How to stay motivated to hit your goals
Goals, Goals, Goals! For many of us, goal setting is an exciting exercise. For some of us, it can be an overwhelming task. Either way, we reset, refocus and walk into a new year or new chapter, with intention. As the weeks wear on, and the chaos of day to day life ensues, the excitement fades and we can find ourselves feeling defeated. It can be hard to channel the same energy we started with and we wonder, "What happens after the excitement wears off?"
Trust me. It happens to the best of us! Below are a few tips and tricks that I've identified over the years that help me stay the course:
1) Morning Routine: The success of my day begins with executing my morning routine. I do the same thing every morning, seven days a week! Having a routine helps me start my day with positive momentum. Achieving the goal of executing my morning routine, means I've checked one daily goal off of my list, and that I'm heading in the right direction to have an awesome day! You've seen it before: "Success is on the other side of your consistency." For me, my morning routine is EVERYTHING!
2) Set One Achievable Goal: When I'm working on my annual goals, I love to dream big, and work my way back. I intentionally set one or two annual goals that will have a positive impact on my objectives but are relatively achievable with a little time and focus. Why? Because it feels good to check something off of your goal list! I believe in the power of momentum, and if you have the momentum of completing one goal early on, you'll feel good and want to continue down that path. Currently, I write down daily: "I complete the outline for our book." I'm just now putting the finishing touches on the outline. Then I can cross it off my list! Next, I'll write: "I complete the talking points for each chapter in our outline." The ultimate goal: "I complete our book in 2020, and it's a New York Times Bestseller!" That's a BIG goal, but breaking it down into bite-sized segments makes it appear more achievable, and makes me feel good and empowered as I complete each task.
3) Get Yourself an Accountability Partner: We have family and friends we love, but not everyone is on the same personal growth journey train that we are on. You will find it wildly helpful to identify one friend (or, like me, your entire social media community), who you can share your goals with and who will "jam you up" in love. I'm in a rad "girl-gang." I have a group of friends who know what the others are working towards in their lives, and we regularly ask each other about our goals and dreams, cheer each other on, listen, support through struggles and most importantly, celebrate each other's wins! We are each other's #1 fans! Get in a gang y'all! Even if there are only two of you, it will be a blessing!
4) Don't Set Too Many Goals at Once: Goal setting is a creative and exciting exercise, but it can also become overwhelming! I personally like to start big! I visualize myself and my life 10 years from now. I write it all down and keep that sheet of paper. Then, I ask myself what my life will need to look like in five years to achieve my 10-year vision. I keep that sheet. Lastly, I contemplate what I need to do this year to work towards my five and 10-year plans. I identify 10 solid goals to work on, in the next 12 months, that will get me closer to being that woman, and having that life. I don't set more than 10 goals. As you complete each goal, you can add another. I'm never working on more than 10 at one time. From that 10, I identify one mini goal to work on that will get me closer to achieving one of my 10 goals (like finishing my book outline so I can move forward with writing the book!)
5) Write Down Your Goals Daily: As important as my daily routine is, I write out my goals every single day! I incorporate this into my morning routine, because it's such a priority. When I say I do it daily, I mean: I do it daily! And, I write them as if they've already happened. Example: I want to work on being a more patient mom, but instead of writing, "I want to be more patient," I write, "I am a patient mama." This conditions my brain to know that I AM patient.
6) Define Your WHY: It's critical for me to sit down and define why I'm setting aside to time to pursue my life with intention, because it's a lot of work! It's worthwhile work, but it requires sacrifice and change. When I've identified my WHY, I have something I can meditate on to get excited about, and also something to refocus on when I've lost momentum. Here's my WHY: I must lay it all out on the field of life to see what the Creator has in store for me. Because I know His plans are so much greater than my own. I must leave a legacy for my children. I cannot get to the end of my life wondering, "What If?" My WHY excites me and inspires me to get off of my butt, to take risks and to love big!
7) Change Your State: We all have bad days, seasons of struggle and times we don't feel motivated. A few minutes of physical activity can change your entire mental state. A quick walk around the block at lunch, 10-20 jumping jacks in the restroom or doing a breathing exercise at your desk works wonders. If you take a risk, you might surprise yourself. A few moments to change your surroundings and increase blood flow will work wonders on your mental state and get you back in the game!
8) Remind Yourself That You're Worth It: At the end of the day, you must believe (even if it doesn't come naturally) that you are worth it. You deserve to be the best version of yourself, to reach your full potential and to chase your dreams. There is a purpose for your life, and you are entitled to live out that purpose, without regret or guilt. You may have to shed decades of conditioning to do this, but you will not reach your life's full potential without truly believing this. You will be a better you, for everyone else, when you do the work on you, and believe that YOU ARE WORTH IT!
NOTE: I've been goal setting for many years and I have tried many frameworks. Currently, I get inspired from Rachel Hollis. You can go to Episode 72 of her podcast The Rise Podcast for free, to listen to, and walk through the process. I promise it's worth it. Do the work!
For more articles and information on Nikki and her tribe, checkout www.cummingscamp.com.