You probably heard it before: If you want it bad enough, you will get there.

Well… The flaw in this statement  is this:  NOONE  experiences motivation that lasts until they reach their goal. Every entrepreneur, athlete, artist has had moments when they wanted to give up. Because…

Pure motivation doesn’t last.

If you are waiting for sustained motivation to strike like a bolt of lightning and help you level up, you are chasing a unicorn riding a rainbow, at the end of which lays a pot of gold,with diamonds too. And sapphire, ruby, etc…. You catch my drift.

So when you feel inspired, pumped, motivated and raring to go, whether it be because you  feel buoyed by the amazing possible end result or  to quote Les Brown, you are just sick and tired of being sick and tired and  are determined to go to the gym, to start your own business , to wake up early etc…

You can always expect your motivation not to stay right up there. So what to do?

This is why I vlogged this.

One key is quick action. Ride that wave, fast. Establish a routine while you are motivated. Get the new habit/goal to become an integral part of your life,  second nature or close, so by the time motivation dwindles you would have at least started the ball rolling and made it easier for yourself to carry on. It’s easier to keep the ball rolling than to get it moving in the first place.

It’s also crucial to write down  your end goal, the reason why you want to do this. Say you want to go to the gym, write down the benefits (increased energy, better health, better physique…you know!). Write the reason why you feel so motivated right now. Writing your goals crystallises them in your brain. Reviewing your end goal(s) regularly helps too. That’s why lists are important. I wrote about it here .

When the inevitable happens and you lose a bit of your oomph, all isn’t lost. You can remedy the situation with these 3 tips.

1) As you have already started, look for some results that you have already experienced. That can keep you going. Hopefully the actions that you have taken while motivated have already built some momentum and the results are starting to show. Then you don’t really need motivation! All you need is discipline.

2) But if results are slow to show, you need to fuel the fire. Look at what you wrote or reflect on your goal(s). Engage your emotions. Imagine in details what it will feel like, the impact on you and your loved ones when you achieve them.

3) Another way to fuel the fire and keep the negative thoughts at bay is to cut out or at least reduce the negative content we read, watch, listen to and actively seek positive content to consume each day instead, like this and this.

But sometimes you actually find that you don’t really feel aligned with your goal anymore. And you know it’s not laziness. Your priorities have just changed or you realise the goal isn’t that important.

Take a step back. Is it a pattern in your life? I know it’s been in mine. The ever-changing, fluid guy, the dilettante.

We are bombarded with ideas about why we should do this or that so it is not surprising that some of us start a lot of things never to finish. Check out what I wrote about how to avoid being at the mercy of every new fad that comes along, and how to make sure you keep at the helm of your life.

In the mean time,  as always,

Reflect, Redefine, Rise.

R.

P.S: Here’s the link again!