So, you came up with a plan. It was great, a work of genius, a pure win. And even though you have all the resources needed, for some reason, it never seems to get past the planning stage.
Have you ever found yourself in this situation? Do you wonder why?
What went wrong?
Was it discipline? Perhaps.
Or maybe what you are really lacking is motivation.
1. Focus on your goal for a short period of time every day – Focusing on your goal for a short period of time everyday works great. As we are faced with distractions every day, this ritual can ensure the consistency we need in keeping our plan in check.
2. Make a list of your goal – Take a minute and write down your goals. Clarity is important in keeping yourself motivated. The clearer it is, the better. Make sure to place it somewhere visible where you can see it as often as possible.
3. Have fewer goals – Having too many goals, and you will find yourself overwhelmed and exhausted most of the time. If you want consistency, this is something you want to avoid. I am a firm advocate of having only 1 goal at any one time. This ensures maximum focus.
4. Work less, rest more – Getting things done is not about being hardworking. It’s about maintaining focus. The more focus you are, the faster you can get things done. The more rest you take, the less stress you will have, not to mention the more consistent you will get with your work.
5. Get a poster – That dream car, that lean body. Don’t just dream it. Get a poster and have it place in your room. Also get a desktop wallpaper if you often work with your computer. It works great for me.
6. Have a competitor – Nothing keeps you more motivated than having a competitor. Someone to challenge and push you to work. The competitor does not need to know nor do they have to be aware of your existence. As long as you can see them as a competitor, you will be able to fare better.
7. Tell your friends about your goal – Like it or not, most of us don’t take ourselves too seriously. Having a goal easy. You can practically make a list of 10 in a minute. But what determines your success is not the awesome list you have in your hands but the determination to make it happen. By informing your friends of your goals, you can only mean business.
Anything you would like to add? What’s your best way in keeping yourself motivated? Kindly share at the comment section below.
If you liked this article, please bookmark it on del.icio.us, tweet or stumble it. I’d appreciate it. For more tips, make sure to subscribe if you haven’t already. 
Photo Credit: Zach
{ 3 trackbacks }
{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Karlil,
Says a lot about how far a good support system will take you.
I Love the list. No. 2 and no. 7 are my favorites. You know..just so i keep up to my goals..i actually wrote a post about it. “my new beginnings” -got support from my friends…and now..well am motivated enough to complete each one of them. I am already half way through
I have to try the others on your list.
Thank for the motivation
Zeenat{Positive Provocations}´s last blog ..Why Are We Here? {Inspirational Quote}
[Reply]
Karlil Reply:
October 26th, 2009 at 1:50 am
Hey Zeenat. I started off with #2 and #7 as well. And it definitely work great for me as well. I would really recommend all of them. But if I were to pick the best recommendation, it would be #3. It works great. At least for me.
[Reply]
Love the list Karlil, I would add – when focusing on your goal add some emotion into it. Imagine it as if it came true already. That will impress your mind much faster and when your mind is impressed and the goal is imprinted into your subconscious, it will bring you lots of ideas on how to reach it quicker.
Lana – DreamFollowers Blog´s last blog ..Relationships Advice – Other People Are Just Mirror Images Of You
[Reply]
Karlil Reply:
October 26th, 2009 at 1:56 am
Hey Lana. Thanks for adding to the list. Usually when I’m focusing on my goal, as outlined on #1, I feel really good about it. I can already how much better it would be if I were to put more emotions to it. I’ll definitely give it a try. Thanks for the wonderful comment.
[Reply]
Hey Karlil, great post! I like your idea of having a poster, I want to try it with a poster of Bruce Lee for when I do my workouts.
Oscar – freestyle mind´s last blog ..One Hundred Pushups Challenge
[Reply]
Having a Bruce Lee poster will definitely pumped you up Oscar The guy got one of the most wicked body of a martial artist. Perfection is not far off the mark. I’m a big fan.
[Reply]
Great tips Nik. I find that sharing my goals with others makes me more likely to stay on track. It is nice to have someone other than myself to hold me accountable.
