We are all experts at setting goals. Today we’ll do a billion different things. And by the end of the month, we’ll nail all those, plus one million more. Easy, right?
Truth is, it’s much easier to set goals than to ACTUALLY do them. It all comes down to motivation, and let’s be honest: motivation can go down the drain…very, very fast. It’s just so much easier to sit back and think about all the things we’re going to do… eventually.
I decided to do some research and went to the pros to find 10 new ways to reach your goal, whatever it may be.
I’m not saying it’ll be easy, and we’re not saying it’ll be quick. But I’m willing to bet it’ll be worth it. And the satisfaction that comes from accomplishing just one of our goals? Enough to keep us taking baby steps toward everything else on our list.
Let’s do this!
1. Write down why you want it.
To keep that clear-eyed outlook, write down a few reasons you want to get fit (or whatever your goal is), suggests Michelle Segar, Ph.D., behavior expert and author of No Sweat: How the Simple Science of Motivation Can Bring You a Lifetime of Fitness.
While that may sound obvious, naming concrete things you want to be able to do (like make it up to a third-floor walk-up without panting, sleep better at night, or stay full enough on healthy foods to turn down junk) will make it easier to track your progress and stay motivated, rather than aiming for an abstract goal like “get healthy.”
2. Keep a running list of what makes you smile.
Believe it or not, one of the best ways to keep yourself motivated comes auto-installed on your smartphone. We’re not talking Apple Health, but the Notes app.
Say you don’t know exactly what you want. If you just know you want to start living better, keep a running list of the moments that make you smile, suggests Lindi Duesenberg, founder of Dance Motivation Fitness. “For a while, I would just write down moments in my day that really brought me joy—what I was excited about—and that led me to where I am now.”
So if you’re not entirely sure what your endgame is, try tracking what makes you happy.
3. Start small.
All of the experts recommend establishing a baseline of what your reality is so you can aim for progress you can ACTUALLY make happen—for example, not saying you’ll get up at 6 a.m. when you hate mornings. To accept that reality in the most positive way, tick off a few things you’re grateful for while still in bed, says Duesenberg.
“When we wake up, we’re often overwhelmed with what we have to do and what we have to fix, and our focus becomes that,” Duesenberg says. “So shifting that focus right away, just acknowledging what is good, puts you in a better mind frame to tackle the day.”
4. Look your excuses in the eye.
Excuses are woman’s best friend and greatest enemy. The trick is to look at them straight on (are you really too tired to work out, or do you just want to watch The Queen of the South?), and go from there.
“If you see you’re using an excuse, just correct yourself. Next time it comes up, you’ll probably do it again—but after a few times, you’ll stop. But if you believe your own baloney reasons, you’ll never change your behavior,” Bernie Roth says. “It’s really a matter of telling yourself the truth.”
5. Tune into an inspirational playlist.
This trick is a bit counterintuitive but also one of our favorites: Just sit back and listen. And with 8Tracks’ motivational playlists in your ears, you won’t be stuck for long. Download the app or visit the website and search for “motivation.” We love “Your Executive Minute” for some tough love, “Get Pumped” for more of the same with a hip-hop twist, and “Motivation“. They’re guaranteed to get you off your a$$ and moving toward your goals.
6. Don’t let fear stop you.
Invisibila’s “Fearless” podcast once featured a man whose fear of rejection was so strong he’d become totally isolated. To face his fear, he decided to make it into a game: Try and get rejected at least once a day, every day.
In taking rejection’s power away, he was able to beat it, and Duesenberg says the same technique can apply to anything that intimidates you. Aim for—or at least expect—failure, and eventually it’ll happen less and less.
7. Reward yo’ self.
Don’t force yourself to do something you don’t actually enjoy, because it’ll be nearly impossible to work it into your lifestyle long-term, Segar says. But if you’re ambivalent about an activity like running or going to the gym, she suggests linking it to something you genuinely like.
“Feeling good could come from who you’re walking with; it doesn’t have to be from the walk itself,” says Segar. The key is to connect it to something you really want to do, whether that means listening to your favorite podcast on your run or treating yourself to a homemade smoothie after a tough workout.
8. Block it into your calendar.
If you’re aiming for a life change, Segar also recommends going old-school planner and taking a look at the little gaps in your day.
It makes sense—by the time 5 p.m. rolls around, we’re usually too tired to work out, and morning workouts… are good for morning people. But if you can fit in five minutes of “goal time” here and there throughout the day, it’ll add up.
If you’re exercise-oriented, I reccommend Vimbrim, a brand new startup that allows users to remotely connect with personal trainers, nutritionists, and health coaches for live-video sessions.
9. Watch some acceptance speeches.
Whenever we need a quick boost of inspiration, we head over to this golden essay on watching award acceptances.
And it works. While all of the ones Hughes mentions are motivating, we’d also like to add Gina Rodriguez’s “Jane the Virgin” acceptance speech. We cry a little every time.
10. Schedule weekly check-ins.
Not seeing results can be one of the most frustrating parts of working out, and when it feels like nothing you’re doing makes a difference, it’s easy to want to give up, Duesenberg says.
Which is why Segar recommends scheduling weekly check-ins with yourself, as weirdly formal as it may feel. Giving yourself a time to evaluate what’s helping and what you’re never excited about (just dump it!) is crucial to sticking with your goals, as is staying tuned in to what your endgame is. So if you want to start cooking more but still order Seamless every night, take stock of why you’re doing it—and whether it’s worth more to you than what you want.
What do you do to stay motivated?
How do you start your week on the right note?
Let me know how you stay motivated on Instagram and Twitter using the hashtag #TNLMotivateYoSelf!
Stay motivated,
