How to Maintain Your Motivation

We are about three weeks into 2021 and I know that some of us might have difficulty in finding motivation during this time. It’s common for us to feel excited during the first week and then lose that momentum as the weeks go by, which is why most New Years Resolutions fail. It’s also okay to have days where you might not want to do anything and you’re not as productive as you can be. I think being aware of those moments is critical, so you can better assess how you can move forward and find your motivation again.

I personally am not productive 5 days of the week and I don’t think a lot of us can say we are. It’s important to remember that we all have different working styles and approaches. Just like some of us are morning risers and others are night owls, and some prefer to work straight through or need breaks, we just have to how we work best. If you’re feeling a bit unmotivated, know that’s you’re not alone and we all have those phases as it’s all part of life.

Tips on How to Maintain Your Motivation

1. Set SMART goals: Sometimes we make goals that fit in our long term vision, which is fine and helpful as it helps you focus on the bigger picture, but setting SMART goals will allow you to better achieve what you want in the end.

To make sure your goals are clear and reachable, each one should be:

• Specific (simple, sensible, significant).
• Measurable (meaningful, motivating).
• Achievable (agreed, attainable).
• Relevant (reasonable, realistic and resourced, results-based).
• Time bound (time-based, time limited, time/cost limited, timely, time-sensitive).

2. Assess your progress: Make sure you are checking in with yourself to see what your progress is in your goals. If it’s weight loss, then check in with your body to see how you feel and you can even take measurements along the way. If it’s business oriented, then take a look at the areas of your business to see if there has been an improvement such as sales, website traffic, etc. Tracking your progress is a way to get you more motivated to achieve your goals. m

3. Expect to have set-backs and to encounter obstacles: Motivation will come and go throughout the process and it’s inevitable to experience obstacles along the way. When that happens, focus your mind back to your goals and find ways to renew your determination. There is no such thing as failures as long as you keep trying so refuse to give up on matter what how many setbacks you experience.

4. Reframe your thinking: Your thoughts are the driving force in your actions and mindset is everything when it comes to life. When you decide to reframe your thinking to a more positive one, it’s easier to find the motivation again to keep going.

5. Share your goals with the public: There is nothing that will make you feel more motivated in achieving your goals than to share them with the public and to those that you trust. It’s a way to hold yourself accountable because once you put it out into the universe, it’s difficult to not follow through with them. You can also lean onto others when you are struggling because we all need support and help along the way.

6. Be your own cheerleader: You have to first believe in yourself if you want to accomplish anything in life. While having a strong foundation of support is important in achieving your goals, your internal belief that you can is actually even more powerful. I find that it helps to set your intentions and to say them out loud and to practice affirmations on a daily basis so you can embody those positive beliefs.

7. Prioritize Self Care: Motivation is not something that will be a constant in your life. You need to carve out self care time in in order to avoid burn out. Find time to put on a face mask, take a bubble bath, listen to music, get a massage or simply do none of that and grab a glass of wine and unwind with Netflix. Just make sure that you are balancing your work with self care.