You wake up at 5 a.m. to hear the baby crying ... again. By the time you rock him back to sleep, it is almost 6 a.m. and you know it is too late to go back to bed. Your body aches and you find yourself reaching for the tub of Ben and Jerry's Chunky Monkey ice cream to feel better. You promised yourself you would stop eating sugar after eating a full bag of chocolate chips the night before, but it just seems too hard.
It seems too hardbecause you need more motivation. There are many times when we take the easy way out because it is temporarily satisfying. But if your goal was to eliminate sugar intake, that moment of weakness will bring about many more moments of sadness.
Famous author and motivational speaker Zig Ziglar shared in his book "See You at the Top," "Lack of direction, not lack of time, is the problem. We all have twenty-four hour days."
Not sure how to stay motivated through all of the commotion? Here are 3 secrets to truly motivating yourself.
1. Anticipate the bumps in the road
Don't give stumbling blocks the power to throw you off your path. Try to be ahead of any stumbling blocks that tumble in your way by identifying them and deciding how you will deal with them. Preparing ahead of time makes it easier for you to overcome the temptation and possible struggles before they occur.
For example, if you want to quit an addiction but know that you will likely have friends who will encourage you to continue the addiction, practice saying no. Avoid being with those friends in a circumstance that would allow them to pressure you. Saying no in the moment isn't as easy as it looks which is why preparing is an important element to staying motivated.
2. Make it public news
Accountability can drive people to achieve what they didn't think was possible. Sharing your goal with those you interact with is risky, because it means you actually have to follow it! They'll be a great motivator to stay on track.
In Barbara Stoker's book_"Positive Risk: How Smart Women Use Passion to Break Through Their Fears she shares, "It's odd that we are often more willing to break a deal with ourselves than we are willing to go back on a goal that we've shared with others." There is a power that drives us when we are accountable. We must use that drive to create a better life for ourselves.
3. Remember the why
Reflecting on your choice to create this goal will, at the end of the day, remind you why you are doing it in the first place. If there is a deeper meaning to the goal, then your desire to be successful and continue to have faith in yourself will increase.
If you have a goal to lose 10 pounds, for example, write down why you want to lose the weight and remind yourself often of that choice. This will reduce the amount of chocolate chips and bags of potato chips you consume, because you will regularly have the reason behind your decision in your mind. This process is applicable to any goal.
If you remember these tips, you will, as Dr. Seuss once said, "And will you succeed? Yes indeed, yes indeed! Ninety eight and three-quarters percent guaranteed!"
