What to do When You've Lost Your Motivation

Sometimes goals take so long to achieve that we start to lose the initial enthusiasm that sparked us to take our first baby steps toward that goal. You may find yourself questioning whether the goal was realistic. You may be feeling unmotivated to take the steps you know you need to take to continue making progress. All of a sudden, you find yourself distracted by other things that have nothing to do with your goal.
It is hard to motivate yourself. And in the short run, it is much easier to just give up. But you can't! Giving up only turns your goal into just another dream you've wanted to accomplish, and can increase your stress, frustration, and unhappiness with your life over the long term. If you've been dreaming about this goal for a long time, then it's too valuable to just give up on so easily.
So how do you find that motivation to keep going? Well, one thing you can do is go back to the source of your initial motivation.
What made you passionate/excited/interested in this goal in the first place? When did you first think about it? Why did you decide to take steps toward achieving this goal? How did you go about taking the initial steps toward your goal?
Take a moment to write in a journal about the beginnings of your goal. Where did it all begin and where did the motivation come from in the first place? This journal can be referred back to whenever you need a motivational boost.
Another idea is to go back through your initial drafts/business plans/ideas. Look over old notes and materials that you first came up with. Take yourself back in time to when everything was fresh and new and you could envision your future with excitement. That future still exists for you. Some of those old notes and materials may hold nuggets of brilliance that you haven't let shine yet.
Finally, another idea is to find a "motivation partner." It's very difficult to achieve your goals on your own. All successful people had someone to bounce their ideas off to keep them on track towards their goal. Enlist the help of a friend, mentor, or coach to help you stay motivated, keep your ideas fresh, and maintain your focus on the creation of your dream. Having someone you can turn to when you start to lose energy on the way to achieving your goal can be invaluable.
It's very common to lose steam on the way to achieving your goal. We give all our energy to it in the beginning and then reality sets in. This is when we need our energy the most. Try some of these ideas. Success is a more exciting journey when you're not alone.
I have been helping people reach their personal and professional goals for the past 14 years. There's nothing more satisfying than helping someone reach their potential for success. I would like the opportunity to help you reach your goals. I am a Professional Coach with a Ph.D. in Psychology and a specialty in Goal Achievement and Transitions. Check out my website to learn more about me then call me for a free consultation.
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How to Motivate Yourself and Mean It

Self-motivation is the act of giving one’s own person incentive or encouragement to do something. In other words, it’s the way you get yourself up and moving, as well as to keep going when the going gets tough. Different people motivate themselves in different ways. I have found that before you can motivate yourself, you have to know what drives you. Effects of Motives Are you the kind of person that thinks about the long-term effects a certain action will have? If so, you can motivate yourself to get either the positive result or to avoid the negative one. For example, if you must report into work by a certain time, one the negative effects of getting there late would be some kind of disciplinary action. By the same token, a positive effect of being on time would be you continue to receive a paycheck. Whichever one of these motivates you more depends on which compels you more, the positive or the negative effect. Visualization Perhaps you are a visual kind of person. The best motivation would be to literally visualize your goals or dreams. I would go as far as to advise you to find a physical image of your goal or dream and put it up somewhere you will see it everyday. If you want to live in a big, fancy house, then find a picture of a big, fancy house. Cut it out and hang it up over your desk, on the refrigerator, or anywhere it will be a constant, visual reminder of your goals and dreams. Then write down everything you want to have in that house. Hang that up next to the picture. The more detailed you are the more real it becomes, until that house goes from being a dream to a "one day soon" reality. Healthy Competition Well, if you are not one of the above-mentioned types of people, than you are probably one that likes a little healthy competition. This can also be a very effective way to motivate you. For example, if you are going to be running a race you would probably push yourself harder in order to win. You would workout more, and practice harder and longer in order to be faster, stronger, and smarter than your competition. When you are motivated to win you will do whatever it takes to achieve that. Planning In order to motivate yourself, and keep yourself motivated, you need to determine what your personality is and what your goals are. Then you have to come up with a plan to reach those goals. At initial stages, it is important that you should judge your capabilities impartially. Once you are able to judge your abilities, set realistic goals. Chalk out your strategy to achieve these goals. Often "Yes I can do it!" approach do wonders. Believe in yourself, in your own abilities. Have optimistic approach towards every aspects of life, strive hard to achieve the success, reach your targets and you will come to know the magic of self-belief. Ultimately, if you believe in yourself, you can motivate yourself to do anything!
By Shashi RaiPublished: 9/28/2007 www.buzzle.com