Half year check – have you stayed on top of your financial planning?

10 things to get you motivated

On the 1st January, you were no doubt full of enthusiasm to tackle new challenges and fulfil your goals but as the months have gone by, has everyday life taken over and made your target seem less feasible? If so, take a look at these top ten tips to kickstart your mojo!

• Recall positive memories – think back to something you were really proud of accomplishing – those feelings should spur you on to recreate a similar experience.
• Send yourself notes from your future self – imagine you’ve reached your goal and tell yourself how proud you are of what you’ve accomplished and remind yourself of what you had to overcome.
• Break down your goal into bite-size chunks – after all, the best way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time! You’ll also get a sense of satisfaction as you tick off each mini-task.
• Find images of people who inspire you – and put them up in your workplace – having them watch over you will motivate you to emulate them in some small way. Or listen to people who’ve been where you are – maybe listen to an inspiring podcast or Ted Talk.
• Set a timer – if you’re getting bogged down with a particular goal, pretend you’re running a ‘creativity sprint’ and set a time limit of 30 minutes, just to see how far you get – take a break and start again.
• One for you, one for them – start the day off with a task that you’re excited about and then alternate with aspects of the project that you are less enthused about. Make sure you have something to look forward to throughout the day.
• Remember why you’re pursuing the goal in the first place – send yourself calendar reminders to chart your progress and keep reminding yourself of the reasons it’s so important to you. And celebrate major milestones.
• Find someone who can give you a pep talk – choose someone who will give you a confidence boost when your motivation starts to wane – it’s often easier for someone else to see just what you’re capable of.
• Face your fears – negative thoughts can sap your energy so tackle them head on by writing down all the things that could possibly go wrong – once you can see them clearly, they won’t seem so daunting and you can think up coping strategies.
• Be prepared to change course – sometimes it may be necessary to acknowledge the goal just wasn’t the right one in the first place – it’s OK to admit mistakes and start again.