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8 keys to maintain motivation and achieve your goals

8 keys to maintain motivation and achieve your goals

March 28, 2024

Self-motivation is one of the key elements that make up emotional intelligence. People who have developed this ability reach their goals more frequently, are more independent and have high self-esteem, because they are able to overcome problems, generate solutions and persevere.

Do we all have the ability to self-motivate ourselves without incentives or external obligations to do it for us? Why do some people feel motivated in their day to day and others fall into apathy abandoning their objectives shortly after proposing them? The reason why we often struggle to reach our goals It happens to give an answer to these questions, and for this it is good to understand what it means to self-motivate.


The concept of self-motivation

Self-motivation is the ability to extract from oneself the necessary drive to perform the appropriate behaviors that will bring you closer to your proposed goals. It is being able to self-provide the interest , the reasons and the enthusiasm necessary to continue with your projects. And yes, it is something that is available to everyone.

Now, why do we always fail to achieve our goals? It's simple. For the lack of habits that bring us closer to them.

The human brain has an energy saving system that makes it inertia shop to carry out day after day the behaviors that it has been repeating for years . Let's say you prefer not to think too much and resort to what you already know.


That is why when we try to approach a goal and proposed goal we usually give up after a short time. The tendency to the routine of our brain can more than our willpower. We ended up frustrating to see that no matter how much we wanted to put it on, we did not manage to modify our behaviors, and that is why we were demotivated.

A work plan to achieve our goals

So ... How do we add a new habit to our lives without abandoning it a few days later? The first thing we need is a work plan .

Contrary to what we can think, not so important is to mark a time limit (in 30 days I have to have lost 7 kilos) and design an action plan that allows you to get closer to your goals every day.

The action plan should be as detailed as possible. If we continue with the example of weight loss, the ideal would be to choose each night what is going to eat the next day in great detail, without giving rise to improvisation. It is not recommended that such a plan be too restrictive (which could mean an overexertion that would lead us to abandon it quickly), it is enough to provide us with a structured framework with a couple of new elements linked to our goals.


If our work plan is perfectly detailed and framed within our schedule, it will be as simple as following it to slit table without stopping to doubt what will be the next step, because that is where our economizing brain will pull the resources previously used.

Find yourself an agenda or calendar and start today to design your week, and then simply follow the directions you have designed yourself as you let a GPS approach you to your destination.

Practical guidelines for self-motivation

Once I have designed the action plan, how do I manage to be self-motivated to carry it out?

1. Take it seriously

You have decided to set that goal after a conscious reflection because you know what is best for you and what you want in your life. And there is nothing more important than that. It is because of that Distractions or changes in the schedule are not useful Try to be strict and committed to what you have proposed.

2. Do visualization exercises in the short, medium and long term

Try to imagine what your life will be like if your routines change, keep in mind that what you do at this moment will have repercussions in the future. That will help you not to fall into the procrastination or "I'll do it tomorrow" syndrome.

3. Practice conscious attention

This will help you stop working on autopilot and make decisions in a consistent manner. Add a couple of hours a week of Mindfulness or meditation, will help you be in the here and now and make better decisions .

4. Tell everyone your plan

Due to the Principle of Coherence, you will feel "cognitively bound" to your words and you will try harder to fulfill what has been spoken.

5. Respect your sleep schedules and exercise three times a week

You will need energy and lucidity to carry out your new habits, that is why you need to be rested and with an oxygenated brain.

6. Observe each of your behaviors

Consider how far they approach you or move you away from the goal you want to achieve. Carry out self-registrations if necessary; they will allow you to observe in a visual way where you are and what you need to modify.

7. Choose goals or design projects that you are passionate about

This is the best way to maintain motivation.

8. Reward yourself from time to time for the achievements made

Use positive self-reinforcement and be the one to regulate the rewards, without expecting them to come from outside.

And finally…

Remember that taking good or bad decisions every day is in you. Note that your results are the fruit of your habits , because we live in a world governed by the law of Cause and Effect. Your "I of the future" will thank you for your actions today are healthy and consistent with your life plan.


5 LIFE HACKS That Will MOTIVATE You To Do ANYTHING (March 2024).


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