Five Tips on Staying Motivated

Posted in 2008 under motivation, RSS feed for comments
11 Comments

Dec03

Recently, I was asked by Erik Boyko: “How do you stay motivated?” Initially, the question caught me off-guard, and I didn’t have a good answer for him. It stuck with me for a few days until I started realizing I do quite a bit to stay on track (keep motivated). Here are some thoughts.

BHAG: Big Harry Audacious Goal

I’ve got a big one, it’s freakin’ huge! Who knows if I’ll ever achieve it, but it’s worth striving for. You should always ask yourself: “Are my goals worthy of my life?” Sometimes it’s the journey, not the destination, so strive for something big, harry and audacious. That definitely keeps me motivated.

Daily Affirmations

“You become what you think about all day long”

- Earle Nightingale

If this is true (which I believe), then doesn’t it make sense to set your intentions and thoughts first thing in the morning? More on affirmations (Wikipedia)

Commitments To Others

This is a personal life hack: making commitments with others, in line with your goals, so that you have someone else to be accountable toward (especially for business owners). It may sound weird, but it works wonders. Making a commitment with someone forces you to deliver on that promise and will inevitably keep it front and center.

The “Why” Should be for External Reasons

I learned a while ago that if your motivations are external, they are four times more likely to stick (achieve). For example, instead of working out for your ego (physical appearance), do it for your family. I travel a lot and only see my family occasionally, and I know they worry about me and wonder if I’m taking care of myself. The last thing I want them to worry about is my health. Thinking of them is what motivates me to run in the mornings, hit the weights and eat healthy (at least I try :-).

The Company You Keep

Who you talk with on a daily basis makes a huge difference. I don’t keep anyone (except for family) in my life who isn’t supportive, encouraging and motivating. People have the ability to suck your energy and motivation, so beware. They typically don’t do this maliciously, but it doesn’t matter: it affects your motivation. I saved this one for last, as It’s definitely the most important!

What do you do to stay motivated? Anything you’d like to add? Comment below.

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11 Responses for "Five Tips on Staying Motivated"

Foster December 3rd, 2008 at 2:41 pm
Dude started a blog yesterday and finished it this morning about this same topic! And my inspiration for writing it was from YOU. You wrote about the seven rules of motivation and I was inspired to write. Thanks Dan for always opening my eyes and pushing me forward. Check out my blog with your inspiration, http://fosterat.blogspot.com/2008/12/seven-rules-of-motivation.html
Chris Boldon December 3rd, 2008 at 6:03 pm
Many good points! Thanks for the Blog.
Stephen Nickerson December 3rd, 2008 at 6:47 pm
Hey Dan,

Great article!! I think accountability is the key for so many reasons. For example I “normally” run 2 - 5 times a week but when I tell somebody “I want to run the 5k New Years eve in 20 minutes flat”, I suddenly switch to running a very structured 5 days a week without a chance of missing a day AND I eat better

Cheers,

Steve
Ethan Bloch December 3rd, 2008 at 7:46 pm
My favorites are BHAG and The Company You Keep. You just gotta have ridiculous goals, there is no other way to live. And who you associate with and hang out with really effects your success. There have been countless studies about this and I think Malcolm Gladwell touched on it in Tipping Point; or one of his other books.

Great post.

Cheers.

Ethan

P.S. Any book recommendations in regards to setting goals?
Tyler Fedun December 5th, 2008 at 2:41 pm
Dan,

Great post. I find this one of the biggest challenges of owning a startup.

I think you could easily argue that keeping yourself motivated, is harder then motivating those around you. Thanks for the tips!

Tyler
Kathy December 5th, 2008 at 7:39 pm
Hey World Changer,

It was good to hear from you! Awesome site.
Thanks for sharing, we’ll be watching!

Kathy
Mike Stuart December 8th, 2008 at 9:29 pm
Great post. I would add “Rewarding Yourself” is another great way to stay motivated. Reaching your goals whether its a BHAG or a small daily goal should count for something.

We all like to be rewarded. If you stay disciplined and achieve a goal…splurge a little…It keeps you reaching for the finish line.
edouard December 13th, 2008 at 3:28 pm
so true
I’d add : Having more than one objectives to stay focused whenever one’s achieved
Jamie Cranford February 24th, 2009 at 2:38 am
BHAG is the foundation of stating motivated! The key to BHAG is to tell others what it is - people don’t like proving themselves wrong!
David Watson May 19th, 2009 at 12:20 am
Thanks Dan! I am stuck in a rut right now and really need to get back on track. I am going to follow your advice and see if I can’t get myself motived again.
dmartell May 19th, 2009 at 12:26 am
@David - Thx! Your comment really made my day. Glad you got something out of it. Just checked your site - love your passion for life. We share similar interest.