Have you ever been unable to sleep because you’re so motivated to achieve your goals but suddenly a grey cloud of doubt creeps in? The struggle to stay motivated is something I believe has confronted all of us in one way or another. In reality it is a constant battle; choosing to overcome complacency and continuously adopting the drive to achieve your goals is something we must all do to become successful. No matter what stage we are at in life, whether you work 9-5 days or have 3 lectures a week, we all need to be motivated.
OUR TIPS FOR STAYING MOTIVATED
Visualise your end goal/ Think of the bigger Picture
What I like to do is remind myself of what I’m working towards by using visual aids. Vision Boards work for some people; posting pictures of things you aspire to attain in life and putting it in a visible place to draw inspiration and motivation for the day. A lot of my time is spent on my phone, so I use my wallpaper as my source of motivation. Because I run ‘Melanin Medics’ I use the logo as my background, it then reminds me of all I want to achieve in terms of graduating from Medical School and excelling in my career as well as my desire to impact people along the way, all of which I know can’t be done by being average and doing the bare minimum to get by. Seeing the logo constantly reminds me that I need to continuously work hard.
Plan
Write it down your goals, what you have to do to achieve them and when you plan to achieve them. A lot of the time we keep our To do List in our heads however it is easy to forget something or simply let something slide. Writing down what you need to do almost presents a challenge and allows you to recognise your achievements as well as makes you accountable to yourself and reevaluate your decisions. Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible
People with written goals are 50% more likely to achieve than people without goals
Celebrate the small victories
With each completed goal whether big or small comes the motivation to achieve the next. Appreciating the result of your own efforts is important, a lot of goals go unaccomplished so take some time out to recognise your achievements and reward yourself. Have you ever taken a moment to realise that some of the goals you’ve previously achieved have set the foundation for where you are now?
Remember why you started
If you can remember why you started, then you will know why you must continue. When the going gets tough and life gets hard it’s so easy to want to quit. The difference between successful people and unsuccessful people is that successful people work through those down days. They don’t quit. Where do they get the motivation to keep going, even when it seems like their efforts are nonproductive? Your passion tends to be the reason you started which becomes your drive to reach your goals. Despite all odds then, you were able to start and despite all odds now, you’re able to keep going.
Surround yourself with people that motivate you
The type of people you keep around you is extremely important. On my down days I call one of my sister’s or one of my friends and I know they will be a source of motivation for me. Most of the time they don’t give me advice that I don’t already know within myself but what they help me to do is remind me of my goals, they divert my focus back to what I am working towards and do not allow me to stay down for too long. They also remind me of what I am capable of.
Sharing your goals with a close ‘confide’ is proven to increase the chances of you achieving your goal
Embrace Positivity
Negative conversations will have you focused on all the wrong things and may take your focus off of your goals. Seek out positivity and don’t engage in negative conversations. Speak positive affirmations. Words have a creative force. Regardless of what is going on around you, speak out loud what you want to happen. Read and listen to positive information. If you fill your mind with uplifting and inspiring information, it will keep you motivated.
Learn from your mistakes
Look back on your journey, remember the trials and tribulations you faced to get to the point you are at now. Every mistake has moulded you and subsequently influenced every decision you’ve made from that point onward. Conduct regular self-evaluations and examine how you handled situations and what you could do differently next time. We live, we learn and we move forward. Having the right company in place to help you is crucial to your success.
Adopt an attitude of Expectancy
Ever heard of the law of attraction? The Laws of Attraction means that the thoughts you focus on most and the emotions behind them draw more of the same to you. The thoughts and feelings that we have around our goals have everything to do with making them a reality. Expect Success, Attain Success!
Trust yourself
Too many people harbour the attitude that by not trying at all, they can totally eliminate the possibility of failure or disappointment. After all, if you don’t believe that you can succeed at something, what’s the point in trying? Lack of self-belief is arguably the biggest motivation killer of all. You are more than capable. If you have achieved goals before, there is nothing stopping you from achieving them again.
The truth is even with all of these tips to help you stay motivated, the true source of motivation is really within yourself. You hold the key to success and have to choose to push through on those down days. Motivation is subjective and you need to find what works for you.Â