In this thing called life, we have a chance every day to improve what we didn’t accomplish the day before. Oh yes, it is quite easy to set a goal in your mind, but what does it mean to actually take the necessary steps to obtain and/or reach that goal?
Take working out at the gym for example. The entire month of December, you geared up for the New Year, the new you –body goals. You thought of your plan of the days you would be going to the gym, you gathered all your meal prepping schedules/checklists and how you would be cutting out junk food. The thoughts of this was spectacular! You were motivated and excited.
January 1strolls around, you worked out like a champ and you even ate clean. However, by the time February showed up, the obligations of everyday life began to set in, the momentum shifted and you simply didn’t make time for your “new you body goals”. Does this story sound all too familiar?
The first step in taking actions requires, setting the goal and putting work into your plan. If the plan is to go back to school, begin your planning by narrowing down and identifying your major. If you want to start working out at the gym, try scheduling in 30 minutes two days a week. It doesn’t matter how quickly you arrive to the destination; it just matters that you arrive!
Taking Action Requires…Taking Action!
Although it sounds redundant, this encompasses more than just saying what you want to do. You have to take those initial steps and that requires physical activity. If you hate your job and desperately want a change, it does nothing to constantly say “I hate my job; I need a change.”
You have to do something to make the change you desire. Think about if Steve Jobs or Bill Gates just sat around repeating to themselves how they would impact the technology industry while hoping that a computer or an operating system would somehow magically appear. We would not have the benefits of what we have now in the world of technology. They both has to put in the work, even though as we read about their stories the many challenges and obstacles that stood in their way. Yet they persevered and believed in their dreams and achieved their goals.
Yes, whatever it is that you are striving for may seem like it is completely impossible. You may even feel overwhelmed and afraid. However, you have to believe in yourself enough to know that you have everything you need inside you to achieve your desires and let that be your guide and the fuel that continuously ignites you. Fear cannot hold you back. Only you can, by allowing your thoughts to keep you hostage. This only becomes another excuse. There has to be a sense of consistency paired with the determination that enables you to power through the challenges and accomplish your dreams.
When your feelings of inadequacy begin to outweigh your feelings of comfort, you’ll begin to grow tired. You’ll want to do everything you can to destroy those feelings and become your optimal self. The intolerable nature of your current situation should be the motivating force behind getting up, going out, and obtaining what you want. Remaining stuck will no longer be an option!
A few tips to stay motivated:
1. Start Now
The killer of all dreams is PROCRASTINATION. A bittersweet concept that pacifies our excuses is saying or thinking you can put something off until tomorrow. By all means, don’t wait until you think it is a “convenient” time to begin working towards your goals. Bottom line, there is no convenient time to challenge yourself. Start NOW! Even if you are taking small steps, progress is progress, they will eventually count toward your bigger vision. Make it a goal to do one thing a day that will eventually get you closer to where you want to be.
2. Create a Vision Board
Vision boards are excellent motivators and visual reminders that can keep you on track and help you to stay accountable. Find a poster board or use a corkboard that is to your liking and pin different pictures, and motivational quotes anything that inspires you. Hang your board in an area where you can look at every day. The purpose of creating your board is to visually outline your goals so you can organize your thoughts and have a clear picture of where you want to be while tapping in to your creativity.
3. Fully Immerse Yourself In Your Dream
One of the best ways to increase your motivation is to stay up to date on your area of interest. Take sewing for example. If your goal is to become a master fashion designer, learn everything you can about fashion and design. Learn the history, learn about the top performers. Maybe shadow an expert designer to soak up their experience. Whatever it is that you’re wanting to do must be of interest to you. Educate yourself to the best of your ability and that excitement will give you that extra motivation to keep going.
This is the year of acceleration and accomplishing our goals and living our best life. Sure, it’s easy to become complacent and result in old habits. However, why not encourage yourself to act and do beyond your means. We are all capable of accomplishing something great. We just need to find that passion, that flow, our “why” and allow that to be our driving force to staying motivated. Allowing your actions to define you as opposed to your words, will help you advance on the journey to success!
Are YOU ready to TAKE ACTION? Click the link to schedule a 45-minute Discovery Session with me.