Motivate Yourself

MOTIVATE YOURSELF


The following motivational techniques inspired by Dave Ellis’s manual, Becoming a Master Student will be helpful in staying on task and reaching important goals in life.

Motivation can be directly related to the expected outcomes of an action. If the desirable outcome of an action is clear, it becomes easier to complete the task. Setting goals and breaking these down into small objectives is one way of improving motivation. When a person feels they are working toward a larger accomplishment, even unpleasant tasks become tolerable.

Fear is a great deterrent for completing necessary projects. It is important to look into why you do not want to do a task. The initial response may be, “I hate working on bicycles and I just do not want to do it.”

This is a secondary response emotion, though. The real emotion may be, “I worked on a bike when I was a child and it was never the same. I am afraid that if I work on this bike the same thing will happen. I do not want to be a failure.” Fear can get in the way of activities and deplete your motivation. One way of dealing with the fear is determining whether the anxiety is based on an irrational thought. You may not have been mechanically inclined at 8 years old, but now that you are 27 things have changed. Examine your feelings and determine whether this is a fear based on outdated inaccurate information, or a fear that is based in fact. Most fears that cause us to procrastinate and avoid doing things are irrational in nature. When you determine your true reason for avoiding a task, re-program yourself with positive affirmations such as:

“I am capable of doing this and succeeding.”

“I will feel really great when this task is completed.”

“Completing this scary project will help me prove how talented I am.”

“Bicycles are easy to work on, and this one will ride like the wind when I am finished.”


Sometimes the key to motivation lies in the environment you are in. You may dread changing the tire to your car, because your garage is wet, cold and ill lit. Ask a friend for the use of his well-light, heated garage, and the task may become more enjoyable. You can also make the project more enjoyable by asking other people to get involved. If you ask someone to share their expertise it can be an ego boost for them and a source of support for you.


Pressure can both increase your motivation and paralyze your actions, so it must be dealt with carefully. If you are dealing with a paper deadline for school, the motivation to get the grade and turn the assignment in on time has spurred many students into action. However, when the pressure gets too high the anxiety level rises and you can find yourself disabled by a stress reaction. You may need to diminish this tension in order to work effectively. This could entail getting a deadline moved, breaking the task down into small steps, taking time out to exercise and clear your mind, or just relaxing and sorting the whole situation out.
One way to ensure personal success and continued enthusiasm for your own path is identifying people who are successful in the things that are important to you. Get to know these people, study their attitudes and behaviors. By finding a model for success you will have someone to emulate. You might also look at people you do not wish to become and study these negative habits. Both will help you learn important lessons about your future, but be sure to focus on the positive person the most. It is interesting to make a list of your friends and families while analyzing which qualities each of these people have and the habits that make these characteristics possible. Your model for success may not lie in the actions of one person, but in the positive traits of all the people you interact with.


Find someone to be your motivational coach. This person should be someone who honestly believes in your skills and talents. Tell this person about your goals and dreams. Share stories, timelines, the objectives that will get you where you want to go. When you become discouraged, it will be this person’s job to remind you of your strengths and the benefits of persevering. If you exchange this service with a friend it is guaranteed to create greater intimacy and meaning in a relationship. You will feel motivated and will assist someone important to you in their road to success.


You do not need to consider yourself motivationally challenged. It is within your power to change your attitude about unpleasant tasks, and complete the project no matter what it is. Using these methods can help an individual become upbeat, efficient and effective in all areas of their life.

MANAGE YOUR TIME EFFECTIVELY

HOW TO MANAGE YOUR TIME EFFECTIVELY


We are all given twenty-four hours a day in which to live--no more, no less. So why is it that some people are able to accomplish more in one day than others can possibly do in a week? Other than possibly the difference of levels of energy, it must be that one person is able to manage their time more effectively than the other person. This does not mean that one person works harder, but rather, the person who accomplishes more in less time has figured out how to work smarter.

How can you learn to effectively manage your time in order to get more accomplished? Read the following tips and find out!


Tip1:

Set time limits for your simple activities. Some people are dawdlers. This is fine for someone who has a lot of time and they need to fill it, but if you are a dawdler and you wan t to get more done in a lesser amount of time, then you are going to have to learn to practice self-control and set limits on your valuable time. You can do this by setting a reasonable amount of time that the task at hand is going to take. Do not try to rush it, but on the other hand, do not allow yourself too much time to complete the task either. Let us, for example, that you want to clean out a closet. You will need to allow time to empty the closet out, then go through everything and throw away the items that you don't want or need anymore. Then you will need to clean the inside of the closet out and out everything back in it that you want to keep. Depending on the size of the closet, and the amount of stuff that is in it, let us say that you figure you can accomplish this task in one hour. Use a kitchen timer and set it for sixty minutes exactly. Then, start your task. You should have your closet cleaned out and put back together by the time, or even before, the timer goes off.


