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Motivating yourself is hard. Sometimes, life may start to slow down too much. You might feel like you’re not moving towards your goals, or it feels like negativity is all around you. During these times, getting motivated to set goals and reach them can be difficult. As hard as it may be to get started it’s important to follow through on the things you want to do. Here are a few tips to try and get your gears going.
1. Set realistic goals. You may have heard this before, but setting SMART goals can help organize how you approach different achievements. You can use SMART goals not only for long-term goals but for smaller ones as well. If you need to, use a goal-setting worksheet to help plan your process. SMART stands for
S – Specific
M – Measurable
A – Achievable
R – Realistic
T – Time-based
For example, if your long-term goal is raising a grade over one semester, then you can set a SMART goal for each of your study sessions. You can measure out the time to study a specific subject for four hours with 15-minute breaks (time-based), in one afternoon (realistic). This plan seems really achievable!
2. Have a support system. The people around you are really important and help you respond to challenges. You’ll want to surround yourself with people who care about you and your well-being. If you find it helpful you can ask people you trust if they can help you keep track of your goals and check in on your progress from time to time. They can also help you if you start to feel overwhelmed.
3. Recognize your roadblocks. Do you know what’s holding you back? You might be surprised that there is something keeping you from achieving your goals. This “something” might be a lack of skill in one area, or a quality you may not realize may be holding you back. If you’ve worked with someone on a task before, you could ask them what might be holding you down. It’s important to reflect on yourself and how you start your work so you can think of ways to improve.
4. Be nice to yourself. Take care of your health and see yourself in a positive light. You may make mistakes or not get the result you wanted, but these are all learning experiences that will help you grow. Practice positive self-talk, and talk to yourself the way you want to be, not the way you just happen to be at this moment.
5. Celebrate the small and big victories. If you completed a goal, whether it’s big or small, it’s still an achievement! So be sure to take some time to take a break, maybe treat yourself to your favourite meal or go out with friends. You earned it! When you’re done celebrating, keep up the motivation by setting another goal and keep growing!
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