TIP: How to Stay Motivated

What's Your Why

What would you like your year to bring? More money and time? Smoother family life? Fun and friends? Relaxation and vacations? Better health? Big dreams coming true?

Without knowing “your why,” the reason your goal is important to you, your motivation can become like a wind-up toy that ran out of its wind-up. Soon after, you return to the same ole, same ole way you’ve always done things. Add to this frustration and disappointment.

More money is appealing. But money for money’s sake may not provide enough incentive to create more cha-ching in your life.

In the movie Joy, Jennifer Lawrence’s character was highly motivated not to quit. Against all odds, she dug deep and found reasons to keep going. Because she knew her “why,” she found a way out of overwhelming failure to experience success.

Interestingly, sometimes a reason to accomplish goals is a gut-level determination to take care of yourself or stop playing small. The line is drawn in the sand. You’re no longer going to tolerate what’s not working. You’re inspired.

Following are excerpts from my Resolved for Results course to help you stay motivated and get in touch with your why – the soul of your goal:

Have you ever desired something and, when you got it, realized it wasn’t what you really wanted? You asked for a specific outcome but didn’t clarify the soul of your goal, its essence.

Well, that explains the divorce rate.

Have you ever desired something, got something else instead, and then realized it was better than what you asked for? You tapped into the soul of your goal.

Sally’s ideal scenario included very specific details, including marrying a 6’ 2” red- haired man who owned a 10,000 acre ranch.

I asked if she would like to have several employees around all day because, with a spread that size, she could attract a working ranch.

That was absolutely not her intention. She wanted the acreage for privacy. She could have received what she asked for and not been happy… along with a man who fit her description but didn’t share her values. She didn’t mention any.

When I looked for a house, the soul of my goal included a low maintenance, wooded area offering privacy but not seclusion.

I bought a home at the end of a cul-de-sac in a country subdivision with a Xeriscaped lawn. It’s surrounded by trees, a greenbelt in the back, and a fenced-in 1000 acre, exotic wildlife ranch next to a neighboring tree-filled lot.

Have you pursued a goal, got discouraged or sidetracked, then lost energy to keep going? If you don’t have a compelling reason, “your why” that underlies your goal, it’s easy to get off-track, lose motivation, and quit.