How to motivate yourself
The key to motivation is understanding that you are not of one mind. You may have one brain, but within it a battle rages. One faction seeks to satisfy immediate desires; the other longer-term goals. Rarely are these two ever in alignment. And, unfortunately, the short-term faction usually dominates the long-term faction. But there are a few things you can do to get these two to stop fighting and work together.
- Experience tomorrow’s emotions today.
Picture yourself on a specific date in the future, such as one year from now. Imagine having achieved your goal — and not having achieved it. Really try to experience how you would feel. You have a choice. This time next year you can either have made a change in your life for the better, or you can be one year older and stuck in the same place.
- Measure your progress.
Anything that can be measured can be improved. Having a visible representation of where you stand allows you to chart your progress. It also serves to focus your mind and keep your challenges ever-fresh. You ran a mile in 8 minutes? Okay great, now see if you can do it in 7 before next month. Just the act of writing something down serves as a commitment mechanism. It is much harder to quit a positive habit when you have an established ritual associated with it; you feel a sense of loss that does not occur when you have no written commitment.
- Read.
Start reading all you can about the subject: subscribe to magazines; get rss feeds of sites that report on the topic; buy books about it. Surround yourself with information. Don’t worry if some of it is contradictory or confusing; the idea is to be engaged with the subject and to have it in the forefront of your mind.
- Expect to fail.
No one ever tells you this. They say be optimistic; visualize success. That’s fine, but chances are you will fail to some extent. Everyone does. Success comes not from never failing, but from anticipating setbacks and moving past them. Don’t quit your diet just because you blew it one day; it is a lifetime commitment.
[tags]motivation, health, fitness,goals[/tags]