We need a motivation factor to keep us going when we work towards a better future by achieving our goals. Whether our goal is to do better at school, get a job promotion, or get back in shape, motivation keeps us focused on our goal. There are times when staying motivated can be challenging due to various distractions coming our way. So, a little motivation along the way will make you stronger and help you concentrate on your goals. Read on to know the hacks and stay inspired.
Mark Your Goal on The Calendar
To strengthen your motivation, create a target date for yourself and mark it on a calendar, as it will help you stay focused and track your progress. You could choose smaller targets like a school test or a presentation and set the target date as your deadline. If your goals do not have a specified target date, you could choose a deadline per your capabilities; for instance, you are preparing for a marathon or trying to lose weight. This way, you can always track your progress and make sure you keep working toward your goal.
Be Prepared for Imperfections
Sometimes, things don’t go as we plan. When you plan your goals, be prepared for failures and mistakes that will come along. There can be many distractions that can make you slow or lose time while you are working hard to get to your goal; these can be smaller ones, like losing internet while on an online session or getting a phone call while studying, or bigger ones like bad weather while you for your practice or falling sick. Once you’ve come to an agreement with these, make a contingency plan to deal with them. For instance, you could download the important sessions to go through in the meantime or find a backup place for your runs. These little things can help you stay motivated even when things go wrong, all you need to do is be ready to make some adjustments.
Set Smaller Goals
When you have a long-term goal, it becomes essential that you add smaller steps to your goal. For example, if you aspire to be a doctor, you might know it will take you 6 to 8 years to get there; in such a scenario, you must set smaller goals for yourself along the way. These could be your weekly assessments or mid-term examination; all you have to do is add small targets that can be achieved in smaller timelines. When you experience these little victories or setbacks, these will prepare you well for the bigger challenges, such as your final exams. Accessing your progress with these small goals helps you succeed in your long-term goals.
Track Your Progress
Tracking your progress while working toward your goal is very crucial to boost your motivation. Various tools and ways are available to help track your goals and the progress you make while working on them. You could use an app that allows you to set a goal and update your progress as you work on your task, or you could record it manually on a piece of a chart and keep it attached to your place of work. This will also serve as a reminder for your to keep moving forward with your effort toward your goal.
Embrace Peer Pressure Positively
While you are working hard to reach your goals, you will have to deal with a lot of peer pressure. You need to acknowledge this fact at the earliest and take out the positive from it. Having other people as your peer and competitors can be a great inspiration to push you harder toward your goal. Research has shown that being a part of a team and staying connected to like-minded people might make you more connected to your goal. Similarly, sharing your goals with other people can also make you more committed to your goal.
Reward Yourself
Getting rewarded is always a pleasant feeling, and they work as a great motivator to perform better. When we reward ourselves for those small or big accomplishments in life, it makes our work toward our goals more interesting. The rewards need not be big or expensive, they can be small joys like eating your favorite snack or a fun outing with friends, playing a game online, or watching a movie you like. You can make a list as per your likes and dislikes and assign them to your smaller goals.