GOAL Digger

Stating goals that you want to achieve is easy; however, knowing how to stay motivated might be the hard part and staying motivated is so incredibly important when it comes to getting what we want in the long term. We live in a world where there are more distractions than ever before, and it can be all the harder to stay focussed and not just give in to what's easier at the moment.

I'm pretty sure that almost every one of us struggles with staying motivated including me - whether it be with school, my career, healthy habits or just a hobby I can enjoy. And while we might overlook many of these things because it isn't a big deal, it can worry us sometimes. I know I worry because I don't want to be filled with regret that at some point down the line, I didn't follow through on something I really wanted, and I also don't want to feel like I failed at achieving the things that are important to me - all because I couldn't manage to stay on track when it really counted.

With some help of research and my insight on what I believe to be the best way to become that GOAL Digger, I hope this helps you with any future endeavors and who knows...maybe even motivate you!

If you’re going to achieve your deepest dreams and desires, you must understand how your mind works. When you learn how to tap into the deep reserves of your mind, you turn:

* probably into possibility

* “I can’t” into “I can” and…

* “can I?” into “how can I?”

If you get into this mindset that you can do it - so what's stopping you? Look at it this way...

1. Don't Assume Money Will Motivate You

"Many people think money alone will be enough to motivate them, and whilst that may do so initially, it's very hard to sustain financial motivation if the work you are doing drags. If you do that type of work for long enough you will find that no amount of money is worth swapping parts of your life in activities that aren't aligned with who you are and what truly is your passion and mission in life." -Karen Strunk, Motivational Trainer

If you don't understand this quote, let me explain it to you. Many people in the world, including myself sometimes, revolve motivation around $$$$ and while money is great and all, its a short-term high. If the money doesn't come in or you aren't working or selling was much, what's going to motivate you then? What Karen Strunk explains is no amount of money is worthwhile and you shouldn't let that be the determining factor of how you reach your goals and stay motivated.

2. Make Sure They're Your Goals

"One of the biggest challenges in staying motivated and sticking to our goals is in making sure that the goals we have set ourselves, we want to attain. Sometimes we set goals based on what we think we 'should' do. Or we base them on what other people say." -Karen Strunk, Motivational Trainer

In regards to this quote, you need to decide on what matters to YOU and YOU ONLY. Your goals shouldn't be someone else goals. Though it can help to motivate you, you shouldn't revolve your thoughts and ideas on what you perceive to be the goal because that's what he or she are doing.

3. Visualize The Results

According to a piece featured on Forbes about staying motivated, it's important to picture the result and what it will feel like when you've achieved your end goal. This means visualizing the sweat on your back, the feeling of relief, the utter excitement — this is what will fuel you on days when you don't feel like working.

4. Break The Goal Down Into Smaller Pieces

The same Forbes compilation piece recommended breaking your goals down into smaller, more task-oriented goals — and set target deadline for those tasks. For example. if your goal is "re-organize my entire closet," start by saying, "First I'm going to tackle the shoes, then the belts, then the winter coats in the back," etc. This method can make even the biggest task feel more manageable.

5. Tap Into Other People's Energy

The importance of surrounding yourself with positive thinkers who emanate positive energy. Ask yourselves, "Do you have people in your life who can engage in stimulating conversation about business or the other things that you're passionate about?" As human beings, we give and receive energy and inspiration. Make sure you are receiving as much, or more than you are handing out.

6. Get Organized

A great recommendation that I have is taking the time to sit down and organize your thoughts.

When working on a big project, nothing gives me more stress more than a cluttered mind. So instead, sit down and move the process from your head to an actual organized list, or talk out what you're thinking with a trusted friend (or both). Then schedule specific times to complete each task. This is key to getting what you want.

7. Don't Worry About What You Can't Control

When I say this I mean, "take control of what you can, and don't worry about what you can't". So if you often find yourself paralyzed with the "what ifs" (as in, "What if I write this and no one reads it," "What if I don't get accepted into the program," etc, etc) let it go and just focus on turning out quality work.

This has to be one of the MOST important ways to look at your goal. If you are always looking around you, you will never get the job done. Take it from me, someone who literally wouldn't start this blog because I was so scared of what others might think. I was so scared of rejection I never reached that goal. So ask yourself, what's stopping you?

8. Seek Out Positive Information

Hearing positive information every single day helps boosts your energy.

"If you fill your mind with uplifting and inspiring information, it will keep you motivated. You need constant reminders telling you that you are capable of achievement." - Unknown

Talking to someone, reading or listening to a podcast (currently my favorite is What We Said) can help you to seek out positive information. It helps to turn that frown upside down!

9. Remind Yourself Why You Set The Goal

When things feel overwhelming, just take a few moments to sit back and remind yourself why you chose this path in the first place. Was it to help people? Was it because you knew your end goal would lead to long term happiness, even if it was short term work? This can always help you find clarity in the worst moments.

Last week I didn't post because I was dealing with a lot of heartbreak. I was so overwhelmed with my emotions and my past, that I couldn't see my future or what I wanted - it was blurred. I thought about quitting this blog, but I had to remind myself why I started in the first place. And its for the ones that take the time to read this, for the future readers, for the people I love, for the ones that don't know me and the ones that do. But most importantly it's for me - because it brings me happiness...

......and I am not stopping now.