Have you ever been driving and realized just a bit too late that you missed your exit? Perhaps you took the wrong turn because you were distracted by your favorite song on the radio. Or maybe your GPS routed you the wrong way. These inconveniences can be enough to forget why you started in the first place! You might veer off course or give up altogether and go home. As a business owner, these same annoyances can crop up when working to achieve your goals.
Have you ever traveled somewhere just to find that you’ve seen the same street corner three times, and you realize you’ve been going in circles? Maybe you got distracted by your favorite song on the radio. Perhaps your GPS routed you the wrong way. These inconveniences can be enough to forget why you started in the first place! You might veer off course or give up altogether and go home. As an executive, these same annoyances can crop up when working to achieve your goals.
How you approach your goals isn’t that different from traveling! Your motivation is the fuel that powers you and gives you the focus and follow-through. Below are six mile-markers, or tips, to help you stay on course from start to finish.
Mile Marker #1: Goals vs. Values
Let’s take a closer look at this traveling analogy: if a goal is like a destination, then your values are the reason to hit the road. If you don’t know why you’re traveling to a destination, it’ll make it much harder to get there.
No matter the venture, make sure that you understand why you’re pursuing your goals. Check that your sales align with your core principles and values. Coordinating these will set you up with a full tank of motivation.
Mile Marker #2: Picture It
What does reaching your goal look like? More and more, visualization is vital for achieving goals. While you don’t have to break out glue or clippings for a vision board, having a clear image in your mind is crucial to jumpstart your motivation. Taking some quality time to look inward and imagine reaching your goal can hone your focus and keep you feeling inspired to follow through.
Visualizing can be the tools or methods that help you maintain motivation. Tools like calendars, Gantt charts, or spreadsheets can give you a literal vision of a goal and your progress. This also keeps your motivation burning strong.
Mile Marker #3: Make Pit Stops
Even long-haul truckers need to rest and refuel. In the same way, break your goals down into smaller parts to keep your energy up. When you break a massive goal down, it also feels less daunting and more manageable. It gives you a chance to celebrate the progress you’ve made along the way.
You may be familiar with the sense of satisfaction when half your to-do list is checked off. This can create a domino effect in building up momentum, confidence, and motivation to reach your goal.
Mile Marker #4: Say No to Multitasking
There is growing evidence indicating that multitasking isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. In fact, juggling several tasks to save time often results in lower quality work and leaves you drained and scatter-brained.
According to Happify, you’ve got a certain amount of physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual energy to put toward a goal. Whether that means being on your feet, hunched over a desk, or managing the stress of a tight deadline all day, you’ve got a limited amount of energy. Make sure that you don’t run on fumes just to get more done in less time.
Mile Marker #5: Plan for Detours
It’s great to be ambitious in your goals. How else can you grow and exceed expectations? It’s also worth managing ambition when working toward your goals. Acknowledging that mistakes or obstacles are possible isn’t pessimistic. It’s realistic. It allows room for you to have a back-up plan if things don’t go exactly as expected.
A big part of maintaining motivation is the sense of momentum and energy you’re putting toward it. If you feel blindsided by a slip-up or unexpected turn, you may lose confidence in your abilities, your team, or even your goals. The best way to avoid this is to be mentally prepared for obstacles.
Mile Marker #6: Navigate with Helpful Self-Talk
Nobody likes a back-seat driver. A nagging voice criticizing your every move is enough to deplete anyone of their motivation (and cause some road rage, too). So, do yourself a favor, and don’t allow this back-seat driver in your self-talk!
Though it’s subtle, our motivation can be significantly impacted by what we say to ourselves and how we say it. If your inner dialogue leans toward negativity, harshness, or a judgmental tone, you’re probably doing more to hurt your motivation than build up the momentum to see a goal through.
Bringing it All Together
This last mile marker of compassionate self-talk may be the most important because it helps tie together all the tips laid out. It’s also important because, as Lolly Daskal points out in Inc., “All motivation is self-motivation”.
In conclusion, use these mile markers as you approach your next goal. You’ll build your motivation as soon as the rubber meets the road.
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