14 Oct 5 Ways To Get And Stay Motivated
Motivation is an elusive thing. Some people appear consistently motivated across all areas of life while others are quite the opposite. Most of us fall somewhere in between, with feelings of motivation waxing and waning. So what can we do to get and stay motivated? Here are five strategies you can adopt…
SET A GOAL AND MONITOR YOUR PROGRESS
It’s important to get clear on exactly what you’re aiming to achieve. Start by setting a SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, time-bound) goal. The measurable element is especially key when it comes to losing weight. There is no greater motivator for staying committed to your weight loss goal than seeing results. Watching the number on the scale move. Being able to fit back into your clothes. Write down your goal and keep a weekly record of your progress so that you can see what you’re achieving in black and white.
KNOW YOUR WHY
Knowing why you’re doing something can help drive motivation to make a change and help to keep you focussed on your journey. We tend to be motivated towards pleasure or away from pain. Reasons we often hear as to why clients want to lose weight include:
– I am the heaviest I have ever been and I have to address this now
– I can’t fit into my clothes anymore
– I need to do this for the sake of my health
What’s your why?
TURN NEGATIVES INTO POSITIVES
Hurdles are a fact of life. 2020 has provided enough evidence of this. Someone once said to me “everything in life is a blessing or a lesson”. When you get into the habit of looking at perceived negatives as lessons and asking what you can learn from them, it helps you evolve your understanding of yourself. This is what we do when we work with clients – evaluate challenges from the viewpoint as an opportunity to learn so that the next time that challenge presents itself, there’s a plan in place to deal with it in a more effective way.
GET A CHEERLEADER
The American Society of Training and Development carried out a study on accountability and found that we have a 65% of completing a goal if we commit to someone. Furthermore, if we have a specific accountability appointment with someone we’re accountable to, we increase our chances of success by up to 95%. I have personally worked with a coach consistently over the last four years on my business and life in general. The benefits I’ve experienced have been immeasurable. Having a ‘cheerleader’ – in whatever form that may be – means you’ve got someone to help you overcome challenges, someone to celebrate your successes and someone to keep you focussed through to reaching your goal.
TAKE THE FIRST STEP
Sometimes the end goal can feel far away. Breaking it down and taking things one day at a time, one step at a time, can make things feel more achievable. Taking the first step can often be the hardest. Ask yourself this question: “What one action can I take today to take me a step closer to my goal?” That might be reverting to the top of this list and writing down your SMART goal. It could be getting some meal prep done today so that you have healthy food organised in advance for your week ahead. Or it might be booking in for a call to speak with us about your challenges and look at your options for how to tackle them. What one action can you take today?
As with many things, motivation might appear like it comes magically to some, but when you investigate it further there are methods we can all learn and adopt to help us ensure we achieve what we truly desire.