By Rory Linehan
Key Messages:
- We have all set goals at one point in time (including health goals) which we have not accomplished
- Setting goals is easy but implementing the action steps to achieve these goals is difficult
- Unwavering motivation allows us to implement the action steps consistently to succeed
- My past is littered with examples of missed goals but since achieving unwavering motivation I’m consistently hitting my goals.
- Think unwavering motivation is impossible to achieve? Think again. Obtaining unwavering motivation for any goal is as simple as 5 simple steps
We’ve all been there before. We commit to doing something, whether it be a new diet, a new exercise regime or new project, but for one reason or another it falls by the wayside.
Too often we beat ourselves up over this, telling ourselves that we lack commitment, discipline or the fortitude to follow-through. The truth is that we all would really like to achieve all the goals we set for ourselves but sometimes it just seems too difficult….
Personally, I’ve experienced this a number of times. As someone who is highly ambitious, I set myself a number of goals (perhaps you can relate?). I have every intention of achieving them but my past is littered with examples where they have fallen by the wayside. Like the time I joined a kickball team to expand my social circle and only attended one match. Or the time I committed to eliminating processed sugar for 30 days only to find myself gorging on a bar of chocolate 7 days in (it tasted so good but felt so wrong!). However, recently this has all started to change and I’m achieving my goals with impressive consistency.
So how do we successfully achieve goals and where does it break down? Setting goals is the easy part (e.g. it’s easy to say we’ll commit to eating healthier, exercise more, improve our self-talk, etc.) but implementing the action steps to achieve those goals is difficult, more often than not because it’s difficult to sustain unwavering motivation.
Motivation is a bridge which helps us implement the action steps we need to achieve success. Unwavering motivation allows us to consistently implement the action steps we need in order to succeed.
Achieving unwavering motivation isn’t as difficult as it sounds. I have found incredible success using 5 simple steps. These steps have helped me prioritise my life, reshape my thinking and motivate me to pursue my goals on a daily basis. As an added bonus they have taken my healing to a whole new level, achieving heights I haven’t experienced since before falling ill! So what are these steps you ask? Read on!
1. Prioritise your health
It’s self evident, if we don’t have our health, it becomes near impossible to reach our goals. Even the simplest of tasks such as getting out of bed, brushing your teeth or making breakfast become arduous when you don’t feel good. Having battled my way back from chronic illness, I know all too well how poor health saps your energy and motivation.
Starting prioritising your health today. Cut processed foods out of your life, get rid of sweeteners, artificial colours and flavourings and white flours. They are devoid of nutrients and only serve to make you feel lousy after consumption. Prioritise fruit, vegetables, quality meats, seafood and nuts. Spend time with loves ones, get outdoors, move regularly and maybe most importantly of all, meditate! It’s no coincidence that some of the world’s most success people including Jerry Seinfeld, Rupert Murdoch and Hugh Jackman all practice meditation regularly.
2. Flood your mind with positivity
On a daily basis we are bombarded by sounds, videos and images telling we aren’t good enough. These can come in the form of TV ads for acne cream, colleagues at work asking if we have put on weight or worse still, someone you love and respect telling you will never achieve your dreams or goals. These all have a damaging effect on our mindset and self worth.
It is important to counter these messages by making time each and every day flood your mind with positivity. Don’t let other people’s false perceptions become your beliefs, because as Mahatma Gandhi said “your beliefs become thoughts, your thoughts become your words and your words become your actions”. It could be as simple as listening your favourite motivational speaker, a positive podcast, positive affirmations your read to yourself or better still, a combination of all. Stay motivated by staying positive!
3. Build supportive networks
Motivational speaker Jim Rohn famously said that you are the sum of the five closest people you spend time with. Whether we like it or not, the people we hold closest to us profoundly effect our sense of self worth, confidence and motivation.
Make sure the people closest to you are helping you stay motivated and achieve success.
It can be difficult to build new networks but it is certainly possible. The internet is a great medium to build friendships with like-minded people, as are community groups, classes and seminars.
4. Be clear in your goals
Do you know what your goals are? Have you written them down? How are you keeping accountable to these goals? A study by Dominican University, California shows that people who write down their goals, share them and send weekly updates to their friends are 33% more successful in achieving their goals than those who merely formulate them.
The clearer your goals are the easier it is to use them as a source of unwavering motivation.
5. Habits and Routine
Aristotle said that “95% of everything you do is the result of habit”. It stands to reason then that if we form habits conducive to our goals we stand a pretty good shot at being successful.
So how do we develop a good habit? Through repetition. Incorporate the desired behaviour into your daily routine and soon enough it will become a habit. Building successful habits helps build unwavering motivation, as the success of a positive habit will feed into your sense of motivation.
Unwavering motivation is within your reach. Using these 5simple steps, you have the power to achieve consistently achieve your goals and dreams. So what are you waiting for? Get started today!
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