Getting Motivated

By Nikki Young

So, it's the start to the New Year and I'm sure most of you reading this have decided some goals that you would like to accomplish. Whether your goals are to become healthier and fitter, better your finances, or better your relationships, the main, if not the only thing that is going to keep you on track to achieve those goals, is your motivation and discipline.

If you REALLY want to dedicate yourself to making changes in your life, that's when you need to make the goal to commit to it. When you make a goal, you are sending a message to your sub-conscious mind that where you are at right now, is NOT where you want to be.

When you create your goals, make sure you do the following;

1. Make the decision that you will achieve your goals.
2. Write down your goal and put it somewhere that you will see it and read it everyday.
3. Set a date for when you will have achieved your goal, this can be a week, a month or a year or longer.
4. Visualise your success and feel your success. Create the feeling that you have already achieved your goal, how you will walk, how you will talk, how you will feel when you go and buy a pair of pants two sizes smaller!
5. Be positive. Don't think negative thoughts towards your goals, if you are making dramatic changes to your nutrition and lifestyle and you're not noticing any results, don't become negative about it, stay positive and ask yourself 'what can I do right now that will make me start seeing the results I'm after?'. Maybe the answer is as simple as not eating dessert 4 nights a week, but only 2!

The problem a lot of people do is say their goal, then take no action, this often happens on New Years eve. But if you write your goal down, write down when you will have completed that goal and visualised yourself achieving that goal, it means a lot more than just saying it randomly.

Below are some steps which you should put into action once you have written down your goals and committed to achieving them.

Step 1. Decide what it is you REALLY want, and focus on it.

Step 2. Learn to teach yourself how to feel MASSIVE pain to NOT completing your goal. Teach your brain the pleasure it gets to solving problems. Some of the greatest satisfaction you will get in life is from taking on a massive challenge and pulling it off.

Step 3. Don't wait a day! Take action and dont let one day go by without taking any action towards your goal. When you set a goal, you don't leave a sight of that decision until you have taken some action towards achieving it.

Step 4. Come up with your best plan to achieve your goal as quickly as possible and act upon it. If your goal is to become fitter and healthier and you don't know how to do that yet personally, maybe you should look into getting a personal trainer or commit to a group exercise class such as boot camp, or take time out of your day to educate yourself on how to become fit and healthy. Once you have taken action, do NOT take your eyes of your goal, stay motivated and stay driven.

Step 5. Notice what you are achieving from your present actions. Are you getting closer to reaching your goal, or further away? Or are you at the same spot? Make sure to pay attention and notice the changes, if you don't, you may create an even bigger challenge later on because you will suddenly open your eyes and realise that what you have been doing for the last few months hasn't been working.

Step 6. If what you are doing isn't working, change your approach. Ask yourself 'what would happen if I tried this..' 'What would happen if I tried that..'. Open yourself up to any solution that could be possible to help you achieve your goal.

Step 7. Get answers from someone who has been in your shoes. If you know someone who has lost the weight and kept it off, ask them how they did it. Continually ask your personal trainer questions on how you can better your nutrition, better your lifestyle and better your fitness levels, so that you are in the know when it comes to achieving your goals.

To finish off, let me give you a challenge, it's a 30day challenge to really get started on your goals. I put forward 30 days because if you commit to making just a temporary change it's not nearly as difficult as focusing on it as a permanent one. After 30days you are free to go back to your old habits, if you want too, seems fair doesn't it? I mean, for 30days you can commit to exercising everyday and eating healthy, then after that time you can go back to your TV! Or you could make sure your house is clean everyday for 30days, then after 30days you can slack off!

So can you do it? Of course it is still going to require a bit of discipline and commitment, but it's only one month out of your life. If you complete the 30days, you will not only have the physical results, but you would have also started to establish the changes as a habit, and you would have made a huge break-through in changing your old routines, making it easier to continue on the same path for another 30days, 90days, or the rest of your life! Plus, you'll have 30days of success behind you to keep your confidence high and your motivation running.

All the best for the New Year!