Since I can remember I’ve always set goals for myself. When I was in middle school I’d set goals for how fast I’d be able to finish off the math book :)
To be completely honest I think I’ve failed reaching my goals more times than I’ve actually succeeded. But even those times that I failed I’m sure I reached further than I would have done if I hadn’t set any goals.
So I never see it as a failure when I don’t reach my goals. But either way, to set goals and not reach them still takes its tole on me. I’m not superwoman :)
I thought I’d share with you some of the things I do to keep (or get) motivated. Motivated to keep setting new goals. To keep striving. I hope that by sharing some of my tips and tricks you can find something that resonates with you.
Here are 8 tips on how to stay motivated and get stuff done:
1) Remember WHY
Every morning, as part of my morning routine, I visualize a perfect day. That day, that perfect day that I dream of, is a big reason why I have the goals that I have. And visualizing that day reminds me of why it is I have the goals I have.
2) Have a plan
I have a macro level plan, sort of an overview of what it is I want to achieve. Then I drill that down to smaller goals and smaller tasks. Each month, and then each week, I do a plan for what to get done. I talk a bit about that in this post. This helps to motivate me since I know what the next step is. I find that many times when I procrastinate or just don’t get anything done it’s because I don’t really know what I should be doing.
3) Plan free time
Although you could argue that everything I do to reach my goals is done in my ”free time” (since they are not part of my j-o-b), here I mean that I plan some ”free time” off of my ”free time” :)
Hmm, I was trying to be clever there. But I’m talking about scheduling in some fun stuff in my free time so that it’s not all work, work, work.
When I schedule some fun things, it motivates me to actually sit down and get stuff done – because I have a deadline. Plus, to actually do something else than work also gives me new energy and new inspiration.
4) Celebrate small wins
I celebrate anything and everything! From the biggest of goal achievements to the smallest of tasks that I felt took more effort than I thought it should. It’s not always that I celebrate by popping a bottle of champagne, although that is one of my favorite ways to celebrate ;). Telling Fredrik and doing a high-five is also a way to celebrate.
5) Do it for the process not the results
Something that really helps me keep motivated is to remind myself that I do it for the process, not the results. I love having goals, I love striving towards something bigger. That’s what’s important, not the results that comes from the hard work. This also helps me to not take things so seriously and to keep my work in check in comparison to other things that are important to me (like my family and friends).
6) Keep it organized
Maybe this is a personal preference, but I definitely work better when things are organized. And it is something that keeps me motivated, coming in to my office when it’s organized and tidy gives me motivation to get to work.
7) Podcasts
Podcasts are a HUGE for keeping my motivation up and going. I listen to podcasts when I’m getting ready in the morning, when I commute to work, when I’m out walking, when I’m doing the dishes. I listen to them all.the.time.
I’ve found some gems that talks about creativity, personal development and entrepreneurship which are my favorite topics. These are my current favorites:
- Elise gets crafty, Elise Blaha Cripe
- Raise your hand and say yes with Tiffany Han, Tiffany Han
- The goal digger podcast, Jenna Kutcher
- The mind your business podcast, James Wedmore + Phoebe Mroczek
- The food blogger pro, Bjork Ostrom
8) Motivational books
I love reading and I’ve just recently gotten back in the habit of reading again. I just finished Elizabeth Gilbert’s Big Magic
How about you?
So, there are some of my ways on how I keep motivated. What do you do to keep motivated? I would love to hear as I’m always trying to find new ways myself. Plus I’m sure everyone else reading would love to get more ideas. Thanks for sharing <3
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I just discovered your blog, and I must say: I love it so far! I’m terrible with achieving goals, perhaps in part because I rarely celebrate any achievements. I have found recently that I don’t work as well if I focus on time spent so much as tasks to complete. What I mean is, if I have a task to do, I’m better off not blocking in time for it, but rather doing it at my own pace, though a deadline sometimes helps. I’m still trying to figure out how to use this to make myself more productive, but another thing is that, while I do plan, I don’t always know the next task to do. I’m working on it, and I think your tips will certainly help! Thank you <3
Thanks for your sweet comment! <3 It takes time to find out what works for us personally, and we have to remember to be flexible because sometimes things change. For no good reason, it just does :) So I love hearing that you're listening to what works and what doesn't and change things up according to that. Thanks for sharing, I really enjoyed reading about your process!