Dear Friend,
How do we stay motivated once we embark on a plan of personal improvement?
It is important to maintain the momentum when we are stalled.
We might even be worse than stalled. The situation may seem bleak and even hopeless.
To stay inspired and motivated during seemingly “all is lost” times requires a leap of faith.
It has been my experience that one needs to plod along, to persevere in the face of insurmountable odds. Weaker people will give up at this point but you, gentle reader, must press on. As others drop out (your competition perhaps!), you will maintain in the running.
You only need to look at your own life Or even on the national political stage to see people in positions where they are clearly incompetent. How did they get there? They persevered. They did not give up.
Perseverance is the one defining factor of all successful people regardless of their intelligence or competence.
So how to plod along and stay inspired?
1. Remember and remind yourself constantly why you are doing it in the first place.
2. Create a CAUSE to work for and a DREAM to inspire you. Do you want to create a self-sustaining business (cause) so that you can travel the world (dream)? Do you want to create a side hustle business such as sell on Ebay (cause) to pay for your child’s medical college to become a pediatrician (dream)?
3. Focus and get direction. Create a list of tasks which will lead to success in this endeavor. Take action on these tasks. Do something everyday on your task list.
4. Think about what will happen if you do not pursue this goal. If fear is a better motivator for you, put up a picture of a homeless person where you do your visualization or a picture of a stressed cubicle worker or whatever is related to your greatest fear of what will happen if you do not pursue this goal.
5. Set definite and specific goals with time limits. You might have short term goals and long term goals. A long term goal would be to get out of corporate life and travel within five years. A short term goal would be to have a travel blog with 50,000 subscribers within 12 months. An even shorter term goal would be week to week goals to get to the 12 month goal. Break it down!
6. Reward yourself with immediate goals. Have a fun coffee drink after writing two blog posts. Connect with a friend on social media for fifteen minutes after organizing your inventory. Allow yourself 15 minutes of goofing off on Facebook after reading a chapter in a textbook.
7. Stay motivated by connecting with people of like mind. Find groups on Facebook or in online communities who have similar goals or are trying to do what you are doing. Participate by asking questions and making comments.
8. Let go of the past. Cut out any negative self talk. You made mistakes in the past and you will continue to make mistakes. For every mistake you make, write down three positive actions you will take to counteract the mistake and then do them.
9. If you are in difficult circumstances, take one step forward no matter how hard it is. Reread your goals and action plans and see what action you can take at this time. If you get off track, refocus on your plan. Do not look at the obstacles, focus on your next step.
10. Believe in yourself. Be what you need now, operating with what you have now, where you are now.