Long Term Motivation Can Be Difficult But Why?
- Date: 2007-04-28 - Word Count: 713
Share This!
Motivation is defined as, why people do what they do. Long-term motivation can be difficult when you do not make yourself stick to your goals. Most people make goals, but those who are successful have the discipline and drive to achieve their goals and dreams.
Different things motivate people. Some are driven by internal or intrinsic motivation. Others need extrinsic motivation, or outside forces, to help them stay on track. One easy way to help you achieve your goals is to make a contract with yourself and work hard to stick to it. Sign it, date it and keep track of it.
The first step in making a contract with your self to stay motivated is to make an outline. When you make an outline in your contract, you will list long-term goals, short-term goals, payoffs and benefits, rewards and a detailed action plan. By having everything you need to know about achieving your goals, you will stay motivated.
Before making this outline, take some time and think about what exactly you want to accomplish. Maybe you want to reorganize your home, or maybe you want to try out a new fitness plan.
Perhaps you want to go back to school and finish a degree. Whatever it is, you will need to do some research and understand each step you will need to accomplish.
When you list your long-term goals, you will make a list of the things you want to achieve within one to three years. Try to be very specific so you will know exactly what you are working towards.
If you want to lose thirty pounds, your long-term goals will be to lose the weight through diet and exercise. Your long-term goals will be your final end result that you are working towards. This works for almost any goal and will help you in staying focused and motivated to reach your goals.
Short-term goals will be things that you want to accomplish within weeks or months. If you are working on going back to school, your short-term goals may be to request school applications and catalogs or to talk to a financial aid office about your payment options.
Your short-term goals should be specific and should be something that you can accomplish in a short amount of time. Short-term goals are also important because once you finish one goal; you will feel motivated by knowing you are one step closer in reaching that long-term goal.
Your next step in making a contract with yourself is to list payoffs and benefits of your goals and achievements. While losing weight is a benefit, you will want to list the reason why you want to lose weight.
Maybe the payoff is fitting into a certain size jeans again or looking great for an upcoming reunion. Maybe it is because you want to better your health by losing weight. Again, you should be specific when you set these benefits in your contract because it will help you stay motivated.
Now you can think about rewards. Rewards are important when you are setting goals for yourself. When you think about rewards, think about the fun things that you will accomplish by reaching your goals.
Lose that weight and buy a new dress. Reorganize you house and get a new couch. Whatever you think it the best part about reaching your goals, use that as a reward to help stay motivated.
The last part in setting a contract with your self is to have a specific action plan. An action plan will tell you what steps you need to take to reach your final goal.
It is here that you will list what you need to change, do, or accomplish in a day, a week, a month or a year. This action plan will help keep you motivated to reach your end goal. List your action plan and keep it in mind everyday you are working towards your goal.
When you take the time to make an official contract with yourself, you will stay motivated and ready to reach your goals. It will be easier when you can see your long and short-term goals in writing and know what rewards and benefits are waiting for you along the way.
Your action plan will help you stay on track when you are working hard to accomplish your goals and dreams.
Different things motivate people. Some are driven by internal or intrinsic motivation. Others need extrinsic motivation, or outside forces, to help them stay on track. One easy way to help you achieve your goals is to make a contract with yourself and work hard to stick to it. Sign it, date it and keep track of it.
The first step in making a contract with your self to stay motivated is to make an outline. When you make an outline in your contract, you will list long-term goals, short-term goals, payoffs and benefits, rewards and a detailed action plan. By having everything you need to know about achieving your goals, you will stay motivated.
Before making this outline, take some time and think about what exactly you want to accomplish. Maybe you want to reorganize your home, or maybe you want to try out a new fitness plan.
Perhaps you want to go back to school and finish a degree. Whatever it is, you will need to do some research and understand each step you will need to accomplish.
When you list your long-term goals, you will make a list of the things you want to achieve within one to three years. Try to be very specific so you will know exactly what you are working towards.
If you want to lose thirty pounds, your long-term goals will be to lose the weight through diet and exercise. Your long-term goals will be your final end result that you are working towards. This works for almost any goal and will help you in staying focused and motivated to reach your goals.
Short-term goals will be things that you want to accomplish within weeks or months. If you are working on going back to school, your short-term goals may be to request school applications and catalogs or to talk to a financial aid office about your payment options.
