January’s word of the month is – GOAL SETTING!
But here’s the thing. It really is much easier to set goals then to actually achieve them. It is so much easier to write your goals down and then just sit back and think about all the things we are going to achieve.
It is fairly common that all this January enthusiasm runs out of steam for many by the first week of February. Despite our initial commitment to “making big changes ”, life generally takes over and all our grand plans and visions are out the window!
Why is it that so many of us struggle to hold onto that January enthusiasm all year long?
I see clients constantly who come in with great intentions of changing their lives and achieving their goals, hopes and dreams. BUT how many of them actually follow through and make their vision a reality?
When clients ask me to motivate them on a continuous basis, for example, I often get asked to coach people weekly, I always decline. In my opinion, motivation doesn’t work, not in the long term anyway. When clients want me to motivate them, I offer them this advice…….
Instead of getting motivated, get inspired!
You see, motivation requires a lot of effort but inspiration is effortless.
Motivation is an external force. Think deadlines and struggle and pushing to achieve something in a certain time frame. Its about constantly psyching yourself up, keeping up and sometimes even competing.
All in all, hard work and alot of pressure.
Inspiration on the other hand is an internal force. Inspiration gives us that fire in the belly that drives us naturally. You don’t need anyone or anything to get you moving. It comes from a completely different place.
If you are having problems staying MOTIVATED when it comes to your goals in 2019, forget about finding someone or something to motivate you and get inspired instead. Motivation is the push where inspiration is the pull. Be mindful of what is driving you to achieve your vision and goals. Your true feelings will allow you to gauge whether inspiration or motivation is your driving force.
Whatever your vision is for this new year-
✔To get healthier
✔ To stress less
✔ To change careers
✔ To grow your business
✔To create a business
✔ To be more mindful
Get inspired in 2019. If you have lost your drive already, maybe the problem lies in how you are fueling yourself.
Consider the following tips today ……
Excuses – Excuses!
I have heard every excuse under the sun in my coaching career. I started coaching in 2008 so that is ALOT of excuses!
Most people think that I have a magic wand placed in the top draw of my desk. After I have given them guidance on how to move forward, they think that I will magically whip this wand out and wave it around and voilà, their grand vision will just happen! They skip the part where I say…oh by the way, YOU have to do the work. Excuses are man’s best friend and when it comes to making big changes, they are our greatest enemy. So next time you hear yourself making an excuse as to why you need to eat that unhealthy food, or why you don’t have enough time to make something happen, face your excuses head on. Remind yourself why you want to achieve something and stop the excuses. If you keep believing the false stories you tell yourself, you will never achieve anything. Keep challenging your excuses until you completely disrupt this behaviour.
Not enough time in the day? Get up earlier.
Too tired? Go to bed earlier, exercise, eat right, manage your stress.
Too busy? Seriously, manage your energy and your time better.
Overwhelmed? Declutter every area of your life as well as your mind, body & spirit.
Reframe
Seriously, it really does require commitment on many levels to change your life and achieve your vision, your goals, your dreams. Many of us think that such a huge commitment is hard work.
Don’t think of it as hard work.
Instead, think of it as life changing, rewarding, inspiring and really living. Don’t think in terms of hard, frustrating, tiring, and impossible. Think about how amazing the journey will be and how fantastic things will be when you achieve your vision. Change hard to challenging, rewarding and exciting.
Revisit your vision often
Sometimes we have to keep re-adjusting our vision. As we travel down the pathway towards what we are trying to achieve, things pop up along the way to challenge us and if we are not careful, they can derail us altogether. You need to be flexible enough in your mindset to re-adjust what may seem overwhelming and near impossible. This just happened to me actually. I have started a new project for 2019 and the rules and guidelines accompanying this project are vastly different to anything I have encountered and as I am not much of a rule girl, part of me is like –
computer says NO!
When I feel a little overwhelmed by what may seem really foreign to me, I take a step back, sleep on it and then re-visit the vision and everything that accompanies it the next day. This allows me to work from a more effective place. Get as clear as you can on your vision and re-visit it often.
This vision is the source of your inspiration so it is vitally important to adjust accordingly.
Reflection
It is easy to lose sight of everything when we have a million commitments and most of them are supporting other people’s dreams and not our own. At the end of each day, prioritise some time for reflection. Self-evaluation is critical when it comes to what works and what doesn’t work for you personally. Be ruthless with what works for you energetically, physically and emotionally. Being continually inspired is only possible if we stop and take the time every day to re-align our energy.
If you are tired of starting over, then take a moment to check with what is really fuelling you. Inspiration combined with action is a powerful force.
Jo Ettles