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Setting a goal is the easy part. It’s staying motivated long enough to see our goals come to fruition that can be challenging.
When we first set a big goal for ourselves, it can be exciting. After all, it can be liberating when we have decided to create change in our lives. But there’s also the other side effect— goals can be downright exhausting.
No matter how much energy and enthusiasm we muster up, showing up every day can be draining, especially when it comes to goals that can take a long time to achieve.
Depending on what goal you have set for yourself, it can take weeks or months before you may see results.
With new goals, once the excitement has worn off, we have to rely on other important factors like mindset and habit.
With that being said, here are 7 ways to stay motivated when your goals aren’t happening.
1. Know That Not All Days Are Created Equal
You may find that your energy levels vary from day to day. Many factors can affect our work output, including stress, anxiety, lifestyle, and sleep deprivation.
Having various energy levels is common. For example, if you have a mentally draining day, you may be left feeling more exhausted the next. Another example would be a poor night’s sleep, which leaves you sluggish and worn out.
Each day, do your best to gauge how you feel to understand how much you can accomplish.
Keep in mind different tasks require dissimilar amounts of energy. In other words, preparing for a big presentation would entail a different amount of energy than checking emails. Therefore, it’s a good idea to plan your week around projects or circumstances that will require the highest amount of energy.
Don’t be afraid to push yourself on the days you feel great, but when your battery runs low, be open to unplugging to re-charge. Go easy on yourself when you feel tired and rundown. Expecting to run at 100 percent all the time is out of the question.
Learn to work with your body and energy, not against it.
2. Ease up on the things that are depleting you
Did you know that scrolling through social media and consuming news and television use up your energy?
Think about it. Social media is inundated with images, posts, memes, and noise if you keep the sound on. If you want to stay motivated to achieve your goals, you may want to cut back on social media, excessive news, and television consumption.
For example, let’s say you want to get in better shape. Instead of using your morning to scroll for 20 minutes, think about what else you could be doing with that time—exercising, stretching, or yoga.
Begin paying attention to what you are consuming and for how long. You can manage your app usage time on your cell phone by going into your settings.
You may also enjoy reading: The Time Of Day You Should Do The Most Important Tasks
3. Place your attention on what is going well
Have you ever ended the day stressed out because there are still a dozen things you didn’t get to? It’s important to realize that a part of life is—a never-ending to-do list of things that need to get done. But this isn’t a bad thing; it means we are alive.
There will rarely be a time when you don’t have things on your to-do list.
Instead, get comfortable accepting it’s a part of life.
Rather than ruminating over everything you failed to complete in a day, focus on what you did get done. Even if what you completed wasn’t up to your usual standards of what should have been done.
Although we may feel the need to be our harshest critic, this isn’t always in our best interest.
Guilt gets in the way of our growth. Forgive yourself for your slip-ups and get back to work.
Remind yourself of the things you were able to accomplish, no matter how small they are.
Were you able to cross one item off your to-do list? Did you clean out that third junk drawer in your kitchen? Or what about making that one business call that helped move your career forward?
Progress is progress.
Focus on what you are doing well in life. Doing so will help create a flow of good energy.
Take time to give yourself credit, so you don’t get burned out.
We can end the day worrying about all the things we didn’t get to or all the things we did right, but the latter is so much better in the long run.
4. Focus On Consistency
Consistency is crucial when working towards big goals. It’s more important that you show up and tackle small, consistent wins rather than trying to go too hard too quickly.
Think about it this way, say you have set a fitness goal. Is it more important to strive for 10-20 minutes every day of exercise or work out for an hour every few weeks?
Many people think that small baby steps won’t get you very far but over time, consistently showing up for yourself is where real growth happens.
5. Set yourself up for success
Habits have a lot to do with our success. We can push ourselves to stay motivated as hard as possible, but the foundation for success means using the proper habits. Octavia Butler tells us this, “First forget inspiration. Habit is more dependable. Habit will sustain you whether you’re inspired or not.”
Small, consistent choices establish habits and lifestyle changes. Once you have those in place, you have a solid plan, not just behaviors you do every now and then.
Polish up your habits, and you will be amazed at the growth you see in your life.
You may also enjoy reading: 12 Boss Babe Habits That Will Instantly Make You More Successful
6. Take A Break and Then Get Back To It
Any goal that takes longer than a few months to achieve can be extremely draining. Take frequent breaks throughout the day and longer ones when you need to. As I mentioned before, staying consistent is important but listen to your mind and body when it’s time for longer breaks.
Don’t try to skip out on your vacations and ensure you get proper sleep to function at your highest level.
Cutting corners on the fundamentals, such as sleep, will always find a way to catch up to you, and it isn’t always pretty.
You may also enjoy reading: The Fight Against Burn Out And What You Can Do About It
7. Seek Out Inspiration And Don’t Give Up
It’s a good idea to consistently refuel yourself with positivity. Never stop investing in your personal development (like you are doing now, reading this blog 😊). It also helps to surround yourself with people who inspire you.
Whatever you do, don’t give up. It is worth it to see your goals through.
If you found this post useful, others will too. Please share, so together, we can help more people.
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