How to Find Your Personal Motivation

Here at Iglehart Wellness, our focus is on personal change: eating better, feeling better, living better. But changing those from a list of wishes to the future of our lives requires motivation.


Motivation is the driving force that helps us turn our fantasies into realities. It's the difference between saying "I wish I could drop five pounds" and actually starting your diet.

Motivation is a state of mind. Some people are naturally good at accessing the motivation they need to accomplish their goals. Others have to build it. Luckily, that's relatively easy to do with a few simple steps.

Build Confidence

Motivation and confidence go hand in hand. If you secretly believe that you will never accomplish something, it's unlikely that you will. It's hard to get motivated about something if deep down you believe there's no point: you'll only fail later down the line.

If you find yourself lacking confidence in your ability to change your life you can build confidence by reminding yourself of your accomplishments. Make a list. Nothing is too big or too small. Did you put in an extra hour at work? Trade donuts for cereal? Graduate?

This list of accomplishments is evidence that you are indeed in control of your life. You wanted to make these changes and accomplish these goals and you made it happen. If you did it once, you can do it again. To remind yourself of your power, read the list whenever you feel that you are lacking confidence and the motivation to move forward.

Focus

Motivation is the excitement you feel when you see a goal clearly and want to get closer to it. It is hard to focus on a goal that has no definition. It's hard to get excited about loose goals like "I want to be thin" or "I want more money". Those are just wishes in the language of someone who is waiting for something to happen to them.

If you want to focus on a goal enough to get motivated enough, it has to have a concrete and personal definition like "I want to lose 30 pounds this year" or "I want to make $70,000 a year by 2017". These goals have concrete deadlines that you can achieve and actively imagine happening in your life.

A Plan

To keep your motivation going, you must start building the road to your goal with a clear plan. The best plans are filled with easy-to-accomplish intermediary goals that will keep you motivated and looking toward the big picture.

If you have a goal, you need a calendar. Keep track of your progress with ink. Put your ultimate goal on a concrete date -- even if its years from now. Then break that goal up into mini-accomplishments.

• Your main goal: If you want to make $70,000 a year, research careers and salaries and choose one that will get you to your goal. Factor in savings and education time and write the date in ink. 
• Intermediary steps: Now it's time for intermediary goals. How long will it take you to save for school? Give it a date? How long do you need to graduate? Give that a date. 
• The day to day: Each week, write down what you can do to work toward your goal. Write down "bring lunch" if cooking at home is a way you plan to cut down on your expenses. Write down "job search" if you need a second job to help save for your goal. 

The idea is to get closer to your goal each week. These interim accomplishments are the key to keeping your motivation strong.

Dr. Sharon Iglehart

Once you know that you can make your dreams for your life happen, its easy to get motivated about them. The excitement you feel when you review the accomplishments you made last week will help build the confidence you need to move forward. What goals have you set for your life? Share your dreams and your plan with us in the comments section.