Earlier this week I ran into a friend I haven't seen in a while. We told jokes, reminisced and joked some more. We then discussed our plans for the future. During the middle of our conversation my friend gives me a sheet of paper with his writing on it and it lists the following:
Lose 15 lbs.
Save up $ to buy a house
Go back to school
Learn how to play the piano
Learn Spanish
Give guitar lessons
Travel to Europe
"This is great!" I respond after looking at the list. "The first step to accomplishing your resolutions is to write them down!"
"Actually..." my friend says with a bit of disappointment, "this is a list I wrote back in 2009. I've kept it because every year I tell myself I'm going to finally accomplish those seven things. I've only accomplished a some of it. I lost 2lbs."
It's been a week since 2014 began. If you made goals for yourself, you probably really want to fulfill them. However, have you already pushed back your goals because you don't have the 'time'? Have you convinced yourself that it's better to start tomorrow? Or have you already convinced yourself that it's 'not that bad' if you don't meet those goals?
There are goals that I haven't met yet but there are many that I've accomplished. Here are some strategies that have helped me accomplish some of those goals and how they might help you as well:
1. Surround yourself around people that will motivate you. Most people feel as though the first thing they need to do when trying to meet certain goals is to schedule a day to start. However, I suggest taking a different approach. First, start with talking to someone who you know will pump you up so much that after talking to them you suddenly realized you signed up for a gym membership. Make it a priority to talk to that person who will lift you and will encourage you to reach your goals.You want your motivation to be higher than 100%. Don't surround yourself around negative people or someone who will just drag you down.
2. Take advantage of your momentum. Once you get into the groove of things, take advantage of it. Make the momentum worthwhile and last as long as you can. If you're learning how to play an instrument, don't stop now! Listen to more music, watch YouTube videos about your instrument, but keep going.
3. Celebrate the small victories. Sometimes we think it's silly to celebrate when we lose one pound. Are you kidding? That calls for a party! Be proud of that pound because that is one pound closer to your goal! Things don't happen overnight so enjoy the ride and celebrate. However, if one of your goals is to lose wait, you might not want to celebrate with a Twinkie like I have done in the past. Celebrate in a way that won't disrupt your progress.
4. Find ways to stay motivated. After a few days, or weeks, temptation kicks in. You feel like you want to take a break or just stop for one day. The adrenaline has worn off and you start to convince yourself that 'at least you got that far.' Getting that far is not your goal. Meeting your goal is your goal. If your motivation is at 10% then find a way to get motivated! Go back to step one or find the one or two things that will get you self-motivated. Do those things immediately. If you wait too long, you lose momentum, you lose motivation and you lose sight of the goal you wanted to accomplish.
5. Share your progress. As you continue to push yourself to reach your goal share it with someone. My recommendation is to share it with someone who either (a) cares or (b) will encourage you to keep going. Be careful of sharing it with someone who might respond with a "that's it?" or a "well, I already surpassed your goal." Even sharing it on Facebook or through your social networks might get you a few likes or words of encouragement that will help you keep going.
It's been a week since 2014 started. Let's start with step one. What's your motivation level? 10%? 20%? Who is motivating you?
