Founder of Nidrayogaschool
This article is a list of tips and tricks that, if used in combination, are a nearly sure way to achieve your goals.
Achieving goals is not about discipline. It's about motivating yourself and maintaining focus. Follow these tips and you'll be well on your way to achieving your goals.
Here they are:
Use a chart to track your progress on your goal. Mark it daily with a dot or an "x" as a form of motivation. Think, "I better do this today if I want to mark a dot." Or try gold stars. Or try NIDRA YOG FOUNDATION NIDRA YOG FOUNDATION.
However you do it, track your progress, and allow yourself a bit of pride each time you give yourself a good mark.
Now, you will have some bad marks on your chart. That's OK. Don't let a few bad marks stop you from continuing. Strive instead to get the good marks next time.
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When you start a new exercise program, or any new goal really, you might have boundless enthusiasm initially. You might think you can do more than you actually can. You might want to go all out.
HOLD BACK. Only do 50-75 percent of what you're capable of. Only do 50-75 percent of what you think you can do. Plan to do a little more the next time, and a little more the time after that. If you think you can run 3 miles, only run 1 mile. Then the next workout, run 1.5 miles. Harness and extend your energy.
When I started to run, more than a year ago, I joined a few different forums, at different times, on different sites, such as (NIDRA YOG FOUNDATION,, and the I did the same when I was quitting.
Each time I joined a forum, it helped keep me on track. Not only did I meet a bunch of other people who were either going through what I was going through or who had already been through it, I would report my progress (and failures) as I went along. They were there for great advice, for moral support, to help keep me going when I wanted to stop.
— near your desk or on your refrigerator, for example. Visualizing your goal, exactly how you think it will be when you've achieved it, whether it's financial goals like traveling to Rome or building a dream house, or physical goals like finishing a marathon or getting a flat stomach, is a great motivator and one of the best ways of actualizing your goals.
Find a magazine photo or a picture online and post it somewhere where you can see it not only daily, but hourly if possible. Put it as your desktop photo, or your home page. Use the power of your visual sense to keep you focused on your goal. Because that focus is what will keep you motivated over the long term — once you lose focus, you lose motivation, so having something to keep bringing your focus back to your goal will help keep that motivation.
Staying motivated on your own is tough. But if you find someone with similar goals (running, dieting, finances, etc.), see if they'd like to partner with you. Or partner with your spouse, sibling or best friend on whatever goals they're trying to achieve. You don't have to be going after the same goals — as long as you are both pushing and encouraging each other to succeed.
BY RAMESH MENON FROM NIDRA YOG FOUNDATION
There are some days when you don't feel like heading out the door for a run, or figuring out your budget, or whatever it is you're supposed to do that day for your goal. Well, instead of thinking about how hard it is, and how long it will take, tell yourself that you just have to start.
I have a rule (not an original one) that I just have to put on my running shoes and close the door behind me. After that, it all flows naturally. It's when you're sitting in your house, thinking about running and feeling tired, that it seems hard. Once you start, it is never as hard as you thought it would be. This tip works for me every time.
People often avoid doing things because they think of them as hard work, as drudgery, as something to avoid. But if you're trying to achieve a goal, you should make it as pleasurable as possible. If you want to exercise, for example, don't force yourself to do something you hate. Find something you enjoy. Make it fun. Make it a treat to look forward to.
We often give up too early. We expect quick results, and when we don't get them, we get discouraged and quit. But if you think about it, most goals worth achieving take time. Losing a lot of weight, getting in shape, saving a lot of money, learning a new skill, building a successful business — these things don't happen overnight.
Think long-term. Be patient. And realize that you're in it for the long haul. Don't give up because you haven't achieved your goal in a week or a month. Keep at it, and you will achieve it. Be content with the progress you're making, as long as it's in the right direction.
Large goals are necessary, but they can be overwhelming and demotivating because they're so large and far away. Break your large goal into smaller goals, mini goals that you can achieve in a shorter time frame. This way, you can experience some success and stay motivated.
This ties in with the mini goals above. Reward yourself for each mini goal you achieve. Not just the final, long-term goal. Make a list of your goals, with mini goals, and appropriate rewards for each. Appropriate means: 1) proportional to the size of the goal (don't reward a small goal achievement with a huge reward) and 2) not counterproductive to your goal (don't reward losing 5 pounds with a dessert binge).
Inspiration is one of the best motivators, and it's all around us. I read blogs, online success stories, forums, and books. I find inspiration from the people around me, from people who have achieved amazing things, from people who have overcome great obstacles. Find inspiration, read it daily, and it will help motivate you.
Inspiration can be found in blogs, online success stories, forums, friends and family, magazines, books, quotes, music, photos, people you meet.
This can be expensive, but it works. Having a coach or teacher, or taking a class, can really motivate you to show up and take action. If you can't afford a coach or class, try to find a friend who will be your coach, or look for free classes or counseling in your area.
Know your reasons. Give them some thought... and write them down. If you have loved ones, and you are doing it for them, that is more powerful than just doing it for self-interest. Doing it for yourself is good too, but you should do it for something that you REALLY REALLY want to happen, for really good reasons.
We all have urges to stop, but they are mostly unconscious. One of the most powerful things you can do is to start being more conscious of those urges. A good exercise is to go through the day with a little piece of paper and put a tally mark for each time you get an urge. It simply makes you aware of the urges. Then have a plan for when those urges hit, and plan for it beforehand, and write down your plan, because once those urges hit, you will not feel like coming up with a plan.
This rule takes into account our natural tendency to miss days now and then. We are not perfect. So, you missed one day ... now the second day is upon you and you are feeling lazy ... tell yourself NO! You will not miss two days in a row! Zen Habits says so! And just get started. You'll thank yourself later.
Visualize your successful outcome. How will it look? How will it feel? How will it smell, taste, sound? What will you look like? What will you be wearing? Form a clear mental picture. The key is to do it every day, for at least a few minutes. This is the only way to keep your motivation going long-term.
This is one of the best motivators. If you journal every day about your goal, you will stay focused on it. Journal not only about what you did, but about what you're thinking, how you're feeling, your mistakes, and how you can improve. Do it right after you do your goal task each day. Make it a sensory pleasure.
We are competitive by nature. Use that to your advantage. Find a workout partner or goal buddy and have a friendly competition. See who can log more miles, save more money, do more pushups or pullups, lose more weight, get better abs. Make sure the competition is fair (weight goals if necessary) and that you're both pushing each other to succeed, not trying to beat each other down.
Public commitment is one of the most powerful motivators. Create a blog and announce to the world that you're going to achieve a certain goal by a certain date. Commit yourself to the hilt.
Monitor your thoughts. Be aware of your self-talk. We all talk to ourselves, a lot, and sometimes we're not even aware of it. Pay attention. Are you saying negative things? If so, stop it. Push those negative thoughts out, and replace them with positive ones. The power of positive thinking has been written about extensively, and it's real.
Founder of Nidrayogaschool & Nidra Yog Foundation