So we’re a few weeks into the new year. Are you following through on your new year’s resolutions? According to the Statistic Brain Research Institute, the top five resolutions are these: lose weight, get organized, spend less and save more, enjoy life to the fullest, and stay fit and healthy. Sounds about right! Now here’s a sobering stat they shared – only 8% of Americans are successful at achieving their resolutions.
Why do so many people fail at achieving their goals? One reason is that many people vow to make too drastic of a change. They go all out the first few weeks of the new year and then they crash, get frustrated and quickly slip back into their old ways. According to the experts, keeping your goals simple and taking small baby steps towards reaching your resolution can help. And keeping yourself positive and motivated about the change you seek can also help tremendously.
Let’s look at a few ways to keep that positive energy going. Henrik Edberg, author of The Positivity Blog, shares 25 simple ways to motivate yourself. Below are a few highlights:
- Make a deal with yourself. This helps overcome procrastination. Tell yourself that when you’re done with a certain task, you’ll reward yourself with something.
- Act like it. Act like you’re motivated and enthusiastic – even if you’re not. After a few minutes, you can actually start to feel the motivation kick in.
Act like you’re motivated and enthusiastic – even if you’re not. After a few minutes, you can actually start to feel the motivation kick in.
- Ask uplifting questions in the morning. Asking yourself five empowering questions each morning helps put you in a positive frame of mind.
- Remember your successes. Think about all that you’ve successfully accomplished – and let that positivity flow through your mind instead of the negative feelings.
- Don’t fear failure. Failure is a natural part of life! Edberg says to redefine it as feedback and find a valuable lesson in each of your failures. What can you learn from them?
- Get out of your comfort zone. Facing your challenges can give you a boost of motivation. Don’t hold back – take the first step.
- Make each day count. Focus on today and do the things you truly want to do.
To check out the complete list of 25 tips, click here. And if you have any other great ideas on how to stay motivated in the new year, share them in our Comments section.