Keep yourself motivated and on track

Keep yourself motivated

A wise man once said – “If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always gotten”.

That wise man, my friends, is Tony Robbins.

For those of you who don’t know Tony – he is a world-renowned life coach. A champion motivator. He is always on top of his game. And you know what? I bet he still wakes up some mornings and doesn’t fancy going for that run or pushing himself to do that mundane task he put off yesterday. Maybe he never puts things off. Man, he’s good. He must have some tactics up his sleeve, right?

Well, not really. He’s just practising what he preaches and teaches. We all know what we need to do but sometimes we need a little kick up the butt to get back on track.

When I was having a lull in my motivation yesterday, I decided to sit down and think of all the preventative measures I could put in place to scrap some of my sluggish thoughts. After all – my only barrier is… me.

7 ways to keep yourself motivated…

1. Have a target

What do you want to achieve? If it’s exercise or fitness related, perhaps set your target weight, clothing size, a target time or speed or a date by which you need to achieve your goal – such as a holiday or wedding.

It doesn’t have to be exercise related though. The same principles can apply to motivating yourself in your career, relationships or personal hobbies for example.

2. Have a plan or schedule

Whether it’s a daily, weekly or an annual thing – or all combined – having at least a rough plan of how to get where you’re headed is helpful.

Plot out all the tasks that will help you to build up to your goal and plan them into your life agenda. Every morning or evening write down your to do list for the following day. Have one for your personal ‘life admin’ and one for work.

You’ll feel like you’ve accomplished something if you’ve done it and if you haven’t, it’ll be a glaring reminder of what you haven’t done.

3. Get into a routine

If the task is a regular one – say for example a run, try to do it at the same time every day or every week. When something becomes a routine, it becomes much less painful.

4. Quotes

Like the Tony Robbins one above – if you feel like you’re slipping off track, whack one of these out.

My favourite: Dream big and dare to fail. – Norman Vaughan

Stick them up around the house, write them down, chant them, scream them – whatever you fancy. Let them inspire you and let them motivate you.

5. Get your friends and family to keep you in check

Sometimes the voices of those around us are much louder than our conscience.

When you have a goal that you’re working towards, sharing it with others close to you means that they can help kick you back on wagon when you’re falling off.

Doing your tasks or exercise with a friend will also mean that you hold each other accountable. Get a running buddy for that painful morning lap around the park and it’ll be a breeze before you know it.

6. Reward yourself

All work and no play makes Jack a very dull boy. Take a break every now and again and give yourself a treat. Don’t go overboard mind… it’s a slippery slope!

If your goal’s not to drink booze for a year – why not treat yourself to a fancy meal out or a massage once a month and spend some of the money you’ve saved.

7. Work it into your routine

“I have no time!” – it’s the age old excuse. When time is precious, work tasks or exercise into your daily routine so you don’t have to readjust your life around them. Life is hard enough as it is – no need to make it harder.

Run back from work, do your work on the train, cycle to the supermarket, practise your singing in the shower… whatever works, work it!

Tags: achieve, exercise, goal, inspire, motivate, motivation