Your short-term goals should be specific and should be something that you can accomplish in a short amount of time. Short-term goals are also important because once you finish one goal; you will feel motivated by knowing you are one step closer in reaching that long-term goal.
Your next step in making a contract with yourself is to list payoffs and benefits of your goals and achievements. While losing weight is a benefit, you will want to list the reason why you want to lose weight.
Maybe the payoff is fitting into a certain size jeans again or looking great for an upcoming reunion. Maybe it is because you want to better your health by losing weight. Again, you should be specific when you set these benefits in your contract because it will help you stay motivated.
Now you can think about rewards. Rewards are important when you are setting goals for yourself. When you think about rewards, think about the fun things that you will accomplish by reaching your goals.
Lose that weight and buy a new dress. Reorganize you house and get a new couch. Whatever you think it the best part about reaching your goals, use that as a reward to help stay motivated.
The last part in setting a contract with your self is to have a specific action plan. An action plan will tell you what steps you need to take to reach your final goal.
It is here that you will list what you need to change, do, or accomplish in a day, a week, a month or a year. This action plan will help keep you motivated to reach your end goal. List your action plan and keep it in mind everyday you are working towards your goal.
When you take the time to make an official contract with yourself, you will stay motivated and ready to reach your goals. It will be easier when you can see your long and short-term goals in writing and know what rewards and benefits are waiting for you along the way.
Your action plan will help you stay on track when you are working hard to accomplish your goals and dreams.
Related Tags: leadership, success, motivational, business, career, motivation, improvement, anthony robbins, tony robbins
Charles Williams is a writer for www.lsft.orgwhich is an excellent place to find Motivation and Self Improvment links,For more information go to:long term motivation Your Article Search Directory : Find in Articles
Recent articles in this category:
- Using The Law Of Attraction And It's Benefits
Making the Law of Attraction Stronger with Positive ThinkingHaving a a great attitude plays a big pa - Life Transitions And Someday Dreams, If Not Now When?
Recently we've been talking about changes and transformation for the second or third part of our liv - Self Improvement Articles - Self Improvement Tips - Great Self Improvement Tips That Will Help You Achieve Your Dreams
Self improvement tips are a great way to lay the foundation for your personal growth and to push you - The Internet Is The Perfect Place For Those Over 60 To Freely Discuss Sex
The generation gap is alive and well when it comes to many issues in our society. Sex is one of them - Advice Articles - Do your own thinking, Don't let others do it for you
Have you come across a situation where in you wanted to do one thing, but you ended up doing just th - Advice Articles - 3 Simple Steps To Attracting Money For Life-Long Prosperity
Attracting money is to draw in wealth and wealth in your life. To draw in cash, you also need to un - Business Articles - Show Me the Return on Investment
Well designed incentive programs have been proven to increase performance. A study conducted by the - Motivate Yourself Effectively
Being motivated is really important in achieving our goals and without motivation we will have a har - How To Identify Your Personality, Strengths & Weaknesses In 15 Seconds And Make It Work For You
I bet you that in 15 seconds, I can read your personality and tell you what your skills, strengths a - Crush It! How To Make A Living Doing What You Love
Sometimes when I ask my clients "If money weren't an issue, what would you do with your time?" they
Most viewed articles in this category:
- Red Hot
But, do you know that many business owners employ people with similar ideas, values and beli - Doing What You Think You Cannot Do
Eleanor Roosevelt said, "You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you - Does Your Self Help Need A Nudge In The Right Direction?
Are you in need of self help? Do you doubt your capability? If you do, you are not alone! It is no s - Negotiating Life's Detours: Follow Your Energy
Someone asked me recently if I had a guiding principle that helped me decide what new work to take o - Personal Values and Their Importance
Two Interesting Conundrums for You Read both questions first before seeing the answers which are at - Just Do It NOW!
Just do it. Put on your Nike shoes and run with it. Yeah! Jump on it. Go for it. Right now is the mo - A Successful Failure
*Before we get started..... I was hesitant to write this article the way I have because I know that - The One Thing I Know
I know one thing.I know this thing with all my heart, and with all my soul, and with all my bei - Chinese New Year! 10 Very Simple things to do to Create Your Best Year Ever
On February 28th we will be ringing in another New Year. Wait a minute, didn't we ju - Is Finishing your Book Your New Year's Resolution?
For some of you the reality is you won't finish. And the longer you "work" on your book, the