Tip 2 :

Do not try to do it all yourself. Do not overload yourself by insisting on doing everything yourself. Your husband, wife or kids can help out around the house and make your life easier. It will also help you to save time so you can get other tasks done. Make-up a list of chores for your kids to do. Talk to your spouse about doing a few things more around the house if he or she has the time and you feel overwhelmed. If your family is already too busy to help you out a little more, then you should consider hiring either full or part time help. You can easily find someone to help you do a variety of chores around the house, which may include cleaning your house, doing the laundry, ironing, or helping with the cooking duties.


Tip 3 :

Learn to set priorities and also to just say NO. In finding more time in your busy life so that you can get things done, you must decide what jobs are most important and need done first. Do not let little things get in the way if you can possibly help it.

Also, do not let yourself feel obligated every time someone asks you to do something for them. This includes charitable organizations, school activities, and, even when someone in your family asks you to do something that you do not have time for.

PROCRASTINATING

Ø STOP PROCRASTINATING

Everyone procrastinates at one time or another. Some people habitually delay projects for work or school. Others put off cleaning the house or starting that diet. And while it’s only an occasional problem for most, procrastination can be a chronic stumbling block for some.

There are many reasons for procrastinating. Two common explanations are fear of failure and dread of taking on a long, boring, and/ or difficult tasks.

Fear of failure often comes into play at work or school where results are evaluated and can affect our future success. A student may put off studying for a test until the last minute. Lack of time hitting the books is a more desirable explanation for failure than lacking intelligence to learn the material.

When a task is perceived as long or difficult, many will procrastinate simply because there is no immediate gratification. For example, it will take months to lose those ten pounds. Putting off the diet one more day (and eating that yummy chocolate cake) will not make much difference.

But that one extra day (and the cake) does make a difference. Procrastination causes stress, anxiety and a feeling of failure. Students who fear failure ultimately guarantee that failure when they do not prepare for tests or start projects on time. Employees who begin tasks at the last minute rarely perform as well as their non-procrastinating colleagues. Putting off that diet will ultimately add to the number of pounds you need to lose to be healthy making the job that much harder to accomplish.

If you are a chronic procrastinator, you will not cure yourself in a day. Reward yourself for every step taken in the right direction.

First figure out why you are procrastinating. Is it fear of failure or lack of confidence? Write down all the reasons why putting off your project will bring you one step closer to failure. Does it make sense to put it off any longer? No.

Break down the task into smaller jobs. If it’s a thirty page paper due in two weeks. Write down a goal of finishing three pages a night. After you finish your nightly quota, give yourself a reward of some sort. Watch your favorite TV show (taped while you were working, of course) or have a treat.

Remind yourself (write it down and put it on the fridge) of how good you will feel when your project is done or when you’ve lost those ten pounds. Plan a big reward for that time. If the end seems too far away, give yourself a reward at the half way point.

Those of us who procrastinate on a day to day basis need a realistic clear prioritized ‘to do’ list. Keep the list with you and stick to the order. Cross things off as they are accomplished. Plan a reward for the end of the day if you accomplish all your tasks.

Tell your friends and family about your goals. If you have someone asking you how the diet is coming along, it’s more difficult to cheat. If you have a long school project to do, ask a friend to help keep you on task by calling each day to see what you have accomplished.

Procrastination can cause you to miss opportunities and sabotage your future. Stop procrastinating!

Steps for Setting Goals

STEPS FOR SETTING GOALS



There is an ancient anonymous quote which captures some of the idea of goal setting: "Luck is the residue of design."


People tend to make comments about how lucky a person was to accomplish a certain dream, reach something that others thought might be unattainable. However the quote above reflects that luck is the residue of design, meaning good planning. Perhaps more importantly good goal setting.


Goal setting is far more than seeing the big picture or even planning the individual steps or objective and methods of obtaining your goals. It is also a realistic analysis of what is reasonable and attainable. This article will look at several key examples of realistic goal writing in order to help everyone attain their dreams.


First and foremost one must look at if the goal is concrete. Can you measure it? How specific is your goal? Is it something like I will increase my sales, without saying by how much or how many or how much money might be linked to the amount of sales increase? Just like saying that you will lose weight, and failing to set a number of pounds. Be specific. Be realistic. You may want to establish a short term goal of losing 5-7 pounds per week, which is the average amount of weight lost to water weight and should be attainable realistically the first week. Saying even ten pounds per week might be setting the goal too high. You might set a long term goal of losing 100 pounds, but your goal has to have other aspects built in or the 100 pounds will seem overwhelming and you will have more problems in reaching your goal. One of the issues of an unrealistic goal is also motivation.


Each individual must ask themselves if their goal motivates them and if so how does help them get started. In the example already listed, losing 100 pounds is a good goal, but to break it down into more realistic objectives measured week by week is far more motivational. If you set your initial goal at 5-7 pounds and reach that goal you will be far more motivated for the next week. Since we know this is a standard weight loss measurement from the first week of dieting and exercise, through water weight, then indeed this is building in some motivational success.


