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This year might’ve been one of the toughest years many of us had gone through in our lives, and 2020 still isn’t over yet. With the intention of setting goals for ourselves, whether it was at the beginning of the year, during the COVID-19 lockdown, or just at random, working on our goals might have been delayed or untouched. If you’ve already started, then that’s great. If you haven’t, then just know it’s never too late. It’s easy for some of us to start working towards our goals, however, we might get discouraged, or lost in the process. Here are a few tips to help whenever we start feeling ourselves drifting away.
Isolate
Sometimes we have to isolate ourselves. Although this may sound introverted and antisocial, it is best for one to spend time with themselves when trying to be productive. You always end up being more productive while being alone because you are free from outside distractions. Outside distractions as in people who do not fit or support the life that comes with your goal. They can become a negative source of energy that you do not need around. Distractions simply lead us in the opposite direction of what we’re trying to accomplish and cause us to slow down our process in the terms of reaching our goals.
Surround Yourself with Like-Minded Individuals
If you surround yourself with like-minded individuals, then you will catch yourself enjoying your process. People with the same or similar goals and aspirations are important to have in your life because they are your support system and you are theirs’. If you allow yourself to be in the space of someone who is on a similar path or already there at the “finish line,” then you will have no choice but to be inspired and motivated if you were not already. Both parties can help and add to each other along the way.
Complete Something Each Day
Practicing your craft and perfecting your vision is something you have to work on every day. Success does not happen overnight. It may be hard to look at your goal(s) as one big picture, all at once. It’s perfectly fine to break your goal down into several steps. If you break your plan down into steps, you are allowing yourself to work progressively with less stress towards your goal. You may be thinking it’s just a small step, but any step you take towards completing something on your list is a good step in the right direction. Also, make sure you write down anything you accomplish because then you could document your progress and have a sense of fulfillment.
Sleep
Sleep is so important. I know we hear this all the time that we need to get at least eight hours of sleep, however, it is true. Maybe you can’t get a full eight hours worth of sleep, but if you try to aim towards that, you will start to feel more energized. Getting enough sleep is important for our brains to function to its highest capacity possible. With lack of sleep, we become more irritable, fatigued, moody, and lazy. According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NIH), “Sleep plays a vital role in good health and well-being throughout your life. Getting enough quality sleep at the right times can help protect your mental health, physical health, quality of life, and safety.” All of this helps with our concentration and overall health.
Save, Budget, Invest
When it comes to having goals, we have to be aware that unexpected expenses may occur. The cost to pursue your goal or maybe the cost to support the goal once it’s already in motion may become overwhelming, especially if you are a student or unemployed. The best way to overcome this obstacle is to budget. If you can save your money instead of overly splurging on items, food, or in other areas, then you can invest comfortably in what it is you need for your goal(s). You won’t feel as stressed or upset once spending your money in this case because it is a great trade-off.
Read and Listen
There are usually game changers, pioneers, and role models we may have in the perspective field of our goals who have once been in our shoes. They had to start somewhere, and wherever they started is what got them to where they are today. I believe it’s important to read books and/or articles and listen to interviews and/or podcasts that they may be on. This is crucial because you will be able to learn about them in a way they may not always be presented. You get to know more about the real version of who they are and their journey. You can educate yourself on mistakes they may have made so that you can now prevent them in your life path. You can also inform yourself of the opportunities they may have taken that might now be available to you after taking the proper steps necessary.
Ask for Help
There are some things in the world that can not be done alone. Sometimes we may get stuck and feel like we can’t maneuver forward. There are several individuals that have been in your position before or are in the same position now. This decision is what can be the make or break of accomplishing your goal. Yeah, it’s okay to be discouraged sometimes, but when this feeling starts to control and overwhelm you, it’s time to take a step back and allow some help.
Be Patient
Patience, patience, patience! That is the answer to everything. When being patient, we allow ourselves to be at peace with our efforts thus far. When practicing patience, we accept everything for what it is and what is to come. On Entrepreneur.com, Author, Sherrie Campbell stated, “Patience puts us in direct control of ourselves. It allows us to stay gathered no matter what is happening. With self-management, we build trust in our capacity to deal with whatever comes our way.” I couldn’t agree with this anymore. This is important to remember when we start to feel disappointed in ourselves when things don’t go our way or we start to lose sight of our vision to achieve our goals.
These are just a few ways that can hopefully help whenever you’re feeling down, unmotivated or uninspired. Just remember, motivation will come and go. Take breaks and don’t put too much pressure on yourself. When you’re feeling overwhelmed, do something that makes you happy and come back to it, or simply try again the next day. Having goals is a beautiful thing, and achieving them feels like a huge reward. If you do not take the time to enjoy the process, you will not be satisfied and will not enjoy the reward to the fullest.
