How to stay motivated and achieve your goals?
We all have a certain set of goals to achieve, whether they are personal or academic or professional. Understanding what we want from life is important while we are still young. One can expand on lifelong goals, or even set goals along the way based on their performance.
You should be patient at work and at home, and also understand that working on a goal does not immediately reap the results that you are looking for. If you are working as a professional artist then your goal is to improve along the way, learning new techniques that you didn’t know to improve your work and so forth. This process of learning never stops, no matter the age.
Focus on the journey and not the prize
One big mistake that most make is thinking about how good it will feel to reach the goal. Oftentimes, you also forget how far you have come from the start; too much focus on the goal disassociates you from the goal that you are working towards, undermining the hard work that you have diligently put into achieving the best to your ability. This creates a negative impact on our minds that is counterproductive to achieving the best results.
Routine will pave the way
Practice makes perfect and this cannot be truer for every goal that you have. Routine and dedication are the most important aspects of achieving better than before. To exceed your own limitations you first have to understand why you have chosen the goals that you have.
What is the driving force for that goal and what do you hope to achieve by doing this?
Doing a certain task well or performing well at work is dependent on your clarity of this point besides the financial gain for work or emotional satisfaction of a good deed done. You must be able to measure your success by some parameters, be it personal or professional.
Identify where you stand with your performance. If you are always pushing yourself to be better than before, it is hard to recognize what is already exceptional. Also, constantly trying to improve is counterproductive as you are telling yourself you are not good enough. Giving yourself the credit for achieving as much as you have is crucial to achieving your best.
Perceptions matter
Oftentimes, perceptions make a huge difference in the work. When one is too focused on the goal, it is easy to miss the signs of over performance. It is prudent to speak with a professional in the same field or family for personal matters to be able to see from another point of view for clarity on where you stand.
Use the knowledge that you have about yourself to see how far you have accomplished. Trusting your own instincts and taking feedback for the closest people in your life and push you in the right direction.
High performers also know their limitations and reach out when they need help and assistance. It is easy to burn out when you are focused on the best performance all the time.
It is important to accept your mistakes and understand that it is impossible to be the best at what you do without failing a few times. Failure helps to understand the obstacle and weaknesses that stand in the path of success. Proficiency at work can be rewarding not just financially but also emotionally. Focusing and reminding yourself of the reason you started will keep you on the path to success, no matter how difficult the journey may be.