Getting - and Staying - Motivated by Following Your Personal Plan
GET CONNECTED TO YOUR GOALS
What do you really want? What are you working toward in your work, family, physical and spiritual life? Think big. Choose one area you want to grow in and work on that.
Short-term "sprints" toward long-term objectives
Most professional marathoners don't think about their races as 26.2 mile runs, they think of them as an accumulation of smaller sprints (with a dash for the finish at the end). By breaking down your objectives into smaller goals, or sprints, you make them more psychologically attainable, as well as less monumental and massive.
Build your plan
Use your sprints to build a plan that consists of measurable activities. Write them down on a calendar. By building your plan and reviewing it regularly, you'll be able to keep your focus and turn down opportunities that might otherwise pull you away from your goals.
MEASURE AND COMPARE
You can't improve what you don't measure, so make sure your sprints are specific and measurable.
You can control activities, but not results
Sometimes, no matter how closely you have followed your action plan, you still miss the mark. Why is this? Since your goals are a stretch for you, you can't envision the exact outcome. Times like these are when it is most important to adhere to your plan. If you do, and are consistent, you'll eventually experience your desired growth, but in a deeper and more powerful way.
Stay disciplined
By consistently pushing toward your goals, you'll develop mental muscle memory - the stuff that pulls you through when sticking to your plan gets tough.
MAKE MOTIVATION YOUR LIFESTYLE
What are you reading, listening to and watching? Everything that you choose to surround yourself with is an influence on your behavior, so consider your lifestyle.
Calendar events
Plan now to attend positive, goal-affirming events. By putting events on your calendar in advance, you'll be able to evaluate last minute invitations much better and won't be tempted by every invitation.
Journal
Journaling is key to keeping your life - and - plan - in perspective. In addition to providing time for you to reflect on each day, it is also an invaluable opportunity to gain a true perspective on yourself. After a year or two, you'll be able to look back at your writing as an objective observer and see how far your motivation has taken you.
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