by Sam at Management 3.0
Happy New Year! It’s a brand new year, which means it’s full of new ideas, resolutions and energy for the months ahead. But we all know that enthusiasm has a short shelf life and there are a million disheartening statistics about why resolutions aren’t worth bothering with.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. Every new year is a chance for a fresh start and new outlooks. Last week we discussed what it looked like to choose achievable resolutions. Now, we at Management 3.0, want to help you capitalize on that motivation. As Mark Twain rightly points out, “the secret of getting ahead is getting started,” and once we do that, we have to keep moving.
What does it take to stay motivated after the holidays?
#1: Reward yourself: When you do something that you’re proud of, no matter how big or small, reward yourself. This is something we don’t do enough of, but it boosts our motivation greatly and gets us excited to keep doing things.
#2: Break things down: Perhaps you chose a resolution that’s large than usual and that’s OK, don’t let the size of it demotivate you. Feeling overwhelmed can lead to inaction. Break goals down into chunks and do one piece at a time. Before you know it, you’ll be nearly finished.
#3: Tell people about your goals: We’re 90% more likely to get things done if someone is holding us accountable. It’s also a lot more motivating to work in tandem, than trying to accomplish things on our own. Find a buddy who can accompany you through the weeks and months ahead , to make it easier to maintain the excitement of a brand new year.
#4: Enjoy the process: It was an Aerosmith song where he says that “life is a journey not a destination”. Look at the longer term picture, not just a one-off goal that you need to finish and try to have fun with the process as you go through it. We can sometimes become so goal oriented that we forget to enjoy ourselves and that can lessen our motivation.
#5: Remind yourself why you’re doing it: This goes back to our previous post where we talk about purpose. Remind yourself why you’re doing what you’re doing. Connecting it to a larger purpose and meaning is crucial for staying motivated about putting effort into your endeavours.
How do you stay motivated? Share your tips with us in the comments below or contact us!