Men tend to lose more weight than women the first week and that also goes for the differential. A man is more likely to lose the 7 and the woman more likely to lose 5. Allow yourself some cushion, or leeway in your estimates and goals. They must be motivational and concrete.


Realistic goal setting includes the idea of whether or not the goal can be attained. Do you have to ability to attain that goal or is it outside your ability. Do other forces, events, or outside individuals control the situation so that by setting yourself an unattainable goal you are setting yourself up for failure. Make sure you have control over the outcome.
In order for the goal to inspire you, and be important motivationally, it must also be applicable or relevant to your life. Does the goal have meaning for you? Shape the goal so that it is worded and has an impact, make it have meaning for you. If it is weight loss then indeed make it meaningful with ideas of new clothes and many other relevant dreams and thoughts that can help spur you on to the goal. Do not set goals for things you really don’t want to do. In this sense, if your spouse says they want you to quit smoking and you do not and will not, why bother setting goals. Not to say that smoking is healthy. Just that IF this is not something you want to accomplish or is relevant to your life you are unlikely to succeed.


Finally we must look at how you track your goal, can you use a timeline to help you accomplish you goal within a time standard. Is there a deadline? You have to set those objectives of losing five pounds per week, and then arrive at twenty weeks later with hopefully the long term weight loss goal of 100 pounds. You might want to figure in a few extra weeks for mistakes, holidays, or anticipated problems or backsliding. But you should establish signposts and small goal dates leading up to a final goal date. Don't let the whole project overwhelm you. It may seem to be an insurmountable mountain if you look at it that way. Instead of taking it one small part at a time.


In conclusion you are most likely to succeed in obtaining your dreams if you start with realistic goal setting and solid planning. Looking at the key elements of how concrete and measurable your goal is, are you motivated, can it be realistically attained, is it relevant to your life and is there a deadline or timeline? All these questions and planning are more than luck. They are a design, a plan that will leave other people amazed at your success. By setting goals and solving problems.

Goal Settings

GOAL SETTING;

Goal Setting involves setting specific, measurable and time based activities, Its a continous process which involves a lot of pre-planning, possible, realistic plans.

STEPS FOR SETTING AND ACHIEVING GOALS

Whether you're a Professional, astudent, a mother, a businessman, or career person, you have your own set of goals you want to achieve. However, there are times that you might feel overwhelmed by obstacles or become preoccupied with other things that you tend to give up on doing things leading towards your goals. You become unsuccessful and don't achieve your goals simply because you have lost focus on them. Ask yourself these five questions and turn them into your personal focus steps. You'll soon get right back on track to achieving your goals and ultimately, success!

Ask yourself the following when you are setting the goals;

1. goals achievable?

By achievable, we mean realistic and attainable. You might unconsciously have set a goal that anyone will really have a hard time achieving, even if they had the means and the time to do so.

One thing you can do is break down your goals into small, realistic goals, set against reasonable timeframes. Oftentimes, you'll be able to achieve your bigger goals if you work on achieving the smaller goals leading to those. The important thing is to make your goals as realistic and as achievable as you can.

2. believe in your abilities

It is true that the only person whom your success hugely depends on is yourself. So, do you believe enough in yourself and in what you can do to achieve your goals? Self-doubt is your biggest adversity and the biggest obstacle you will come across on your way to your success. Could it be that you have lost focus of your goals because you unconsciously set aside having to deal with your self-doubts?

3. Have feasible plan on to achieve your goals?

Yes, you know what you want, but do you know how you can get what you want? Would you be needing a special kind of technical or artistic training to achieve your goals? Or maybe further educational studies? Do you have a set plan of action that will lead to the achievement of your goals? What things, both tangible and intangible, do you need that will aid you in reaching your goals?

Take a moment to sit down and list the things you would need and make your plan of action. This is a good time to break them down into small, realistic goals and then take them one day at a time!

4. Are you spreading yourself too thinly?

Sometimes, it's better to work on one goal at a time, rather than doing and shooting for so many goals all at the same time. For one, doing so will hinder you from achieving each goal faster, and for another thing, you will not be able to focus your full energy on one goal. You will constantly be running and trying to achieve one goal after another and this usually results to you not being able to achieve any one of those. Prioritize your goals and then start with either your top priority or the most realistic goal. You'll discover for yourself that you are able to do more and achieve more using this approach.

5. Do you easily give up?

Along with asking if you believe in your ability to achieve your goals, this is the second most important question you should ask yourself. Yes, you do the steps necessary to achieving your goals, but after one or two failures, do you give up and not try again? Persistence and patience are the keys to achieving your goals and eventual success. Always remember that it is very rare that a person achieves total success or attains his goals in his first try. If people did, there would be no need to build self-confidence, patience and persistence in oneself.

Now that you've asked yourself these five questions, start your way to attaining your goals today!