Bartercard know a thing or two about staying true to your goals, and with spring and summer on the horizon, now is a good time to reassess your goals and ensure you’re taking the necessary steps to create good discipline habits that will allow you to succeed. They explain that there are four key reasons why we fail to stick to our goals.
For example, interruptions, such as travel, illness, visitors, crises, and other interruptions can make us feel discouraged. The interruption itself is not the obstacle. The real issue is that we tend to knock certain priorities down a peg anytime something new pops up. Exhaustion can also wear us out. Exhaustion is a known motivation killer that can derail challenging habits or projects, which can lead to feeling a lack of progress, another reason for not sticking to our goal. Finally, our busy schedules tend to take priority from our passion projects or less measurable ambitions.
It’s the age-old adage of sweeping our problems under the rug, but deep down we know that it pays to see our commitments through to the end. If we didn’t know that, we wouldn’t feel so guilty about our lack of motivation. So, how do you get back on track?
Firstly, we need to admit that motivation is a struggle. What we need to do is admit our guilt to ourselves, admit that we are discouraged and want to quit. Then we can ask ourselves, “Do I really want to quit, or is there a good reason to get back on track?” You can start with thinking only of the next step. Break the goal down into smaller, more attainable tasks and focus on one thing at a time.
Ticking these smaller goals off one at a time can fill you with a sense of accomplishment that motivates you to continue, so you can focus on your successes. Celebrate your victories, no matter how small; they make the journey worthwhile, elevate your mood, and motivate you to continue.
If you’re wearing many hats at once, particularly if you’re a small business owner, focusing on smaller, short-term successes can bring your bigger picture into focus. Set short-term goals that can set your business up to increase profits and retain customers in the long-haul, and contact Bartercard to learn more about how those goals can be met.
For more tips, why not check out Bartercard’s free eBook, 7 Habits of Highly Effective Small Business Owners, and for more information on increasing business profits, selling old stock and Bartercard business benefits please go to www.bartercard.co.nz .
