My experience

The problem is that my short term and long term goals are clashing (they are not harmonious!). I’ll explain why…..

My long term goal

• Build my own business
• Travel the world
• Live my passions
• Help others succeed
• ….and the list goes on and on! (I will discuss this more in another vide0)

I have no problems developing long term goals. However, it all goes wrong when I convert this into smaller steps. I’m sure you know what I mean! Does the following description ring true for you?

You come home from a really long day at work, absolutely exhausted. You barely have enough energy to make it through the front door. The first thing you spot is the couch. You collapse. All you need now is a glass of your favourite wine (I’m not a beer person) and a snack. You take a few sips and life feels wonderful. The opportunity for rest is absolute bliss. You turn on the television, pop in a DVD and watch the hours go by.

Meanwhile your dreams are fading away, or being postponed into the distant future. Perhaps I’m dramatising a bit, but this has been my struggle. The requirement for rest seems to outweigh all other goals.

It’s all about motivation

If we really want to succeed, we need our passion and desire for change to outweigh the short term need for relaxation (to put in Tony Robbins terms, it’s what we associate with pain or pleasure). I’m not saying that we shouldn’t take time to relax and unwind, but we shouldn’t allow this process to engulf all of our remaining free time.

Visualise your goals

I’ve found that the more aware of our goals we are, the more likely we will be motivated to work towards them. In order to do this, we need to surround ourselves with reminders that trigger the thought of accomplishing our goal. Our goal needs to make a lasting impression in the front of our mind for an extended period of time. Our decisions are based on what thoughts find their way in our conscious mind.

Reward your small accomplishments

I have found that this is such an important step to follow. How often do we achieve something and forget to pat ourselves on the back? In order to have the drive, the passion to continue, we need to feel like we are making progress. You can create this feeling by celebrating, rewarding yourself on a regular basis when you complete a task that is on track with your goals. Remember, it’s the small things you do that make massive changes in the long term.

What tips do you have that keep you motivated? What is your secret to success? Comments are always welcome