If you want to get far with your goals, STOP relying on motivation

Whenever people talk about their goals, there’s one word that gets bandied around a lot… even though it really shouldn’t.

Have you ever said one of these?

“Man I feel so motivated to get started!”

“I need to figure out how to keep myself motivated.”

“I’m just not motivated to keep working on it right now…”

Well, this is actually the source of why so many people DON’T reach their goals.

Let’s look at why you should never rely on motivation for your goals, and what to do instead that will bring you far.

The problem with relying on motivation

The problem with relying on motivation for achieving your goals is that it’s not constant.

When you start a new fitness program, you might be all hyped up and motivated and excited because it’s something new and shiny, and you’re thinking about your big ambitious goal and how all your friends will look at you, and that gets you through the first few days.

But when the novelty dissipates and your muscles hurt like heck and your body isn’t used to it yet, the motivation isn’t there anymore.

It’s easy to skip a day.. and then another… and then you tell yourself, well my motivation is gone, so I’m not going to do it anymore, you just give up, you stop progress.

And the problem isn’t that the motivation goes away, it’s that we expect it not to. Motivation is supposed to ebb and flow. But if we expect it to be a constant, we make all our efforts depend on it, and then our progress comes and goes — and stops.

So you need to rely on something else instead of motivation.

Commitment.

It’s like going to work. You’re not always motivated, you don’t always feel like it but you show up anyways because there is something deeper there for you – earning a living, not getting fired serving your clients, or whatever it is.

That may not motivate you every day, but it’s something you’re committed to.

Now, ask yourself this: How come you give this level of commitment and respect to someone else, but not to yourself?

Your own goals deserve even MORE of your commitment than other people.

But if you’re one of those people that needs to owe something to someone else in order to follow through, then use that to your advantage:

Imagine your goal is a responsibility like going to work. You’ve got a deadline and a boss breathing down your neck and a client sending you emails every day asking how it’s going, and you’ve got to get it done, or there will be hell to pay.

And make sure to bring it back to yourself too. Consider your “why”. Why is it that you want this goal or manfiestation or achievement? Dig as deep as you can.

For example:

You might want to build a 7 figure business.

Why?

So that you can travel the world and work from anywhere.

Why?

So that you can live life fully and without regrets.

Why?

So that you can honor the memory of a loved one who passed away young and couldn’t do it themselves.

Now that’s a really powerful why!

Create a reminder of this why – for example carry around a photo of that loved one who inspired you, or make a screensaver vision board of all the places you want to visit and travel to. And let that be your fuel when motivation is low.

Recap & action steps

When you have a goal in mind, don’t rely on motivation. It’s inconsistent. Rely on commitment instead — that will keep you consistent even on days when conditions aren’t perfect.

Imagine it’s a commitment to an external person, like doing work tasks that you don’t feel like for your clients or boss.

Remember your why and create a reminder of it that you can engage with in your daily life.

I’d love to hear from you: What has your own experience with motivation been? Does it keep you going, or do you find it fades?

Tell me in the comments below!

from mind to reality