Hello everyone!

Today we are talking about how to be more motivated and ways to stay on track! A third of 2022 has already gone by, are you keeping up with your resolutions and personal goals? Getting motivated, staying motivated, and continuing with achieving your goals is a hard task for many people. Whether it’s not seeing instant results or a sudden lack of interest in your passions, motivation is a feeling that ebbs and flows like any other emotion. No one is motivated 24/7 but a person can turn their motivation into a routine and their routine into discipline. When we ask, “how can I get motivated?”, the remedy we search for is not watching motivational videos or reading motivational quotes. The true solution is constructing your life in a way where every day you make even the most minute progress on your goals and it is easier than you think.

So let’s get into it!

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Getting Motivated

1. Identify your passions

The first thing you’ll want to do is identify your specific passions. Not what you feel you “should” do or what your parents, significant other, or friends want you to do. Relying on pleasing other people or conforming to an idea of what is perfect will only burn you out in the long run. True intrinsic motivation, passion, and discipline will come and stay easier when you are working towards something you truly believe in. There is a difference between someone becoming a doctor because they came from a long line of doctors and it’s expected versus someone who wants to dedicate their lives to helping others through the medium of health care because they know what it is to go without. It does not have to be this extreme but you get the idea!

This may seem like overkill, but take a few days or even weeks to find out what you want! What do you enjoy? What did you love to do as a child? What do you have a natural inclination towards? Ruminate on these questions and let the answer come to you over time. The internet is also a great tool for searching for different careers and lifestyles you may be interested in.

2. Write down your goals

Next, you want to write your main goals and your target objectives that you want to accomplish. We would recommend 6-8 main goals and 9-11 objectives. The objective will be a perfect tool to build your timeline and your routine around.

3. Create a timeline

Now it is time to create a realistic timeline to achieve your goals. This is not a daily routine but a timeline extending weeks, months, and years. Take your time when building this and preferably build it online so you can make easy edits as time goes by. First, sketch out a timeline for your objectives.

For example, if one of your main goals is learning to play the piano, an objective could be learning to play the scales. You would set a certain timeline for this specific objective. Don’t worry about objectives and timelines overlapping, it should be expected!

Staying On Track

4. Build a routine

Now, you want to build a daily routine that works for YOU! Depending on your schedule, you’ll want to dedicate as much time as you are comfortable with and this is different for everyone! Just because someone can afford to spend 9+ hours a day working on a personal passion doesn’t mean you have to! Working on other people’s schedules is the quickest way to burn out. Curate your routine for yourself and then you will see long-term success.

BUT

Truth be told, we don’t believe in being a “night person” or someone who functions better at nighttime. Biologically, we are all morning people because of circadian rhythm and it has been shown that it’s quite unhealthy for you to work against this biological clock (such as people who work night shifts). If it can be avoided, try not to work late-night jobs or take night shifts, the extra money is not worth the toll it will take on your body. Try to fix your sleeping schedule over a couple of weeks and aim to wake up between 5 am to 9 am.

5. Journaling

Journaling is an amazing way to stay on track with your goals and to check in with yourself. We have curated some amazing journals to help you stay on track with your goals and tear down subconscious barriers that have been blocking your progress and success.

6. Motivational tools

Having motivational tools sprinkled within your life is the best way to stay disciplined. What do we mean by “sprinkled in”? This means paying careful attention to the things you watch, read, and listen to. There’s nothing wrong with sitting down and enjoying some RHOA reruns but you want the things you consume to motivate you!

Of course, direct motivational tools like vision boards, quotes, and motivational videos are great but you want to listen to music that empowers you, podcasts that teach you important things but are also balanced with some humour, and watch TV shows where there isn’t constant struggle or violence. Making these small changes can improve your perception of your own life and what you’re capable of.

Building Discipline

7. Be honest with your weaknesses

This can be done intrinsically or in a journal. Don’t be ashamed and admit your common weakness and downfalls. Don’t push the blame outwards but find and identify the part of you that spins your progress in circles.

If you haven’t been able to lose weight for the past 3 years, you need to be honest with your weaknesses. Are your goals realistic? Do you work out with the right mindset? Do you punish yourself with food and exercise? Be candid with yourself, you will feel much better when you can grow your self-awareness! The best time to do this is when you are at your lowest or generally feel down. It may be hard but ask yourself at that moment, why am I here? What is it about myself that I can’t commit to things or don’t show up for myself? Journal your feelings and watch your self-knowledge, confidence, and discipline blossom!

8. Daily diligence 

Daily diligence is important in building your discipline. You don’t have to be working hard 24/7 365 but you don’t want to fail to keep up with the routine that you set out! As described in one of our older blog posts:

The one-touch rule is great for keeping you on track. Try to “touch” your current project at least once a day (or according to your schedule). Even when you don’t feel like it, at least pick it up for a couple of minutes. You’d be surprised! Many days we don’t feel like going on a run at all but we force ourselves to at least get ready and drive to the trail. Sometimes, these days will produce the best results but even if they don’t churn out anything amazing, you know that you made some progress and stuck to your routine.

The 5-minute rule is very similar to the one-touch rule in that you’ll want to work on your goals, projects, or passions for at least 5 minutes every day. This is also a fantastic tool when you’re feeling unmotivated and stuck. Commit to doing it for just 5 minutes because that 5 minutes is better than 0.

Remember to also schedule some downtime every day and at least every week. You can burn out easily if you aren’t setting parameters for your work which can bring you the opposite result that you want.

9. Change your perception

You need to change your perception of hard work and discipline. Hard work is what it is- it should be hard but you should enjoy it! Your goals should require some effort, some exertion, and some mental strength because to go where you’ve never been you need to do things you’ve never done. There may be some discomfort but this discomfort, unsureness, and hard work will turn into mastery, confidence, and success. The only thing that separates you from your goals and your ideal life is time, discipline, and work. That’s it. Putting things on a pedestal will never bring them closer to fruition.

In contrast, if you are not enjoying the hard work you’re putting in, you may need to reevaluate your goals and if they still align with what you want out of life.

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Would you consider yourself a disciplined or motivational person? Let us know in the comments below!

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