Many people go through life wishing they could change certain aspects of their life, but lacking the knowhow to make the changes. Goal setting is an important process that allows us to focus on what we would like to achieve. It gives us a clear direction on how to make that happen. But setting a goal is just the first step. Keeping your motivation for your goals is the tricky part.
Multiple studies show that while we are highly motivated in the early stages of pursuing a goal, this motivation drops off significantly within a few weeks. If you are having trouble staying on track with your objectives, there are a few small changes you can make to increase your chances of success.
Right Mindset
Having the right mentality and mindset is important to keep up after you have set your goals. We naturally lose motivation as our goals drop from the top of our mind.
Affirmations are a great way to counteract negativity, and set your mind on believing in your goals. You begin by phrasing your goal as a positive statement, and then repeating that statement daily. Best-selling author of the Miracle Morning, Hal Elrod, recommends adding your ideal results and a timeframe to your affirmations.
MRI scans of those practicing affirmations found that there was activity in key regions of the brain’s self-processing and valuation systems. This could mean that as we repeat our goals, they naturally become part of our core values. The more we are focused on our goals, the easier they will be to accomplish.
Perfect Life, or Perfect Lie?
It is very human to want to compare ourselves to others. In fact, some suggest that social comparison is a healthy way that we acquire information about ourselves, and what we should be accomplishing in life. The danger comes when we use social media to make that comparison.
When you look at someone’s socials, you are seeing just a snapshot of the good things they want you to see. It can skew your mindset, believing that only good things happen to other people, and inversely, bad things only happen to you. A study of undergraduates at the University of Pennsylvania showed that limiting social media use to just 30 minutes per day may lead to a significant improvement in well-being.
While it can be great to use socials to keep on track of your goals, like posting to an Instagram group to keep yourself accountable for your weight loss, you shouldn’t base your own progress on other people’s lives. Limiting your time on these platforms may have the added benefit of not distracting you from your progress.
Conclusion
Having the right mindset and not comparing your life to someone’s heavily curated social media feed will make it easier to accomplish your goals. These things take practice, but with the help of affirmations, and limiting the amount of time you spend scrolling through social media, you will be able to retrain your brain to stay motivated.