Staying motivated is central to achieving our goals in life, but this inner drive to succeed can ebb and flow. Sometimes we can sabotage our own efforts, or fall prey to stress or the changing of the season from summer to autumn. Fortunately, whatever your nemesis, there are useful strategies you can use to overcome them.
Here are some common causes of nose diving motivation levels, and some techniques to help you get back on track. If you would like some more in-depth advice, our Birmingham based lifestyle coach will work with you to provide a tailored strategy for success.
Common reasons for motivational lapses
Feeling overwhelmed
Setting unrealistic goals can lead to a state of burnout or a lack of direction because we are just too overwhelmed to carry on. The rewards for your discipline and effort may seem too distant or impossible to attain, and this can cause your motivation to falter.
Perfectionism
If you have a perfectionist mindset, you may have an exaggerated fear of failure or an all-or-nothing mindset that prompts you to quit when your high standards are not met. This may hold you back from trying new things because you are waiting for the ‘perfect’ time to start, which inevitably never arrives, or because you are afraid of not being perfect.
Inner critic
It may be the case that we talk to ourselves in a negative and overly judgemental way, rather than being optimistic about what we can achieve. This can have a destructive effect on our motivation to make positive changes, because we feel incapable and unworthy.
How to deal with inner demons
Keep you goals realistic and achievable
A common reason why we become demotivated or abandon our goals altogether is because we have set goals that are too vague or overly ambitious. This can be addressed by breaking the goal down into smaller and more manageable steps.
For example, rather than setting yourself a target to go to the gym at 6am every morning, aim to workout for 20 minutes three times a week. You can always increase your targets if you are smashing it and ready for a bigger challenge, creating a positive cycle.
Learn to roll with it
As Oasis would have it, you gotta roll with it and not be derailed by every bump in the road. You will inevitably have lapses and setbacks, but learn to embrace your mistakes and carry on: we all make them.
If you have just broken your healthy eating plan by ordering a takeaway, allow yourself to enjoy it and then pick up where you left off the next day, rather than labelling yourself a failure and reverting back to old bad habits.
Share your goals
A personal trainer or mentor, or even a friend or family member can give you the strength to carry on when your resolve weakens. Choose someone supportive and positive, who can help to keep you accountable, such as a friend who you enjoy going for a run with at the weekends.
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