TOP TEN MOTIVATORS
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By Ramona Creel
Setting goals is the easy part -- but
sticking with them over the long run can be
a major challenge! Some people think that
motivation requires will-power and
dedication. Actually, staying motivated is
all about setting up an environment that is
conducive to you accomplishing your goals.
Here are ten “tricks” for giving your
goals staying power past January 31st:
BREAK YOUR GOALS DOWN
Do you know why 90% of us don’t keep our
New Year’s resolutions? Because our goals
are too big and too vague. Instead of
telling yourself that you want to “get
organized,” try breaking that goal down
into something smaller and more concrete.
“Clean out all clothes that haven’t been
worn in a year” or “move all of the
sports equipment to the garage” gives you
a solid place to start -- then you can move
on to another small goal that will take you
one step closer to “getting organized.”
PUT IN 15 MINUTES A DAY
Some people think that you have to commit
hours of uninterrupted effort if you want to
accomplish a goal. But the greatest advances
are often the sum total of a series of SMALL
EFFORTS -- a drawer here, a cabinet there,
maybe a closet. Once you have set your goals
for the year, commit to spending 15 minutes
each day doing something that will move you
closer to accomplishing that goal. You will
be amazed at how quickly you progress!
PAINT YOURSELF IN A CORNER
The worst deadline you can set for
accomplishing a goal is “over the next
year” -- too vague, to broad, and too much
room for slacking. Sometimes it’s best to
paint yourself into a corner if you want to
get a project done. If your goal is to clean
out the guest bedroom closet, invite company
over! Make a COMMITMENT to someone else --
just knowing that other people are counting
on you is often just the little “push”
you need to get moving.
WORK WITH A “BUDDY”
This rule doesn’t just apply at the gym!
Do you have a friend who can help out with
some of your organizing projects? Two people
will get more done in shorter period of time
-- and you will be less inclined to keep a
bunch of junk you don’t need! Just
remember that you will be expected to
reciprocate when your friend gets ready to
clean out! And if you can’t recruit any
free help, consider bringing in a
Professional Organizer -- someone who can be
objective about your clutter.
TELL YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY ABOUT YOUR
PLANS
The best way to make yourself accountable
for accomplishing your goals is to tell
other people about your plans. The minute
you spread the word that you are working on
a project, people become interested in your
progress. “Hey, how are you doing getting
that garage in order?” Every time you hear
those words, one of two things will happen.
Either you will feel inspired to dig back in
and get to work -- or you will feel lousy
because you haven’t made any progress.
Option A gets you moving, while Option B
tells you that something is out of alignment
and you need to RE-EVALUATE your goals.
Either one is a step in the right direction.
PUT IT DOWN ON PAPER
You’ve heard it a million times -- if you
write a goal down, it is more likely to come
to fruition. There is something about the
act of putting your thoughts (any thoughts)
on paper that makes you more committed to
the outcome. You have invested time and
energy writing your goals down -- what a
waste if you didn’t actually go through
with them! And it is wonderfully therapeutic
to cross an item off of your list once you
complete it!
REVIEW YOUR GOALS REGULARLY
The best thing about writing your goals down
is that you have something physical to hold
in your hand and refer back to when you need
a boost. But reviewing your goals doesn’t
just mean skimming the page and counting up
how many things you haven’t done yet. You
must also ask yourself some questions about
each goal -- why haven’t I made more
progress on this goal? What’s getting in
my way? Is this goal still important to me?
If your priorities have changed, drop it
from your list. You have enough important
things to do -- you don’t need to sweat
over not accomplishing an unimportant task.
DEVELOP A “MANTRA”
Repetition is the mother of success, so you
need to remind yourself of your goals
everyday. Pick your most important goal this
year, and turn it into a one-sentence
“mantra.” Your mantra should be in the
form of an affirmation -- a statement
phrased as though you have already
accomplished your goal (“I am the master
of my time” or “I live in a clutter-free
environment.”) Repeat this mantra first
thing when you get up, last thing before you
go to bed, when you are driving in the car,
as you take a shower. Post sticky notes with
your mantra on it around your home and
office. Pretty soon, this will become your
natural way of thinking -- keeping you going
when you run into a roadblock.
ENJOY YOUR SUCCESSES
When was the last time you really
acknowledged the fact that you accomplished
an important goal? Too often, we simply
charge into the next task on our list
without really appreciating our
achievements. Next time, spend a few minutes
reflecting on what you have accomplished --
remembering the time and effort you invested
and savoring the feeling of completion. This
will refresh and renew your enthusiasm to
continue on with your next goal. Without
that moment of pause, you will eventually
burn yourself out and lose all sense of
motivation.
PAT YOURSELF ON THE BACK
Do you reward yourself for a job well done?
Lets go one step further -- do you plan
ahead of time what reward you will give
yourself when you complete a task on your
list? There is a lot of wisdom in the old
idea of a “carrot and stick.” As you
plan out your goals for the next year,
attach a REWARD to each. It could be as
simple as a walk around the block, or as
grand as a two-week vacation -- just make
sure that your reward is commensurate with
the amount of work you will have to do to
reach that goal. And be consistent about
rewarding yourself for every accomplishment,
no matter how small. You deserve it!
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