How To Stay Motivated

Do you know what you need to do… but then don’t do it?

Here’s some free advice from a Life Coach and career counselor: Setting goals and making plans are necessary to achieve your dreams. But your success will ultimately hinge upon your ability to do what you know you need to do consistently. And — here’s the hard part — doing these things even when you don’t feel like it.

One of the biggest things Life Coaches do, as a matter of fact, is help people stay motivated. Having an accountability partner, and someone expecting you to do your homework rallies your motivation. Something about doing things “just for yourself” leaves you vulnerable to the opposite of motivation — which is being comfy, and indulging instant gratification. (Trust me, I know — it happens to me too).

Self Motivation

If you’re like most people, it’s a challenge to stay motivated for the long haul. Even though we logically know what needs to happen, it’s like there’s this imp that pulls us off track. “The Imp” loves being comfy. It wants to do whatever feels good right now. It whispers excuses in your ears like, “just watch one more episode” when you know you need to go to bed. It promises, “we’ll exercise tomorrow!” when you know you need to get your butt to the gym instead of tapping snooze nine more times.

And — as you know — it is very, very powerful.

If you’re like most people you started the new year with some firm plans in place. You were ready for a fresh start. You were hopeful about making positive changes this year. And, if you’re like most people, since then you’ve had time to notice the war inside of you that happens when you are trying to stay motivated: your head pulling you in one direction, and “The Imp” pulling you in another. If you’re like most people, “The Imp” has had a few wins since New Year’s Eve… and may even be well on it’s way to throttling your motivation back into apathetic acceptance of the status quo.

In other words: you’re already in the danger zone.

Developing a new kind of relationship with the forces inside of you and learning how to keep your motivation strong (and your “Imp” in its place) is absolutely crucial if you want to make things happen in your life. It’s the core of the work you do in Love, Life or Career Coaching. (Read: What’s the difference between Life Coaching and Therapy?)

We started this year off by reflecting on your strengths and accomplishments, connecting with your core values, and thinking about what kinds of positive action would actually move the needle for you this year.

Now it’s time to work on building the motivation that will actually get you there. On episode 64 of The Love, Happiness and Success Podcast I’m discussing how to get a handle on instant gratification, and how to keep your motivation firmly in charge.

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Now, let’s talk: self-awareness is key to mastering motivation. What’s your first clue that Instant Gratification is taking over? How do YOU get motivation back in charge? Discussion time is in the comments!

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