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Many promises are made and broken in the name of motivation.
You promise you'll get fit, learn a new language, get a new job or even just read that book you've been meaning to read.
These things are great, but if we are being honest they only ever live in the moment.
In reality it usually goes a bit more like this:
•"I'm waiting for motivation to strike"
•"I don't feel like it right now"
•"I can't be bothered."
I'm sorry to break it to you but motivation just doesn't last.
In fact, truth be told motivation is a bit of a tease.
It comes crashing into your life like a shot of adrenaline or jolt of electricity, inspiring the crap out of you before vanishing into thin air.
You end up scrambling to do as much as possible in the short period you're motivated, trying to squeeze as much as possible out of the feeling but it always ends the same way, with goals and dreams left by the wayside as motivation fizzles out.
You need to act but what do you do?
It would seem you are willing to do almost anything in pursuit of your goal, except, ensure its survival.
So, like most people you will probably end up doing nothing.
The secret is to use the time in which you are motivated to set up systems to ensure you continue striving for your goal after motivation has faded.
three systems to help you stay on track once the motivation has gone
Goal setting
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Goal setting is the road map for your journey and will keep you on course long after motivation has faded. It lets you focus on the here and now whilst keeping you safe in the knowledge that everything you're doing is taking you closer to your overall goal.
Your goals can be broken into three sections:
•Long-term
•Mid-term
•Short-term
A good way to think of your long-term goal is as the platform on which you base all your other goals.
It must be as detailed as you can possibly make it at this point. It serves as the foundation for everything else and helps to provide a structured and well thought out set of goals for you to follow.
Once you've done this you then need to decide what needs to be done to get you there, these are your mid-term goals.
Once you've decided these you then need to figure out how to reach your mid-term and therefore your long-term goals, these are your short-term goals.
The idea is that by planning what needs to be done and setting these goals know what needs to be done and how to do it.
Accountability
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Accountability is powerful tool to keep you on track when motivation disappears and plays on the emotion of not wanting to let yourself or someone else down.
Any desire to change must come from within and when you decide to be responsible for your future you become accountable to yourself.
This means every time you waver in dedication to your goal you must remind yourself why you are doing it, look past the current moment to the bigger picture and push yourself stay on track.
If you find this isn't enough then get yourself a buddy. Someone to pick you up when you're down and push you forwards when your willpower is low.
This gives you dual accountability which means when you struggle to get motivated you'll have someone else to help keep you on track.
If you still find yourself struggling to stay on task, then the next step would be to join a community or group of like-minded people. Now, not only will multiple people now be relying on you but there may be an element of healthy competition to spur you on.
Mindset
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Getting into the right mindset is vital for long-term success and will drastically increase your chances of reaching your goals.
It's important to embrace the journey you're on to know that it won't always be easy and most likely won't be quick. To understand it's ok to want to be fitter, smarter or stronger but that you will need to be patient and you will need to pace yourself.
Don't rush into it expecting phenomenal results overnight, the changes will be incremental but the end result will be outstanding.
Keep this in mind and embrace your journey, understand that progress isn't always linear, it's not neat and pretty. It can be messy and frustrating but it's always worth it.
This journey is unique and completely personal to you so take the time to love every step on the road to a new you.
Takeaway point
Motivation doesn't last but that doesn't mean it isn't useful and it definitely doesn't mean you have to give up on your goals.
Use the systems and strategies laid out in this post to help you stay on track no matter what is going on.