Visualizations, Process Orientation, and Regular Rewards to Boost Motivation

Are you sick of setting goals and failing to achieve them?

I’m going to share my recent discovery to help you to stay motivated until you reach your goal.

The Importance of Self-Discipline

I’ve a poor track record when it comes to achieving my goals. I’ll always start off super-eager but along the way my motivation has a habit of fizzling out. I now know this lack of self-discipline is due to my approach to getting things done.

One the main motives behind my recent experimentation with juice fasting has been to increase my level of self-discipline. I want to develop the tenacity to see things through to the end – no more excuses.

I used to believe self-discipline was all about doing things I didn’t want to do. My recent adventure with controlling my food intake has shown me the opposite is true:

Real self-discipline involves making the process of achieving my goal highly desirable – so I want to do the work.

The problem with the white-knuckle version of self-discipline is that it is not sustainable. This is why most of us will struggle to get lasting results from diets.

I can force myself to do something I don’t like, but it requires a huge amount of effort. There is a limit on the energy reserves available to power this unnatural form of self-discipline so eventually I crash and burn.

Sustainable Self-Discipline

There is a way to remain self-disciplined indefinitely, and it involves harnessing the power of desire. By getting excited and enthusiastic about what I’m doing, it provides an endless supply of motivation.

I can tap into this free energy for self-discipline by repeatedly visualizing how great I’m going to feel when the goal is complete. I make myself feel these emotions as if I’d already reached this target.

Another trick I’ve started using is to set myself regular rewards for achieving targets – this means that every time I hit a target my motivation receives a boost. Instead of feeling guilty for spending money on myself, I now see that this as my payment for a job well done.

I’ve also found out that it is important for me to celebrate my successes and revisit my memories of achieving goals. This allows me to see that the effort is going to be worth it. I now try to think back on old wins at least once per day and before I begin any new challenge.

Process Orientated Self-Discipline

“Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans”
John Lennon

There are two paths towards achieving anything – one is goal orientated and the other is process orientated.

In the past I’ve tended to be goal orientated. This meant my mind was focused on the final destination, and I viewed the work to get me to my goal as in the way and undesirable.

The problem with the goal orientated approach is that I spend the great majority of my life working towards goals rather than achieving them. By focusing all my attention on the goal, I spend 99.9 per cent of my life waiting for something better to happen – this is not the life of a winner.

Process orientation means enjoying the work involved in doing anything just as much (if not more) than the goal itself.

This ability to appreciate the process of steadily moving towards a target means there is no strain to remain motivated. It can be like making it to the top of the mountain every day.

How to Stay Motivated Long Enough to Achieve Your Goal

Here are my five tips for staying motivated long enough to hit your targets:

• Learn to love the process of working towards your goal
• Remember your past victories
• Feel excited about what you are doing
• Imagine as clearly as you can how you expect to feel when you achieve your goal
• Set small rewards for reaching targets along the way to your goal
• Be sure to celebrate your achievements