Keep Your Motivation
Welcome to the New Year! January is a month full of possibilities and New Years Resolutions. Full of hopes and dreams. Full of motivation and passion. It is also a time to look back on what happened last year. What were my successes? Where could I have done better? What do I want more of? What do I want less of? Whatever it may be, here are some tips to help keep your motivation all year long.
What’s your “Why?”
Anytime you have a goal set, whether it is long term or short term, it is most important to keep in mind your “Why?”
Why are you doing what you are doing? Figure out why, and make that “why” positive. Don’t do something because you hate yourself, or to spite someone else. Do what you do out of love, passion, desire, and because it is your calling.
If you are a parent, your kids might be your “why”. You don’t want them to make the same mistakes you did, you want to be free to heal faster. You want them to see you as an example. You want to be there for them.
It might be for your own parents. You may show them what is truly possible in healing. You may be a light to how life and love can change and grow.
Your “Why” could be more selfish. You want to be able to buy clothes in a regular store. You want to love yourself more. You want to show yourself more love.
Your “Why” could simply be to live and to have more joy.
Your “Why” might simply be a challenge—do that thing you didn’t think was possible:
Lose the weight
Run the marathon
Climb the mountain
Fit into that bikini
Move
Heal
Grow
Put your “Why” all over the house. Remind yourself of your why daily. Put it on your mirror. Put it in your car. See it whenever you feel like it’s not going to work.
Remember why you are doing what you are doing.
Make a plan
So you know why you are doing what you’re doing, but what is your plan of action? How will you keep achieving. How will you keep eating healthy, working out, seeing a therapist? Here are some ideas:
Write down your goal
If you simply write down your goals, they are more likely to happen. It’s like your brain wants to make it happen. It just needs extra input to be reminded. Keep yourself accountable. I’ve written goals down that I don’t look at for months or years, and when I finally see them again–I’m amazed I made it happen!
Tell someone else about your goal
Don’t keep your goals to yourself, tell someone else what you want to accomplish. They might not get it, or they might be super supportive, but it puts what you want out there publicly and can boost motivation.
Find a mentor
Take telling someone a step further and find a mentor. There are so many people out there who have done what you want to do, and they want to help you. It could be someone that you know, or it may be someone new, but if you need help, there are people who will be your cheerleader.
At Open Heart Holistic Therapy we thrive helping people meet their goals whatever it may be. There is usually some old belief or pattern that is holding you back, and the holistic therapy Emotional Polarity Technique gets to the root of the problem and lets it go with forgiveness. If you need emotional support to get to your goal, don’t hesitate to make an appointment!
Join a support group:
Get even more people to help you! For anything that you want to accomplish, I guarantee there is a group on the internet for it. You want to build a bread castle? I’m sure there is a tutorial on YouTube. Find people who share your passions and desires.
Set alarms
I might have too many alarms set on my phone. I have alarms set to send emails, take out the trash, meeting, data input, to meditate… The list goes on. Set aside the time to do what you need to do to make your goal happen, and the alarm will remind you that it is time.
Take time to prepare
Some things take preparation, and if it is important to you, then you will take the time for it.
Be flexible with your plan.
Forgive yourself when things don’t go as planned.
There is a great podcast episode on NPR called “A Behavioral Scientists Advice For Changing Your Life” and on it they talk about the importance of being flexible with your goals. There is some kind of failure mechanism that makes us give up when we are too rigid with goals. It can feel unsustainable and you need some kind of release valve when the pressure to achieve is too much.
For example, I follow a rigid diet plan of basically protein, vegetables, and fats (and sometimes fruits), but once or twice on the weekend I eat whatever I want. To get through my chicken and broccoli during the week, I remember I get to eat whatever I want on the weekend. AND I remember my why–to be strong and live long for my kids.
Check out my Instagram Reels and TikTok to see affirmations to help meet goals and let go of failure.