How to stay motivated as you work towards your goals

​Many of you have established your goals for the year, especially if you attended y Reflections, Priorities & Goals workshop. Now comes the hard part, staying on track and continually working on achieving those goals even when something (and there usually is something) gets in your way. With this blog I want to share a few tips on how to stay motivated as you work towards those goals. 

1. Track your Progress
One of the most effective strategies to stay motivated is to track your progress. It’s easy to lose sight of how far you've come when you're focused on how far you have to go. Use a calendar, a journal, an app, or a simple spreadsheet to record each step forward you make. Seeing the tangible evidence of your progress can be incredibly encouraging and remind you of your ability to overcome challenges.

2. Reward Yourself
Whenever you meet one of your goals, or take a significant step towards achieving a goal, treat yourself. You deserve it! We work so hard and often only remember the trials. Start celebrating the wins! These rewards do not need to be lavish, they just need to be meaningful to you. Anyone who knows me, knows how important cake is to my life. So I often reward myself with cake, but what do you love, a walk, a new notebook, a favourite coffee?  That little reward will help motivate you to keep going.

3. Find Accountability
Choose a friend, family members, mentor or coach to share your goals, milestones and action plan with. Accountability is a powerful motivator. Knowing that they are supporting you, holding you accountable and encouraging you along the way can be a great way to keep your motivation high as you progress towards your goals.

4. Learn From Setbacks
More often than not, as we pursue something that is important to us, another thing will get in the way. These challenges can make us consider quitting or cause us to pause and remind ourselves why this goal is important. Give yourself time to feel the upset, this is normal, then have a good look at that issue and see what you can learn from it. Reflect, learn, grow! Remember, resilience is built through overcoming obstacles, not by avoiding them.
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Maintaining motivation can be challenging. One day you're surging with enthusiasm, ready to conquer the world; the next day, you might find yourself struggling to muster the energy to take even the smallest step forward. Using one or as many of these tips that suit you can help you maintain your motivation to achieve your personal goals.  Remember, the path to personal development is a marathon, not a sprint. Be kind to yourself, celebrate every win, no matter how small and never doubt that you are capable and wonderful. Finally, never be afraid to ask for help, it doesn’t make you weak.