help you stimulate motivation and keep working on what matters to you.

Part 2 of 3: Aim for Goals

1. 1 Put small and measurable goals. It's great to have big goals, but to make them easier to achieve, they need to be narrowed down. Break down big goals into small tasks. Then define criteria that will help you measure them.
   • For example, your main goal might be to publish a novel. A small task in this case would be to "make a plan" or "finish a chapter." This task is easy to measure because it will be completed when you write the outline or chapter.
   • Likewise, your main goal may be to run a marathon. You can set a small goal - to run 5 km. You can measure this goal by tracking how much distance you run each day, or by taking part in running competitions.
2. 2 Make an action plan to achieve your goals. You can make a general plan to achieve a large goal or make a list of small tasks. Include what you want to achieve, the steps you will take to achieve this, and how you will measure success.
   • For example, if your big goal is to run a marathon, then small goals might be to run a kilometer, run 5 km, run 10 km, and run a half marathon.
   • Don't get bogged down in details. Make a basic plan of action, and then start working towards achieving your goals. The plan can always be corrected or supplemented later.
   • Write down the basics with a short flow chart. You don't have to plan every detail. So in the marathon example, you might first focus on the steps you need to take to run a full kilometer: buy new shoes, download a running app, and go for a run three times a week.
3. 3 Post your action plan in a prominent place. For example, hang it at home, place it in a planner, or set it up as a screensaver on your computer. Review it daily to make sure you are on the right track. It's okay to lag behind sometimes, but a plan of action will help you get back on track.
   • Try placing the plan on the refrigerator.
   • If you have a workspace, post your plan there.
   • Choose a location with easy access.
4. 4 Link challenging tasks and obstacles to their goal. This will help you push ahead and keep your hands on during tough times. Every goal comes with hard work and obstacles, and it's okay that motivation fizzles out at times. To keep it alive, make difficult times more meaningful.
   • For example, you may not be very interested in running in the stands at a local stadium, but it will improve your physical condition and contribute to your sporting success.
   • Likewise, the abundance of criticism for writing a poem can be discouraged, but in fact, this criticism will help you improve the work and grow as a writer.
5. 5 Track your progress. Seeing how far you've come will give you tremendous motivation! Keep track of all your accomplishments, big and small. Even one step towards a goal is progress, so give yourself credit for that!
   • Write down all of your accomplishments to re-read in times of powerlessness.
   • You can also create a visual reminder of your progress. If your goal is to run a marathon, you can put up a highway poster. Divide the highway into 42 separate sections. Paint over one area each time you increase your running distance.
6. 6 Reward yourself for your hard work and perseverance. The rewards will serve as rewards that will help you stay on track towards your goal. Choose a reward of your choice, but preferably something that will help you work towards your goals. Here are some great ideas:
   • Treat yourself to a new notebook for practicing writing every day;
   • Sign up for a massage to reward yourself for reaching your running goals.
   • organize a special dinner with friends to compensate for the rejection of the meeting when you were working on your goal;
   • take a bubble bath;
   • Purchase a set of weightlifting gloves to celebrate your kickboxing progress.
   • pamper yourself with a yoga session;
   • enjoy a good book.
7. 7 Do your favorite things every day. Even working on your favorite things can be exhausting, so make time for yourself. Spend at least a few minutes each day indulging yourself in something enjoyable, be it a TV episode, a treat, or meeting a friend over coffee. This will help you stay motivated during tough times.
8. 8 Prepare for failure. Failure is part of life and it happens to everyone. They do not say that you are nothing! Make a quick plan for how you will overcome obstacles along the way, and remind yourself that you can handle them.
   • For example, your plan might be to talk to a friend who motivates you, brainstorm an entire day to find a solution, and then complete a small task that will help you accomplish your goal.
   • Tell yourself, “This is all part of the path. I can overcome these obstacles just as I have overcome them in the past. "

Part 3 of 3: Defeat the procrastination habit

1. 1 Set aside time each day to work on your goal. When you actively work on a goal, the body releases dopamine, a hormone that helps to act.Fortunately, you can increase your dopamine levels even with little progress. Even if you can set aside just 15 minutes to reach your goal on a specific day, you will see results.
2. 2 Avoid over-thinking about your work and goals. This can be counterproductive for two reasons. First, these thoughts linger in the head, making it difficult to act. Second, it leads to the creation of potential problems that will most likely never arise. If you find yourself getting too lost in your thoughts, take action by starting with a small task. By deleting this task from the list, you will be able to return to the ranks.
   • If you start to think too much, write down your thoughts on paper and then make a to-do list to get started. You may not be able to tackle all the problems today, but you can make some progress.
3. 3 Build your daily activities around your goals. Whether you're working towards personal or professional goals, it's important to stick to a schedule. Get in the habit of setting aside blocks of time to complete the necessary tasks.
   • For example, get up early every day to work on your goal (go for a morning run or spend an hour working on your manuscript).
   • Always start your day the same way. For example, you can do the simplest things on your to-do list, reply to emails, or make an action plan for the day.
   • Develop an afternoon habit to get you back on track. For example, you can schedule appointments right after lunch so you can get back to work immediately.
4. 4 Take control of your schedule. People and other responsibilities will take up some of your time. However, you are the one who can balance your schedule to find time for everything. This means that sometimes you will need to say no to certain things in order to find time for others. Don't live according to what others want - waste your time on what is important to you.
   • Schedule meetings with yourself so that you have the opportunity to achieve personal goals. You can also use this time to do activities that lift your spirits.
5. 5 Learn to say no things you don't want to do. If someone asks for your time, but it prevents you from working towards a goal, it's okay to refuse without guilt. Set boundaries to protect your time, and practice saying no to people. When the moment comes, compliment the person and then politely decline the request.
   • Say, “Is there a Halloween party at your home? Sounds fun, but I already have plans for this day. "
   • It is not always necessary to explain the reason for the refusal, so do not feel obligated to make excuses.
6. 6 If necessary ask for help. Sometimes we put off things until later because we face difficulties, such as a tough task or a lack of resources. In such cases, ask for help! We all need help sometimes.
   • For example, you may need to ask a household member to take on some of your chores so that you can complete tasks on time.
   • You can ask your running friends to help you stay hydrated on long runs.
   • Or you can borrow some of the equipment you need.

Tips

• Working towards a goal and celebrating small accomplishments will help keep you motivated.
• Sustained progress can lead to the desire to set new and more challenging tasks.
• As you enjoy your success, your motivation will grow, and you may not only achieve your goals, but exceed them.
• Small tasks may also change slightly as you complete the steps along the path to the main goal.