The hardest part about goals is consistently working towards them and staying motivated.
It is inevitable that you will lose motivation. There will come the time when you just don't want to do anything or you'll feel discouraged for one reason or another, and it'll most likely happen a couple of times throughout the year. It's normal and it's bound to occur. The best way to deter losing progress/time or giving up–alongside reminding yourself why you are working towards this goal–is to create habits.
Having a routine of progressive habits in place will help you continue to be proactive even when you don't want to be.
While creating a routine, the most important thing to know is your priorities. What is your focus? What do you want to achieve? What do you value over other actions/things?
Your time is valuable and how you spend it is a direct link to your success.
Whenever I feel out of balance, the first thing check is my priorities and how I am spending my time.
Look at your list of goals and write down the steps you can take to achieve each goal. If you've read and followed my tips on the first post in this series, you should already have a “why” and “how” written alongside each of your goals. This incorporates habits into your routine that will help you achieve your goals.
If one of your goals is to write a novel by June, then make it a habit to spend some time–say, each afternoon at 5, writing. Or if you'd like to read more, spend the time before falling asleep reading instead of on your phone. As the days go by, actions like these will reap their benefits, but you must hold yourself accountable; otherwise, you're not going to be successful in making a normal routine out of them.
It takes 21 days before something becomes a habit. Take that time and challenge yourself to do a series of things to make them habits. If you struggle with being consistent, create a habit chart, hang it up somewhere you’ll always see it, and mark things off as you do them. If you struggle with finding motivation in the satisfaction of checking off or coloring in a square on your chart, create a reward system. You might choose to give yourself a chocolate each time you complete a habit, or after ten consecutive days, order in or go out for a meal.
Do whatever motivates you to create a routine of habits to become your best self.
The second side to making sure you are successful and proactive is creating a supportive environment.
Now that you've (hopefully) minimized your belongings and specified the purpose of those staying (as I spoke about in my last post) you must create an environment that is supportive of your goals. By having less—specifically less to decide from—there are less decisions to be made.
By having less to decide from, you have more time to work towards your goals. Like I said before, time is valuable and you have to use it wisely.
Of course, the space in which you work towards your goals is going to be different for each goal, and it'll vary between people. But overall, eliminate distractions that might hinder your progression. Create an environment that is positive and supportive by filling it with things that inspire/aid you, but remember to avoid replacing the clutter you just got rid of.
There will be times you will feel like giving up. There will also be times where you will be excessively motivated. You'll want to work on your goals on some days more than others and possibly get to the point of questioning why you are doing what you are doing. You'll want to stop. But you have to remind yourself of the "why".
Why did you choose to do this in the first place? If you give up, what are the benefits?
Life isn't supposed to remain the same; if it were, we wouldn't appreciate happiness because we've known sadness. We wouldn't know how to strive for better while being okay with our current situation, and more importantly, we wouldn't know growth because we wouldn't have experienced the ups and downs of life.
It's an adventure. Everything you are doing to work towards your goals is an investment in yourself and your life, and that takes time. Give yourself a break if you're tired; you have time, and it's better to take off that one day or week to gather your motivation and energy rather than force yourself forward and develop a hatred for what you are doing.
It's okay. Don't forget to be kind and understanding with yourself.
“No work or love will flourish out of guilt, fear, or hollowness of heart, just as no valid plans for the future can be made by those who have no capacity for living now.”
— Alan Watts
until next time,
take care,
rachel xoxo
What's your opinion?