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I love storytelling and always want my readers to have options. You can find my blogs on my YouTube channel and listen to them on the go.
5 Ways To Get Motivated And Stay Focused
Motivation is the reason or reasons one has for behaving or acting in a certain way. Motivation is also the desire to do things. We all have at least one thing that motivates us to do something or change something. Sometimes the motivation can be as simple as basic human needs.
Many of us are motivated to get and keep a job to pay for food and shelter.
Once you get past the basic necessities, it may be hard to get motivated to do more. There are many reasons we struggle for motivation. One of the biggest struggles for motivation stems from our lack of belief that our goals are achievable. Another big struggle for motivation comes from not believing in ourselves.
I have struggled with motivation in the past, but I have found that when it comes to something I really want, I can find the motivation to achieve my goals. The secret is setting goals to achieve things that you are interested in, and can be excited about. It is also important to be realistic with how much of your goal can be achieved in a period of time. I recommend setting mini goals within your goal. Like training for a marathon, one doesn't start off running 26 miles; it is a slow build up. Treat your goals the same way.
I created a small checklist for myself to get motivated and stay focused. I use this very same list to stay on track with writing and blogging, and guess what, it works!
5 Tips For Getting Motivated
Set Goals
You have a goal, or goals in mind, but you need to start with a specific target. The goal may be losing weight. But how much weight do you want to lose. For others, the goal may be getting a promotion at work, or furthering your education.
Make A Plan
Once you set your goal, you need to make a list of everything you will need to complete your goal. Does your goal require time, money, or a gym membership? Your list should also consist of obstacles to obtaining your goal, and plan to overcome them.
Share Your Goals With Others
Sharing goals and plans with others will help to make you more accountable. Those close to you want to see you succeed and achieve your goals. You may find you have a great support system, and maybe even some cheerleaders or partners for your journey.
Track Progress
The tracking of your progress is an important part of moving towards your goals. Whether you are weighing yourself weekly, or timing your run as you train for a half marathon, tracking to measure your progression is a must. You should also use tracking to also adjust your goals, if needed, or to adjust your timeline.
Reward Yourself
You have set a goal and are making progress towards meeting your goal. It is essential that you reward yourself, and give your self credit for your hard work and discipline. The reward can be a sweet treat, a new pair of shoes, or even a vacation.
Be kind to yourself. Setting and achieving goals is not easy. In fact, setting and staying focused on your goals is challenging to say the least. It is very easy to become discouraged when you are not seeing progress fast enough, and just give up. Just remember, anything worth having takes hard work and time. Be patient.
Do you have different tips for staying motivated and focused? What do you do to achieve your goals? Please share your story or experience!
"Wanting something is not enough. You must hunger for it. Your motivation must be absolutely compelling in order to overcome the obstacles that will invariably come your way." - Les Brown
Are You Living Your Dream? I'm Trying To...
We all have dreams when we are young and continue to dream as we go through life. Our dreams evolve as we mature and some aspirations just seem unachievable. Some little boys dream of becoming astronauts or professional athlete, while some little girls dream of becoming ballerinas or singers. All dreams are special and hopes for the future. Unfortunately at some point reality creeps in. Some dreams are very difficult to achieve, and when one does achieve them they do no necessarily pay the bills.
I was always a dancer, a pretty good dancer to be honest, but it wasn't my passion. That statement might surprise many who grew up with me and saw me a fierce dance competitor. I enjoyed dancing but books and art were my passion. If I were living my dream today, I would either be a curator at a lovely gallery or museum, preferably in Europe. Or I would make my living as a writer. My family is full of artists, a talent I do not have, but I love beautiful paintings. Monet and the Impressionism style is my favorite. I could stare at beautiful art work all day.
As far as writing goes, I write daily. Whether or not writing alone will someday pay my bills I care not. I have no regrets. I have done a lot in my life, achieved a lot, but like many of you I still have dreams. Those dreams evolve as I grow and change as a person. I will never stop writing. I enjoy it and know that as long as I am writing, I am one step closer to making my dream a reality.
Are you living your dream? Have you given up or taken a break? Now is the time...time won't wait for you.