It’s easy to get psyched up when you start working towards a goal. But staying motivated and on track can be difficult as time goes on. So, how do you maintain motivation over days, weeks, months, and even years? Today, we’re going to give you some ‘Kwik’ tips on how to stay motivated to achieve your goals—regardless of the situation.
Remember Your Why
When it comes to long-term goals, it can be easy to lose your focus. Your brain has a powerful reward system but unlocking those rewards can be challenging with goals that take more time to achieve. That’s why it’s important to remind yourself of your why. Why are you doing this? Why is it important to you? When you’re crystal clear on your purpose, maintaining your momentum becomes easier.
It might seem like focusing on meaning and motivation is tied with thinking about what you’ll intrinsically gain by accomplishing your goal. For example, if your goal is to exercise three times a week, focusing on how much stronger, healthier, and confident you’ll be, can be a huge motivator.
On the flip side, it’s also essential to think about the negative outcomes you’ll experience if you don’t do the task. What’s the cost of not taking action? It could be extra weight gain, decreased energy levels, or poor overall health affecting your day-to-day life and relationships.
By keeping your why at the top of your mind, you’ll be much more likely to stay motivated and on track with any goal.
Break Things Down into Bite-Sized Steps
You’ve probably heard the saying that a thousand-mile journey begins with a single step. This is absolutely true in terms of goal-setting and goal-getting.
It can be easy to feel overwhelmed and discouraged when facing big, audacious goals. The key to avoiding that frustration is not only take things one step at a time, but break each step down into the smallest, simplest action you can take that will move you forward.
When you break things down to the tiniest possible step, you are far more likely to start and keep going. It helps form the habit of doing those steps every day. Going back to the exercise example, if you put your exercise clothes out every night, you’ll be far more likely to exercise in the morning. This small, simple step helps create a routine that cements the daily habit. The more you automate the steps in your goals, the easier they’ll be to stay focused. This builds your motivation to continue on the path to success.
Eat Brain Foods
One of the key ingredients in sustained motivation is energy. And the best way to get energy is by eating foods that boost your cognitive health. What you put into your body matters—especially for your brain matter.
If you want to stay focused and on track, you need to make sure you’re eating brain-boosting foods that will give you the energy and vitality you need to stay sharp. Some of the best brain foods include the following:
- avocado
- blueberries
- eggs
- coconut oil
- broccoli
- walnuts
- salmon
- turmeric
- green leafy vegetables
- dark chocolate
These foods are rich in antioxidants, good fats, vitamins, and minerals that all contribute to good brain health. Your body needs fuel to perform at its best. Adding these brain-boosting foods into your diet can help ensure you have the energy and brain power necessary to achieve your goals.
Get Quality Sleep
Food isn’t the only component to sustained energy. You also need to get quality sleep.
Sleep is essential for brain function, and when you’re well-rested, you’re more likely to focus and stay on task. There are a few things you can do to help ensure you’re getting quality sleep. First, make sure your sleep environment is conducive to rest by keeping it dark, quiet, and calm.
Set a consistent schedule for waking up and going to bed. Losing even one hour of sleep can impair cognitive abilities and increase anxiety the next day. And there’s no such thing as making up sleep on the weekends. Your brain needs consistent, quality sleep to perform at its best.
Make sure you limit your caffeine intake in the morning and stop consuming it by 2 PM. Caffeine has a half-life of eight hours, which means a 5 PM coffee is still in your system until 1 AM. Even if you’re able to fall asleep, having caffeine in your system can disrupt your sleep cycles and prevent you from getting the deep, restorative sleep you need.
Conclusion
Your goals are within reach. Understanding your purpose drives action. Energy fuels your action. And small, simple steps keeps your actions moving forward. While this may seem like a lot to remember, there’s an easy way to remember these steps: purpose, energy, small, simple steps. Or, motivation = P x E x S3. If you want to dive deeper into these topics, pick up a copy of Limitless, today.
To go even deeper into motivation, check out a previous episode from our YouTube channel:
