Include what you think the positive outcomes for your life will be if you achieve this goal, but also the great things you already have to fall back on in case you don’t achieve it. For example, you could write down: “Getting better at soccer will give me a good chance at getting a college scholarship, which would make me happy and allow me to keep playing it at the next level. But I’m already really happy with my performance in the junior league, and I love my team. ”
Use smaller goals to build up to something larger. Set a goal for each day or week (and it doesn’t have to be the same from one to the next), like producing one new piece of art or writing. Soon, you’ll have enough work for the portfolio you’re ultimately working towards. Try breaking down smaller goals even further by setting time limits, like “work on this for one hour” instead of the more general “work on this today. ”[3] X Research source
Try making a list of the hardest things you’ve ever done, whether physical, intellectual, or emotional. This may help you recognize that your current task is achievable after all you’ve done, and it may not be so hard to handle after all. If you’re having trouble coming up with specific achievements to write down, simply make a list of things that make you happy or feel good when you do them. [5] X Research source You can use this to remind yourself of things that inspire you or do those same things later as incentives for your work.
Your positivity and happiness is scientifically shown to improve productivity and avoid procrastination. [6] X Research source Try practicing gratitude for more happiness in your life: every day, write down three good things that happened to you, that you are grateful for, or that you can appreciate in some way. This has lasting benefits for your happiness over time. [7] X Research source Try exercising before working on your goal. Even if it’s difficult or you don’t particularly enjoy a workout, a quick one will get your heart rate up, your blood flowing, and release mood-boosting endorphins in your brain.
For instance, if an excuse of yours is that you can’t find the time to commit to working on your goal, try cutting away something in your day that is less important and takes up time, like watching TV or surfing the internet. Maybe you find that you are only finding other things to do to avoid work toward your goal. If your goal is to organize rooms in your house but you have more stuff than you have the space or time to deal with, focus first on removing the obstacle by setting a separate goal of sorting through items and either donating, giving away, or throwing out what you don’t need.
Also useful is de-incentivizing procrastination or other unproductive behavior. Try a “commitment device” by giving a friend or family member a sum of money, your phone, or something else that is valuable to you, and tell them they can’t give it back until your task is completed, or even get to keep it if you aren’t done by a certain time. [10] X Research source
If you’re trying to get healthy or fit, join a fitness club, a gym, or dieting group that meets regularly. If you’re a writer or artist, join a workshop or work in the company of other creatives. If you’re learning something new, study with a group that has to pass the same test or goal. Don’t be afraid of a little peer pressure to create a positive motivating effect. Tell others about your goal so they hold you accountable for your success in completing something, whether you promise someone you’ll send them a new piece of writing or art every week, or you simply have someone regularly ask you how you’re doing with your goal.
Try working on a part of your goal at the same time that a friend works on hers. Set a schedule and a place that you both have to be, and you’ll be more likely to show up and put in the work. Don’t forget to include the friend in your reward for completing something! Double your enjoyment of the incentives you’ve set for yourself and you’ll be even more likely to keep up the inspiration for your plan. You and a study buddy can make it a tradition to go get ice cream after your study session, for example.
Check out books on inspiring people in your field from your local library, or ask people you know what their favorite person or resource for a given topic is. You can even find websites and forums dedicated to finding inspiration from those that have come before you. Try a quick and easy way to get inspired by others by looking up inspirational quotes or proverbs. Find one that sticks or that seems to speak to you and your current task. Then copy it and display it somewhere you will see it often. [12] X Research source
Breaks are a great time to renew your sense of purpose by reviewing your goals, the reasons you’re inspired to achieve them, and the list of things you’ve already achieved as a reminder of success. Use a break to drink water or eat a healthy snack like an apple. You’ll be much sharper and more focused mentally and physically when you’re hydrated and have nutrients to run on. Avoid caffeine, sugar, and energy drinks that give you a quick boost of energy but make you crash and dehydrate you in the long run. Try taking a walk on your break, ideally outdoors if possible. The natural habitat can inspire you, and this allows you to think and refocus by restoring your brain’s ability to block distractions. [14] X Research source
Even if you have to stay in the same office or other space, mix it up by going to sit at a desk or in a room that isn’t being used. You can even sit next to somebody who appears very focused to feed off his or her energy as well as benefitting from the new scenery and physical space that may lend inspiration. [15] X Research source If you start associating a space or any particular conditions with procrastination or other unproductive habits (either because you’ve done a lot of procrastination in that space or it negatively affects your mood), change your surroundings right away if possible. Also keep adjusting your incentives. If the rewards you’ve been giving yourself after achieving each step toward your goal have become too routine or are no longer inspiring you, change them to something new that will keep you going.
You can even schedule a weekly check-in with yourself, during which you evaluate exactly how far you’ve come, address any new obstacles that may have come up, and determine what has been working to inspire you and what has not. [16] X Research source
Keep others updated on your progress. Making your plan or goal a part of your identity helps you stick with it, and also is likely to create admiration and praise from others, which will help you keep moving forward. [17] X Research source Teach people about what you’ve learned in the course of achieving your goal, whether it’s a new skill, technique, or fact. Teaching another person helps solidify the knowledge in your own brain, not to mention brings the happiness that comes from helping someone else.
