“The first time it’s a distraction.
The second negligence.
The third time you’ve decided to focus on the distraction more than what’s important
(perhaps because you didn’t clarify what’s important).”
-Brendon Burchard
Motivation is amazing. We’ve all felt those moments that are almost euphoric in nature and we want to just go, go, go, go, go, even when we are tired. Once you get that momentum going it feels like it will never end. Then you realize you have to stop at some point because you have other things to do that are important… like sleep, except you won’t, so you wake up sleepy, because you spent so much time awake last night and now you don’t want to do that thing you were so hell-bent on doing the night prior.
You say you’ll get to it (i.e. working out, meal prepping, grocery shopping, reading that educational article on nutrition, or writing your thesis), however, there are those important things you didn’t get to the night prior either and so those need to be taken care of before you can get to that thing you want to continue doing. Alas! You get distracted and by the time you know it, you just can’t muster the strength to get back to your goal and continue working on it.
Motivation is an emotion and it’s oh so very fleeting. But you knew this already. Anyone can do, dare I say, ANYTHING when the mood strikes.
Discipline takes effort. It’s a character trait, one that must be cultivated and it’s what will separate you from the rest that gave up because their motivation waned and they just set their goal on the back burner.
Discipline is what will carry you through the year and not have you starting over with the same New Year’s Resolution you’ve had for the past 5 years.
Going into the New Year, are you not SURE what you’ll do with your goal or have you programmed yourself for success? I hear so many people talk about jump starting their weight loss, their new business, their career, their education, but that’s just fluff if you haven’t mapped out your success. How can you make this year different from last year?
Here are six points of reference to begin no matter what your goal is, fitness, business, education or otherwise:
#1 Define WHAT you want to achieve. Be specific. If you are looking to lower your body fat percentage, by how much? By when? What changes will help you get there? Once you figure out the changes, which change will you tackle first? How long will you give yourself to master that new habit before you start working on the new habit? You get the picture.
#2 Divorce negative people. You become the same as the five people you spend the most of your time with. Notice how your behavior, thinking and even mood shifts when you’re around a negative Nelly. Guess what? This also refers to your negative self-talk.
#3 Develop a love/hate relationship (instead of just hate) with the things you know are good for you. When we were kids we had our parents to tell us what to do and make us do those things even when we hated every moment of it. It’s time to “parent” yourself. Which leads me to my next tip.
#4 Create momentum–It’s harder to get started than to keep going. Create a schedule and stick to it (just as you would had one of your parents sent you to clean up your room). This means if you set a time to work out for 30 minutes because you have to do laundry, then stick to only 30 minutes and don’t go over-timing it to 60 minutes because then you’ll be left with no underwear. Ya feel me?! When you stick to a schedule you’ll be more likely to get a lot done, but also build momentum without the rest of your life falling to shambles because you’re creating a balance between all the elements in your life.
#5 Fall in love with failure. This is a big one. You’re going to fail. It’s a fact. Embrace it. Make it OKAY to fail and move on. It doesn’t mean YOU are a failure. It means the attempt you gave at the moment failed. Dust yourself off, stop your whining and give it another go. This just means you’re one step closer to getting it right the next time. It has become cliché to say as Thomas Edison did, “I’ve not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that did not work,” but it’s cliché because it’s the truth. It’s in part thanks to Edison that you’re reading (or hearing) this blog post today. Can I get an Amen for electricity (and for failure)?!
#6 Take time to celebrate your successes. If you’re not celebrating each milestone, what are you doing this all for? Celebrating your successes will keep you invigorated, focused and excited to hit your next goal. Last but not least, and have FUN! Let your hair down from time to time.
What are some of tips you’d share or suggest to someone else that is looking to achieve your same goal?
In health,
