| Achieving the really big goals and dreams always | | | | there a way to team up with a friend so that the work |
| involves breaking it down into do-able little steps. | | | | is easier or at least more enjoyable?6) Just get it over |
| Assuming that you've picked a goal or dream that you | | | | with. One of my all time favorite quotes about getting |
| really love working at, then most of the steps are a | | | | past your inner blocks was written by Stuart Wilde in |
| delight to take. No matter how much you love your | | | | his book The Quickening, "Cut the shit and do the |
| dream and no matter how much you love your work, | | | | thing." Yeah it's a bit rough, but we all know those stoic |
| there are going to be tasks along the way that you | | | | tough people who simply roll up their sleeves and dive |
| really don't want to do. Those pieces of work that we | | | | in know matter how much they may hate the task |
| hate doing can be the very ones that sabotage our | | | | before them. Take on a soldier's mindset and just get |
| success. How do you stay motivated during those | | | | to work doing the ugly parts so you can move on to |
| parts of the journey?1) Reward yourself. Let's say that | | | | the more rewarding parts of making your dreams a |
| I want to lose twenty pounds. That's not too much, but | | | | reality.7) Get training or education. Quite often, we don't |
| it's still going to involve more days of self discipline that | | | | like doing something because deep down we don't |
| I feel like doing. So, I reward myself with a little treat | | | | think we know how or that we are talented enough. |
| every time I drop five pounds. I get to have one of my | | | | So, get the education, do the research, learn the |
| favorite fattening meals at the end of each five pound | | | | necessary skills, or whatever else it is that you need to |
| loss. Then I go back to my diet. At the end, I get to go | | | | do to get ready for taking that next step. Once you've |
| on a shopping spree to buy new clothes. Come up | | | | properly trained yourself, then you might even be |
| with a reward that you can use to motivate yourself.2) | | | | enthusiastic about taking that next step.8) Take a |
| Do it for love of someone else. My teenage son | | | | running start at it. Think of riding your bike uphill. It |
| proposed a deal that works for both of us. I don't | | | | doesn't take kids very long to figure out that the best |
| smoke cigarettes and he doesn't experiment with | | | | way to get that bicycle to the top of the steep hill is to |
| drugs. Every time one of us is about to give in to | | | | build up a lot of speed before you even get to the |
| temptation, our love for each other stops us. I can't light | | | | base of the hill. You then let that momentum help to |
| up knowing that he might start doing drugs because I | | | | propel you most of the way up. Heck, with enough of |
| broke our deal. He hates the idea of me dying of | | | | a running start you can sometimes make it all the way |
| cancer, so he never touches any kinds of drugs | | | | up without any major struggles. If there is a way to |
| offered to him by his peers. The love of someone else | | | | pace yourself and reschedule the not so fun parts of |
| can motivate you to do what you otherwise might not | | | | accomplishing your goals until after you've completed a |
| be able to do for yourself.3) Trade work with | | | | bunch of the cool parts, then do so. The highs of your |
| someone else. I've watched my kids perfect this style | | | | mini successes will help inspire you to push past the |
| of motivation. My son will offer to scrub out the | | | | parts that you are avoiding.9) Figure out a different |
| showers if my daughter will do the dishes for him. | | | | way to do it. This is the supreme way to avoid doing |
| Hiring someone to do the work you don't want to do is | | | | the task all together. Be creative, be smart, think |
| actually a form of trade. Barter or pay someone else | | | | outside the box. Is there any way to make your dream |
| to do it for you, so that you can continue moving | | | | come true without having to actually do the specific |
| forward with your dreams.4) Truly consider quitting. I'm | | | | duty that you're wanting to avoid? Sometimes you can |
| not telling you to quit, but to really think about it. If | | | | find another way. Other times, just knowing that there |
| you've got a goal or dream that means a lot to you | | | | is definitely no other path to your dreams other than |
| and you've already invested a large part of yourself | | | | the one before you is enough to motivate you to just |
| into making it happen, then what would quitting feel | | | | buck up and get through it.What's most important is not |
| like? Is avoiding the difficult or distasteful task worth | | | | how you keep yourself motivated but that you keep |
| giving up on your goals and dreams? The love of your | | | | the long-term benefits of your goals in mind. If you |
| long-term goal can motivate you not to quit.5) Share | | | | focus too much on avoiding the uncomfortable parts |
| the misery. This reminds me of friends in college | | | | of accomplishing your goals, then you won't accomplish |
| getting together to study for an upcoming test. Having | | | | much. Find a way to keep going and remember that all |
| friends along can make the experience more festive | | | | things come with a price. Pay the price so you can get |
| then it would have been if you were doing it alone. Is | | | | on with enjoying the dream. |