The end of January is almost here, are you sticking to your goals you sought out to keep the beginning of the month? Well, if you’re struggling or stopped, you’re not alone. In fact, 80% of Americans typically break their New Year’s resolutions by the month of February. That may seem like a disappointing statistic, but that shouldn’t encourage you to give up.
All you need is a bit of motivation to keep going, and you will eventually get there.
So, if you’re looking for ways on how to get motivated, these tips can help you achieve any goal you’ve set out to accomplish this year.
1. Change your mindset.
One of the biggest reasons people fail or don’t meet their end goals is because they remain stuck in a mindset that struggles with change, even if it’s a good change. Why is this? Because change takes time and energy, and is often very difficult to start in the beginning.
However, in order to form a new habit or behavior, you have to keep going at it. In fact, it takes about 66 days for anything to become a habit. Of course, this varies from person to person, but the fact of the matter is- you cannot give up when things start to become difficult or challenging.
Instead you have to push through and see your failures as a learning experience. Failure to meet your goal or do a task should also not be a reason to give up, it should be the reason why you keep moving forward.
Procrastination is another behavior that influences the negative mindset. It’s fine to unwind at the end of the day or relax, but if that’s all you’re doing, then you’re not working towards your goals. Plus, let’s face it, when you say “I’ll do it tomorrow”, it probably won’t get done tomorrow either. Pushing tasks off onto a further date only hinders your success and causes more problems in the future. If you want to quit a bad habit or learn something new, jump in and start it already- time doesn’t won’t wait until you’re ready.
2. Refocus your goals.
Another reason many fail to achieve their goals for the new year is because they take on much more than they can handle. Failure can and does happen to everyone, however, you have to be realistic. If you’ve set too many goals it can be overwhelming, and cause you to become disappointed because you haven’t accomplished what you set out to.
So, how can you motivate yourself to take action? Realize that you can do anything you set your mind to, as long as you stay focused on it. Don’t put too much on your plate at once – turn your goals into small portions that you can easily handle for the months to come.
3. Everything takes time.
Another reason why many give up or become frustrated is because of an unrealistic perspective on how long it will take to achieve a goal.
You aren’t going to have the body you’ve always dreamed of in a month, and you probably won’t be proficient in a new language in 2 weeks. Goals take time to accomplish, so relieve yourself of the concept that you can do a lot in a short period of time.
Additionally, you’ll need to stop looking at the end result and start looking at the steps you need to take to get there. When you idealize the successes of others over the hard work it takes to achieve a goal, you’ll lose motivation. Remember, you cannot get where you want to go without sacrifice and without working hard, because nothing worth having comes easy.
4. Surround yourself with motivation.
Get into the habit of surrounding yourself with motivation. Whether you wake every morning to a song that pumps you up, listen to a speech that makes you feel on top of the world, or commit to posting positive quotes every week on social media.
And if you aren’t so keen on self motivation, a goal is always better to accomplish with a partner. Find someone you really trust and respect to talk to – this can be a coworker, a colleague, a friend, a family member, or even a neighbor. All that matters is they fuel your desire to get motivated. Go for a walk with them, talk to them about your struggles, and keep them up to date about everything.
5. Track your successes.
Even if you have had bad days, you’ve still tried and made an effort towards your goals. You may not notice results right away (aforesaid, goals take time) but, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be proud of what you’ve accomplished.
A great way to do this is by tracking what you’re doing either with the help of an app on your phone, a piece of paper, or a calendar planner- whatever you prefer will not only make you more productive, but you’ll feel good seeing your overall progress.
Additionally, if you’re really looking to get visual, try putting this data into something like a spreadsheet and create a graph that you can see. Being able to view your overall accomplishments can help you get motivated in no time when you start to slack. Seeing the results of hard work can be very rewarding, so make sure to consistently keep track of everything you do!
So, how are you planning to stay motivated this year? We’d love to hear about it in the comments below!
