The key to being in control of our actions and goals
Often in life we struggle to stay on top of our goals - these could be to lose weight, to get fit or even to work towards a promotion. We tend to live reactionary, getting lost in the day to day rather than living intentionally.
Social scientists explore how consistency is the key factor. How by setting ourselves non negotiables and sticking to them, can aid this process and keep you on track. But how do we stick to them?
We are most likely to stick to something if it is:
Realistic - if we struggle to get everything done in a day then giving ourselves a target of going to the gym everyday for 40 minutes just wont happen. However, 5-10 minutes of exercise that could happen during a coffee break or even whilst watching TV is achievable.
Embedding into routine/ Habit stacking - Sticking your actions onto something that you are already doing is likely to make it a habitual e.g. after childbirth doing your pelvic floor exercises whilst brushing your teeth. So spend time thinking about where you can slot this small activity into your day to day.
Involve Community - We are 42% more likely to do something if we write it down as writing your goals down forces you to get clear on what, exactly, it is that you want to accomplish. Doing this plays an active part in motivating you to complete the tasks necessary for your success. If we then publicly announce it to friends or family, this increases the chances of it happening even more.
Other ways to help you stay focused on your goal:
Spend some time envisioning your goal - be detailed in vision, what will it feel like, what will it look like? What will people say to you? Will they notice? Why will they notice?
Write down everything you need to do to get to that end goal - then prioritize what needs to be done first, or what activities are the most important. This helps weed out anything that isn’t important or could lead to procrastination and that feeling of frustration.
Commit to two actions - these could be two actions that you are going to focus on for the week or the day. Write these down somewhere you can see them to help draw your attention to them at the start of each day. Tell your partner what you are going to do and when you are going to do it to get rid of any barriers to your success
Empower yourself with positive affirmations - “I value my health and fitness” and repeat these to yourself in moments of self doubt or procrastination to help reignite passion and pride within you.
Try listening to this motivation boosting meditation to help your align your goals and drive you forward.
To hear on this topic you can listen to this podcast with athlete and author Rich Roll.
As always, if you’d like to chat through your goals and strategies book in a Coaching call here with Victoria or Siân.