If you’re trying to become the best tee-ball hitter in town, get a leading role in a play, or just finish a woodworking craft, it’s often your ability to push past the mundane, most often boring, part of perfecting a skill or finishing a project that gets most people to quit. And to think that they were so close to the finish line!
Here are 3 ways to stay motivated and not quit:
- Write down WHY you want to reach your goal.
- Do the action, and motivation will come after.
- Get a friend to hold you accountable.
Of course, there’s a lot more to cover on this great topic, so let’s get started..
1) Coming Up With Your “Why” Can Lead to Major Breakthrough
Research has shown that if your “why” is because someone is telling you to do it, it won’t yield the best results. You’ll peter out when the “going gets tough.”
They have a “why,” but you need your own.
I personally did much better in school once I had my own reasons. Yeah, it’s great to do well because your parents want you to, but you’re going to excel once you’ve got your own.
As the late author, Napoleon Hill, says, there are two things that keep people from greatness:
- Not being able to do what you are told, and
- Only doing what you are told.
In other words, if you have your own goals and motivation, you’re going to be thinking of ways to go above and beyond what is expected, and not as easily entertain thoughts of quitting.
Of course, your challenge right now might not be achieving greatness. You might just be trying to finish a book report.
But believe me, once you have your own “why,” you will not lack for motivation if and when the project seems to be dragging on. You’ll be eager to get it done so you can move on to the next thing!
2) Just Get Going
Success is 10 percent inspiration and 90 percent perspiration.
- Thomas Edison
How many mountains would not be climbed if people had always waited for a spark of inspiration before getting to the top? It’s the simple, non-exciting, putting one foot before the other that leads to great success.
No one knows, but I bet if you could go to a graveyard and ask all the people who have passed on if they had any regrets, the majority would’ve said they wished they had tried to accomplish more.
It’s a human tendency to wait for motivation. Just do what you need to do, and the steps you advance in achieving your goal will actually motivate you to keep going and to give it your all!
3) Getting Friends to Hold You to Your Goals Puts a Good Fire Under Your Fanny
No one ever likes to look like a failure in front of others.
Set yourself up to potentially look bad if you back out of your plan. Tell a close friend or family member who you know you can trust about what you intend to accomplish and how soon you plan to complete it.
A famous golfer, Greg Norman, said that so much of his success has been as a result of expectations that were placed on him.
You might be surprised at some of the great expectations people have for you!
Once you let your good friend or family member in on your objectives, they might spontaneously overflow with comments that will fuel your motivation.
You might be surprised at how much fuel they provide to help keep you from quitting.
Watch Out for Perfectionism
Remember, “Done is better than perfect.” Although you always want to go the extra mile, in this case your key performance indicator is completion of the task.
Focus on getting in finished. If you are one who strives for excellence, by the time you’re close to completing it, it’ll bother you enough if it’s not up to your standards to do a little extra legwork to bring the quality up.
It’s usually easy to do a couple of tweaks and additions where necessary to work that’s already “done.” You no longer have fears of not being able to complete it. Your main is focus.
Now, hit it out of the park! 🙂
