With less than a month to go, you are probably thinking about some of your key New Year Resolutions– or maybe not.
If you are like most people, you probably feel frustrated of having set yourself so many goals, but never having followed through. But deep down, you know you can’t give up.
So what could you be doing differently?
Well, the truth is, it’s quite simple: You must find a compelling reason to finally take action and dig deeper than ever, to create the life you desire.
Take for example a smoker woman who suddenly becomes pregnant: How often does it happen that she suddenly finds the power to quit although this had been so difficult in the past? This is because she is now doing it for a big enough reason the health of her baby.
So to really follow through with any New Year’s Resolution, you need to find a reason big enough to push yourself through the pain period, until your desired action becomes an automated habit.
To help you generate this kind of passion and motivation, I want to share some key pointers for you to think about. If applied properly, you will be able to dig deep enough to follow through with your good intentions.
Ready?
1. Think of your future Self Image:
Picture yourself, once you have achieved your goals. The more you can see yourself and the benefits of your future life once you have started your first online business, lost weight, stopped smoking or became a top tennis player, the more likely it is you will follow through with any challenges you encounter.
Visualize how you will feel in your slimmed down body, new business role, or whatever it is that you want, and use as much sense data as possible.
2. Be aware and feel good about your extrinsic motivation:
Think of all the tangible benefits you will enjoy from your new resolution. We all want to feel we are working towards something, whether this is our dream house, a dream body, a promotion or some other extrinsic goal, and there is no reason to feel guilty about this.
3. Enjoy the process:
It’s good to have goals but approach the journey in a detached manner so that you can enjoy the process, the struggles, the little successes. Time flies, and if we only enjoy the outcome of our efforts, we will be depriving ourselves from the many amazing moments we experience.
4. Develop a deep sense of intrinsic motivation:
While things like money and fame can be motivating, they are not fully satisfying. This is because each time you achieve an extrinsic goal, you instantly adjust and seek more. After all, we all get used to what they acquire very quickly, and also find new people to compare ourselves with.
However, if you pursue a goal for a deeper reason, whether this is to support your family, represent your values or make an impact on this world, you will be able to dig deeper when you face challenges, and achieve more sustained success. The bigger your reason for doing something, the stronger your motivation will be.
5. Make sure you sense the rationality of your goals:
Ask yourself:
Does this goal seem worthwhile and attainable to you, considering the other things you could be pursuing?
Do you also believe you will experience benefits within what you believe is a reasonable time?
Or could you be spending your time better?
Also, remember that a key benefit is a person you may become as part of the process of pursuing your goal, and as long as you fully believe this, it can be the kind of rationality that will keep you moving forward.
6. Cultivate a Growth Mindset:
It is crucial you believe it is through effort and hard work that you create successes, rather than fixed skills and talents. Otherwise, fears of failure and rejection will always keep stopping you, never feeling satisfied with what you achieve.
Instead, appreciate hard your hard work before your actual results.
By following these six guidelines, you will trigger the kind of motivation and passion that will allow you to dig deeper than ever before, in the pursuit of your true goals. This is how you will finally make 2016 your biggest goal yet.
With this in mind, take a minute to list your five biggest goals for the coming year, and why they are so important to you. Feel free to share them with me below, so that we can inspire each other. 😉
Image Source:
Best Year Ever
Self Image
Extrinsic Motivation
Enjoying
Intrinsic Motivation
Making Sure
Growth Mindset