Motivation

Motivation is an energy that pushes us to pursue something. Without it we will not achieve our goals. Lack of motivation is my first port of call when working with any client that is not achieving their goals. Motivation doesn’t just happen but is a discipline that takes effort to cultivate and apply each day. Three recognised components that make up motivation are;

Direction – Set a goal and activate it
Effort – The energy/effort you put in
Persistence – The amount of continued effort

With practice it becomes more and more natural. Below I have listed some ways that can help you to remain motivated.

 Procrastination will stop you from achieving. This mindset always wants to ‘buy time’. ‘I’ll start tomorrow’, I’ll do it next week.’ Do it now, in the moment and don’t allow yourself to justify putting it off!

 Negative self talk will always lead to negative feelings and actions. Be self aware and learn to hear your self talk. Pinpoint the negative thoughts and weed them out, replacing them with positive empowering ones. How can you be motivated if you have negative thoughts that distract you from your goal?


 Positive self talk will lead to positive feelings and actions. Surround yourself with positive people and resources. Take time, each day to remain in-tune with your internal talk and check you are upbeat and positive. Cultivate a lifestyle which incorporates ‘me time’ for personal development.

 Planning is an integral part of successful goal setting. Think about what planning needs to be organised so you can realistically reach your goal. Considerations in the area of food and exercise are; meal plans, time management for exercise sessions and meal times, me time for reflection, relaxation, re-grouping of thoughts. Good planning and mini goals for each day will lead to a structured route towards your main goal.

 Distractions are always around us. This is one reason why a day to day and week to week plan, of mini goals is so important. Learning to remain focused on your planned schedule for the day, without wavering, takes practise. The more you do it and enjoy the benefits, the more you will not want to be distracted from your plan.

 ‘Me time’ for personal development, will give you the opportunity to re-focus and plan your mini goals. Motivation comes from you activating it with your will, choosing to aim at a goal. Each day, remind yourself of the mini steps involved in your plan and go for it. If you don’t achieve one of the mini steps, don’t beat yourself up as this will delay you longer. Quickly get over it, stop any negative self talk and re-focus with a positive attitude. ‘Me time’ can last anywhere from five minutes upwards each day and is often best first thing in the morning.

 Hurdles will always evolve. Learning to overcome them and remain focused on your goal is part of maturing in the discipline of motivation. You can not prevent hurdles occurring but you can change your response towards them. Typical ones are injury, illness, unforeseen circumstances, lifestyle change like moving house, holidays and the list is endless. Only perseverance will empower you to push past your hurdles. Like motivation, perseverance is a skill to be practised. Never give up. Learn to overcome your obstacles and gain strength and understanding from each one. How much do you want your goal? How much effort are you willing to apply?

 Coaching support may be what you need if you repeatedly struggle to apply the above and maintain it. Some things we can naturally achieve without help. Sometimes personal support and guidance to get going and become motivated is just what you need to kick start you. Do visit my website to find our more about online personal coaching via Skype or locally.