Elizabeth Saigal

The first three keys to self-motivation of envisioning your future, taking action steps towards it, and addressing the fears that hold you back, can all be more easily maintained by the fourth key: a commitment to being positive. Making a pledge to stay optimistic by focussing on opportunities and possibilities aids in affirming and encouraging the progress you are making. It is a form of self-advocacy that you have control over. Whenever possible, adjust your thinking to propel you forward, and sustain your enthusiasm and high energy. You can do this with the following techniques:

1) I am Happy Because …

Find reasons to be optimistic and committed. Make sure your goals and the steps to reach them are defined positively so that they pull you onward. Think about all the things that you are grateful for, especially those that contribute directly to the goals you are focused on. As you complete each step, take time to acknowledge it to build your confidence that you can do all that needs to be done. Pay attention to and be thankful for everything in your vision that you implement and achieve.

Even when employing the first two keys for motivating yourself, of detailing your vision and beginning to take action to realize it, you may occasionally feel frightened: especially when reaching your goals requires stretching yourself and encountering new territory. This is when the third key becomes critical. Don’t buy any excuses or limitations you impose on yourself. If you or others are hard on you, objectively think of these criticisms as positive feedback for your sustained growth. Do not internalize them allowing a false barrier to occur that will hold you back. The following habits will allow you to respond to, own, and address your fears.

1) Alternative Perspectives

Oftentimes, overcoming our fears leads to our greatest strengths. So, it is useful to reflect on what the opportunity or inspired action could be in the circumstances that are causing us anxiety. Think about the ways that you are conceptualizing the issue. In each case, examine them for truth and other possible ways of thinking about the experience. Are you anticipating or inflating problems? What would be a more useful, positive, and purposeful way to think about it? How can you make change work for you and direct yourself? Another way to address your fears is by taking a moment to own your anxieties and find the benefit or upside is a great way to keep on track. Identifying the value in what you are doing, even when you don’t want to do it, provides additional reasons to engage. It supports your decision to be great. Developing this type of honest contemplation also brings rewards of self-encouragement and self-compassion.

Once you have identified the things that will bring you closer to your dream, be sure to take action on them and get something done. To make your vision truly part of your life you have to build it step by step so it doesn’t remain just a magnificent elaborate blueprint.

The first key to motivating yourself is the clarity of purpose and certainty around exactly what you want to get done.

The second key is doing something about it.

1) Timetable it

Reverse engineer from the expansive vision you have generated to identify all the steps needed to manifest it. List each action that you must take along with a matching optimally desired outcome. Give your plan a schedule and follow it. By calendaring each identified action step you have committed time and space to getting something done. Since you are just using your best judgment to estimate the resources that you will need, you will have to adjust your schedule and deadlines to reflect any additional requirements. Embrace these necessary changes as part of the process. By making an appointment with yourself you are holding yourself accountable to work on creating your masterpiece each day.

Many times we can identify rewards that will keep us moving forward. This external outcome provides a useful carrot, but the ultimate reward is the completion of your goals. What you really want is the internal drive. When you get really clear on what you are going for, you naturally become motivated from within to take the necessary steps as well as less impacted by the ups and downs of the processes required to get there. In other words, know what you want.

One way to connect with this internal motivation is by setting aside time to get really comprehensive and shine the light on any fuzzy or cloudy areas in your aspirations. Some people do this by journaling or creating a vision board or mind map, some by talking it out, and some just spend time reflecting. Choose a method that works for you and bring clarity to your vision. Knowing exactly what you want and, conversely, precisely what you do not want makes the path for achievement much clearer and can make a big difference to your goal accomplishment.

1) Build Your Vision

What is the mental picture you hold for your future? Add as much detail to this visualization of your experiences five or ten years from now as you can. Take your time and create an audio, visual, or written record of all the details you reveal. Keep adding to it until nothing else comes to mind.

If you have trouble getting started, use cues from your daily experiences such as movies, magazines, or books that demonstrate the quality of life that inspires you. Imagine how it will feel to be there. Fill in what your relationships and community experience will be like. What qualities do they have? Outline your health and physical condition in this image. Include your daily experience – how you spend your time and have fun. What is your financial outlook? Describe your living environment. All these different areas are connected and provide you with a full panoramic view so that you know precisely what you want in your future life.