By Peter Murphy Platinum Quality Author
Dreams do come true as long as we can stay motivated in the face of setbacks. That´s where most of us get discouraged.
So often, reality doesn't measure up to expectations. We can have all these grand plans, whether it is buying a house, making improvements to your kitchen, or write that novel we've always dreamed of.
When trying to get yourself psyched for a task, follow a few simple steps, and you'll see yourself putting forth some real effort.
1. Know your limitations
Don't set yourself up to fail by setting yourself a task that you can't possible do.
If you know nothing about concrete, don't try to build a patio for your house by yourself. If you know nothing about Scottish history, don't think that you can write a book about William Wallace.
2. Planning and preparation
Once you've settled on what it is you're going to do, whether it's painting your daughter's room or writing a
book, plan things out, and prepare.
What are the things you need to do to complete the task, what materials do you need? In the case of the patio example, do you need a building permit? Contact the local building department and find out.
This all feeds into the next point.
3. Research
If you're planning to tackle a substantial task, find out what you need to do it. If you're planning to shoot a movie underwater, check out the cameras needed, the safety equipment and whether or not you'll need to be proficient at scuba diving. If so, and you're not, sign up for a class.
4. Timeframe
Any job worth doing is going to take time. You can't expect to write a novel or build an addition to your house in one day.
This goes hand-in-hand with point 1.
You have to allocate enough time to reasonably complete the task. Yet, you must also set yourself a time limit. Giving yourself too much time can lead to stagnation as you keep putting off to tomorrow what you should be doing today.
5. Enjoyment
It's said that when we're happy, time flies. So, selecting a task that gives you joy is a perfect method for insuring that you give it your all. That can be difficult when faced with something mundane like mowing the lawn. Well, that's where point 6 comes into play.
7. Distraction
If the job you have to perform is something boring and uninteresting, you can easily find yourself giving nearly no motivation to it.
That's where this feature can come into play: give yourself something else to entertain you. If you're mowing the lawn, slip on an iPod full of your favorite music. Sometimes, the task will require you to be focused, so a distraction is uncalled for. In that case, work it into point 7.
8. Reward
This is a great means of getting a lot of efforts out of you and those working with you. The classic example is the high school sports team doing a carwash to raise money. If the players know that a pizza lunch, with all the trimmings, will be forthcoming when they're done, they tend to work harder and better.
9. Personal gain
This sort of goes along with reward, but it can much more substantial. If you're working as a drafter, and passing some college classes or a state test will allow you to get work as an engineer, and thus make more money, you'll be highly motivated to do so.
When trying to get the most out of your efforts, there are a number of tools you can use to motivate yourself. Yet, the thing most important to remember is that you are only ever in competition with yourself. If reality doesn't meet with expectation, don't just assume you've failed or not given it your all.
Commitment is not an on/off proposition; you don't give zero or a hundred percent. Be honest in your self-examination and give yourself credit for the effort you put forth.
Peter Murphy is a peak performance expert. He recently produced a very popular free report that reveals how to crush procrastination and sustain lasting motivation. Apply now because it is available for a limited time only at: stay motivated
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