How to Get Motivated and Achieve Your Goals: The Science of Motivation
Have you become complacent lately and need a change?
What would you accomplish if you had the motivation to do it? Setting and achieving your goals can be difficult without the right amount of motivation, and motivation itself isn’t something that everyone understands.
Luckily, there are scientific reasons why we get motivated to start new projects and accomplish our goals, whether it’s getting into shape or saving money for retirement or starting a business, or any other type of goal that can help us achieve the life we want.
For those interested in this topic, here’s an overview of the science behind motivation and achievement.
What is Motivation?
Why do some people succeed at everything they attempt while others fail? Even if you’re not an expert on psychology, you know that there are plenty of factors in play.
That’s because motivation is not just something that affects your job performance. It also determines whether or not you stick with a fitness routine or even continue living life after a traumatic event. And motivation isn’t just about being passionate about what you do; it has to do with how much effort you invest in it.
If someone else succeeds at something where you failed, for example, chances are they worked harder than you did. But does that mean everyone who works hard succeeds? Not necessarily.
Why are Goals Important?
Goal setting is critical for success, yet it is often misunderstood. What should you be focusing on? Should you be setting big or small goals? Research shows that setting goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely (SMART) is a highly effective way to motivate yourself.
Once your goal has been set, it’s time to think about how you’ll go about achieving it. You can take action by keeping track of your progress. This will keep you motivated because you’ll see tangible evidence that your efforts are paying off.
Studying successful people will also help motivate you because they’ve overcome similar challenges in their lives as well as excelled at what they do best.
Establish SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound)
SMART goals will help you plan specific, measurable steps toward your goal. If you were starting a new business, for example, your goal could be to open your own business. In order to achieve that outcome, you’ll need some practical strategies.
A SMART goal would be to hire an accountant who can help me start a business plan or to ask friends and family members for startup funding. And so on. Establishing small, achievable goals makes it much easier to stay motivated along the way.
Go all in. If you want to achieve it, give up everything else.
There’s some logic behind giving it your all. While our emotional state can play a role in how hard we work, according to Kahneman, when it comes down to it, there are two types of motivation — experiential and value-based.
Experiential motivation involves achieving something immediately gratifying or fun, like eating cake. Value-based motivation is creating or experiencing something that you feel will have long-term benefits or meaning, such as becoming a doctor.
So if you want something big, give up everything else so that you can achieve your goal without distraction. This applies even if someone else has told you what they think you should be doing with your life — don’t listen to them because only you know what will truly fulfill you.
Change your Environment
When we’re unmotivated, even getting out of bed can be a challenge. If you’re having trouble getting going, try changing your environment to get yourself moving.
For example, if you’re planning on heading to work out at home, set your alarm an hour earlier than usual so that you have time to shower and make breakfast before heading out. Knowing that you have extra time will allow you to wake up feeling fresh, which is important when it comes time for exercise.
Reward yourself for getting started and staying motivated
If you find yourself dragging your feet when it comes to getting started or pushing towards completion, a reward system can help. A common way of doing so is if/then plans: if you do [X], then you get [Y].
In short, if you accomplish your goals, set rewards for yourself — whether that’s telling yourself you can buy a new pair of shoes or go out with friends. If you make good at achieving your goal, pat yourself on the back and give yourself that reward.
A study in Health Psychology found that people who regularly rewarded themselves were more likely to stick with their goals than those who didn’t.
Keep it up by celebrating your progress daily.
When you achieve a big goal or earn a massive promotion, spending your days basking in self-satisfaction is easy. But researchers say that acknowledging your success is important for maintaining your motivation.
So don’t forget to celebrate! Each day, write down something you’re proud of accomplishing — even if it’s just one thing and remind yourself that every step forward counts. This will keep you motivated over time as well as help you build long-term success.
Final Thoughts
Goals are a funny thing. It’s sometimes hard to get motivated because they feel so intangible and even unattainable. But goals work, especially when you try these four steps…
(1) Identify your goal: Figure out what your goal is
(2) Create a plan: Create an action plan on how you will achieve your goal
(3) Set your intention: Intending that you’ll achieve your goal, rather than hoping or wishing it will happen
(4) Take action: Carry out your plan. Actions speak louder than words. Action always trumps intention. Get started today.
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