Nea | Self Improvement Saga´s last blog ..How to Trust Again: 7 Steps to Overcome Betrayal
[Reply]
Karlil Reply:
October 26th, 2009 at 4:27 pm
The same goes for me Nea. Thanks for the comment.
[Reply]
Great one Nik, 1 and 2 are my favourites. Since I cut down on my online tasks I have been much more focussed and much more successful.
Steven Aitchison´s last blog ..Sunday Siesta – All About Blogging
[Reply]
Karlil Reply:
October 26th, 2009 at 4:29 pm
Good to hear you are finding more success with your blogging Steven.
[Reply]
That 4th one caught me by surprise
. Cause conventional wisdom tell us to work hard but it often ignores the benefits if taking time of, relaxing and getting your stuff together. Beyond one point, the harder you work, the less productive you are and the less motivated.
Thx for this post.
Eduard
Ideas With A Kick´s last blog ..Self-improvement is masturbation
[Reply]
Karlil Reply:
October 26th, 2009 at 4:31 pm
No problem Eduard. The pleasure is mine.
[Reply]
Hey Nik, #7 is one of my favorites. Making yourself accountable to someone else is a powerful motivator. We will often push ourselves harder to accomplish something, rather than having to admit to others that we weren’t up to it.
Jonathan – Advanced Life Skills´s last blog ..15 Funny Reasons Not to Take Him Shopping
[Reply]
Karlil Reply:
October 26th, 2009 at 4:32 pm
Our pride wouldn’t allow that now would it? ;p Thanks for the comment Jon.
[Reply]
Your number 3 is the one that contains a “wake up” message I have recently received. Previously, I had a habit losing my motivation to accomplish my goals simply because I set too many BIG goals and become fragmented and frustrated when it came to achieving them.
I have learned the hard way (1) that if a goal is too large, then it can seem that you are not making progress towards it, and (2) setting too many goals will result in over-facing yourself and losing the motivation required to achieve them.
My new approach is to bring dreams into reality by setting fewer goals and keeping operational goals small and more readily achievable.
[Reply]
Karlil Reply:
October 26th, 2009 at 4:34 pm
I’m pretty sure your new approach would be better Time. Stay motivated and strong!
[Reply]
Another good one, Karlil. I like visuals myself so #5, even though I only store the image in my imagination, rings true for me. I also like creating a sense of urgency. Somehow, if I have deadlines, I stay motivated.
Belinda Munoz´s last blog ..ALL CLEAR: FeedMedic Alert for thehalfwaypoint
[Reply]
Karlil Reply:
October 26th, 2009 at 4:36 pm
In regards to deadline, the same goes for me Belinda. I set my own deadlines for my blogpost. Sense of urgency can really get me moving when all others fail to.
[Reply]
Hey Karlil. Nice list on motivation. I like your tip #1 – basic and simple. Just focusing on one guy for a little bit amount time and taking action to do it can give us enough motivation to move forward and make it a consistent habit.
Tristan Lee´s last blog ..Respect: Follow Through With Your Words
[Reply]
That’s true Tristan. If you keep the habit consistent, it will bound to be easier. 21 days to be exact for us to get used to a habit.
[Reply]
I like number 6. Every time I do something well it’s because there was someone there trying to beat me, so I beat them
It’s not so much a competition, it’s more of a way to upgrade your results by having a physical reminder(your enemy) that thats the new goal you have to beat.
Mac´s last blog ..Social Slaughter: Conditioned to Compete
[Reply]
Karlil Reply:
October 29th, 2009 at 4:49 am
Yeah, it’s kind of the same for me as well Mac. Thanks for the comment.
[Reply]
Hey Nik.
I like #6 about having a competitor who doesn’t even have to know that you are competing with them, because there is always a variety of competitors to pick from in various aspects, and it is then up to you as to whether to engage them publicly, or compete with them in your own mind. Those who do this then always have a new source of material to battle against or try to outdo. It also serves as a useful reminder of how fast others are progressing.
Cool set here.
Armen Shirvanian´s last blog ..Patience And Hunger
[Reply]
Exactly Armen. It works great when you have a competitor. It gives out the necessary stress for us to do better, to aim for excellence. Thanks for the comment.
[Reply]