How To Stay Motivated To Reach Your Goals - (Part 2)

{To review PART 1 click here}

There are two types of motivation INTRINSIC and EXTRINSIC 

Today we are going to discuss EXTRINSIC motivational factors, and how you can utilize them to stay motivated to reach your goal.

#3

Remove negative people and opinions from your world - negativity kills motivation!

I can't emphasize this point enough. Negative people, negative opinions, negative friends, negative thoughts - just plain negativity in general - will drag you down and keep you down (in life, and in creating and reaching your goals). It's time to build your life around different people and make NEW friends, if you have to!

You don't need time to waste on negativity, "Debby Downer's", and un-inspiring situations, friends, or people that you can control, and keep or remove from you life. 

(Make sure YOU are not guilty of being one of these people, too!)

Surround yourself with confident, successful, positive, motivational, and genuinely helpful, and kind people! They are going or are already were you want to be, and they know how to help you get there.

#4

Tap into a positive support system

Find at least 2 friends or family members whom you know would be helpful in encouraging you, and will be a positive accountability partner for you. 

They will be there for you when you need someone to talk with, or call, and when you need a motivational boost to keep yourself on the right track!

1. Write down 2 people whom you would like to be part of your support system! 

2. Now call them, email them, or message them saying something like this:

"Hey, _______, I've just started on this new path to meet a goal that I am wanting to achieve, and would like to have some friends I can trust by my side. They will help keep me on track and be there for me when I need some tips or advice, or just a listening ear during this journey. It shouldn't take too much of your time - even if you are just available once a week for a few minutes to chat about my progress.

You are one of my closest friends, and I trust you, and really appreciate all of your positive support you have shown me thus far in life. Would you be willing to be one of my 'support'

 friends during this time? I would love to be able to also help support YOU with a goal you are interested in achieving over the next few weeks, too! I really appreciate your friendship! 

Thank you for being there for me - no matter what!

Talk to you soon - 

Warmly, _________"

"Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there." 

~ Will Rogers

"A true friend freely, advises justly, assists readily, adventures boldly, takes all patiently, defends courageously, and continues a friend unchangeably."

~ William Penn (1644-1718)
Founder of Pennsylvania

How To Stay Motivated To Reach Your Goals - Part One

Now that we are almost to end of our Bikini Abs Challenge (Ends beginning of Summer 2013) and also right in the middle of the new 100 Squats A Day 30 Day Challenge (Ends first week of June 2013) - I wanted to touch on the subject of motivation - because, when it comes down to it, if you aren't motivated enough, you won't continue toward your goal nor reach your full potential. 

Which can happen all to often and I'm going to tell you MY personal strategies for sticking to completing my goals - in this case, a fitness goal.

#1

Define your reason for creating this goal -

We all have different reasons for WHY we are setting these goals for ourselves. Clearly defining those reasons, writing them down, posting them up around your desk or work space, with pictures and motivational quotes - are a great start to building your momentum toward meeting your goals!

*Tip: When defining your goals - also define a distinct time-line for each goal to be met and mark it on your calendar and follow up each day with your progress - one great idea to stay on track is a "post-it-note weekly goal chart"! You can find more tutorials about this idea here.

#2

Recognize Self-defeating habits or thoughts and ANNIHILATE them.

Self-defeating habits can range from reaching for that fatty Snickers bar when you're in a hurry and hungry (physical self-defeating habits), to 'just not feeling like working out today' (mental self-defeating habits).

We all have them and we all struggle with them - but, once you have identified what those habits are - write them down, remind yourself that it's very normal to have these thoughts or urges, then re-direct your attention with a mental exercise that you repeat 5 times - such as, "I WILL meet my GOAL, I WILL NOT sabotage my efforts ANY MORE, I am WORTH it, and I am pumped to see the RESULTS. I'm STRONG and CAPABLE, I CAN do this, I WILL do this!!" 

Then remove yourself and your mind from the distraction and change what you are doing...Get UP, move, Go take a walk, go outside and breath the fresh air for 3 full minutes remind yourself WHY you created this goal, listen to the birds chirping, do 20 jumping jacks, ect.

When those moments of normal 'weakness' creep into our minds and bodies, we just plain 'don't got time for that' and need to redirect our attentions, and keep ourselves accountable to our own goals! 

Because, we will all have struggles as we are going through the process of meeting our goals, the difference is, reminding yourself of that FACT - and to stop beating yourself up for having small set-backs. Just get right back onto that horse and ride it all the way to the end - gritting your teeth with determination and perseverance, and feeling exhilarating victory of a goal completed to the end with amazing results!

Today 

1. Set 2 attainable goals for yourself with a defined time-line, write them down. It can be anything from deciding to walk for 20 minutes per day, to deciding to change the kind of people you surround yourself with because they are not lifting you up, but pulling you down into a negative thought spiral...More about this in PART 2).

2. Make a mental note of when you are starting to do something, or not doing something which is contributing to your own self-sabotage and keeping you from attaining your daily goal.

-What are your biggest struggles when setting a goal for yourself? 

-What negative habits do you run into when trying to complete a goal? 

Do you have any other questions?

Share with me in the comments below.

I'm here to help keep you motivated! 

Join my FB page and follow my blog for daily motivation!

- PART 2 - 

Support Systems, Recognizing Sabotage Sources outside of yourself, Positive Role Models.