Motivation One Way Or Another
No matter who you are, how old you are, or what kind of day you’ve had – there’s a good chance that at some point in your life, you have struggled with the question of motivation. For many people, it comes and goes like the breeze. For others, it has proven to be more elusive than a needle in a haystack.
If you are one of the latter, then this article is for you. In this article, I will discuss three factors that have proven to be effective in helping me develop and maintain a consistent level of motivation. These factors can be used by practically anyone, at any age, at any stage in life, and no matter what kind of day they are having.
Factor #1: Goals
The first factor that I would like to discuss is setting goals. This may seem like a no-brainer to some people, but it’s surprising how many people never bother to set goals for themselves, and as a result, their motivation level is often sporadic, with plenty of ups and downs along the way.
I think that we all know that setting goals is an effective way to maintain motivation. But the mere act of writing down your goals doesn’t mean that you will achieve them – there has to be more “umph” behind it than that. If you are going to set goals for yourself, then you need to create a plan, stick to it, and be willing to put in the necessary effort and time.
I have written many articles on goal-setting in the past. If you are interested in learning more about how to set goals that will help you maintain motivation, then check out some of these previous articles:
For now though, I am going to assume that you already have your goals set for yourself. This, of course, doesn’t mean that you will be able to just sit back and relax as you watch your goals come to life. You will still have to work at them – but you don’t have to do it alone.
Factor #2: Accountability
When I say “accountability”, I am not referring to the abstract concept of people keeping track of you on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Accountability is much more than that. It is the commitment to always keeping both yourself and your goals in mind, and making a conscious effort to stay on track every single day.
I used to believe that I was capable of being accountable – but only because I believed that I was not capable of failing. But we all fail – whether it’s something small or something major, the point is we all will fail at some point in our lives, whether it be a few times or dozens of times.
It also doesn’t mean that you will fail every single time. Just because we all fail, doesn’t mean that we are all destined to fail. The key to staying motivated and on track is to learn from our mistakes and correct them, rather than simply ignoring them. The only way to do this, of course, is to first be aware of our mistakes, and then, once we have identified them, we need to make a conscious effort to correct them.
Measure your progress by tracking the steps that you are taking towards achieving your goals. When you fail (and it will happen) ask yourself what went wrong and use that information to improve your chances of succeeding next time. It sounds easy enough when I say it like this – but in reality, it’s not easy at all. In fact, it is much easier to give up – and some people do exactly that.
If you are serious about achieving your goals and maintaining your motivation level, then it’s much easier to surround yourself with other people who share your goals and who are also willing to be accountable for their actions. It’s not hard to find these kinds of people. Sometimes they are right under your nose – but more than likely, they aren’t.
If you are serious about achieving your goals and maintaining your motivation level, then it’s much easier to surround yourself with other people who share your goals and who are also willing to be accountable for their actions. It’s not hard to find these kinds of people. Sometimes they are right under your nose – but more than likely, they aren’t.
The beauty of the online world is that you can find these people pretty much anywhere. They could be on a forum, an online social media site, or even a chat room. All you have to do is ask people if they are willing to help you achieve your goals and keep you accountable. If they say yes, then great! If they say no, then move on to somebody else – but keep asking until you find somebody who says yes.
Conclusion
So that’s it – those are the two things I have found to be the most effective in helping me maintain motivation. To summarize, it would look something like this:
Setting goals – and sticking to them Establishing an accountability system around your goals and sticking to it
These are the two basic factors that you need to maintain your motivation level – and hopefully, after reading this article, you will know some things about how to do so. Thanks for taking the time to read this article.