“Prioritise your priorities”

 

You know how it works... at this time of the year people make half-hearted New Year resolutions through some sense of tradition and thinking that it is “the done thing”, without fully committing to making the necessary steps to achieve their goals. Therefore most people allow these goals to quickly fall by the wayside.

Goal setting shouldn’t be restricted to your January to-do list, but instead should be on your agenda throughout the year. It doesn’t have to be about one big fresh start, but it can be about attainable goals and taking small steps to help you actually achieve what really matters to you.

With too many things on our mind, it is often hard to know what to focus on and it is easy to lose sight of what is important to us. You cannot hit a target you cannot see, so to help you figure out your goals and priorities you might want to ask yourself the questions below. Before you do though... grab yourself a pen and paper, sit in a quiet corner with no distractions and off we go!

1) Think about your life. What things matter to you right now that you would like to change?

Write them down and put them in order of priority. Tackle each one at a time.

2) What actions do you need to take to draw you closer to your goal?

Be realistic and specific with order, dates, time of completion etc.

3) Which action will have the most impact or contribute to your success the most?

4) Write down: “The consequences of me not taking this action are..."

5) What obstacles are in your way and how can you overcome them?

Now that you thought about your goals and priorities all that is left to do is to take action. Action speaks louder than words. Before you know it with a little bit of commitment and determination, taking small steps will lead to a bigger goal and the change you want.

 

10 questions to ask yourself to increase motivation.

 

Questions are very powerful in helping to point us towards our purpose, maintaining focus and influencing motivation.

 

 

Everyone has some triggers that help them maintain their motivation. As we are all different, the same strategies and tips may not work for everyone. That’s why it is so important to ask yourself questions and figure out what works for you. 

 

 

What are my reasons for wanting to achieve my goal?

 

 

Taking a step back to think about what makes your goal important to you is a good place to start. It is important to remind yourself what matters to you. Our values are our motivators, so by exploring your values you will be able to tap into your motivation.

 

 

What steps do I need to take to move closer to my goal?

 

 

Big goals can be overwhelming and decrease your motivation. Breaking your goal into small, manageable steps can help you focus, but also will help you take small actions towards your objectives. Seeing progression and results can also greatly boost your motivation.

 

 

What would be the consequences of not being motivated to achieve my goal?

 

 

Some people are more motivated by consequences of not achieving something and the negative impact it may have on them rather that the benefits of achieving it. If you are one of those people, this question may resonate with you very much.

 

 

What stops or reduces my motivation?

 

 

Building awareness about what helps and hinders your motivation is crucial. If you are aware of what it is you need to change, you can take action to make those changes.

 

 

What obstacles or barriers may I face that will sabotage my motivation?

 

 

You know yourself better than anyone else. You know the thoughts you are having, limiting beliefs that may creep up every now and again and sabotage your motivation. Recognise those obstacles and deal with them one by one.

 

 

How can I overcome those obstacles?

 

 

What can you do to overcome the barriers and obstacles standing in the way of your motivation? Being aware of what may stop your motivation will help you determine what you can do to avoid it.

 

 

What habits can I create to increase my motivation?

 

 

It is much harder to break old bad habits and patterns of thinking than creating new positive habits. To give you an example, think of a big tree with strong and deep roots in the ground. That tree has been watered and conditioned for years. It will be impossible to pull the tree out without any additional support no matter how hard you try. It is much easier though to plant new seeds and give your new tree plenty of water, sunshine and nutrition to ensure it grows healthy and strong. At the same time, if you starve the old tree from sunlight and water, eventually your old tree will become weaker and its roots will dry out.

 

 

What tangible reminders do I need to see to stay motivated?

 

Having visual prompts, pictures, cues can really help in reminding you what it is what you want or don’t want. For example, sticking a picture on the fridge of yourself 1 stone heavier may help you stay motivated to keep weight off and continue your diet. When you are most likely to give in to your impulses and cravings tangible reminders can help to interrupt the impulse and keep you on track.

 

 

Who can support me?

 

 

Having a support network and being accountable to someone can increase your motivation. Being able to share your successes, ideas, concerns and talking things through can help you keep your enthusiasm and motivation up.

 

How will I reward myself?

 

Knowing that there is a reward or treat for your efforts can help you stay motivated.

 

 

Taking a relatively small amount of time to ask yourself and answer these simple questions could help you achieve your goals much more quickly and efficiently. You can head towards your objectives with your eyes open, ready to deal with any barriers that come along the way.

Time to reassess your priorities?

It has been a while since I’ve written anything. This year has been truly life changing for me and it’s been very busy at the same time. As some of you may know, I gave birth at the end of January to my lovely son Tomas. I also got married at the beginning of October so it definitely has been a very hectic and exciting year so far.

I have to admit that as much as I love, and continue coaching and helping others to improve their lives, my primary focus and priorities for the last year have been elsewhere….

Priorities are usually strongly connected to our value system, therefore what is important to us determines our priorities and what actions we take. Our actions speak for themselves, so if you notice that you are not taking action, maybe you should take time to review your priorities?

Our values and priorities change over time, but what is interesting is the fact that we tend to stop, question and look more deeply at the things that matter to us in light of a big life event such as illness, birth of a child, divorce, redundancy… Usually, when these things take place, people start appreciating their life more, start spending more quality time with family and friends, and look after their health more, but why does it take something major to happen before we take the time to think about what is important to us? Why do we get so immersed in things around us that actually are not that important? Maybe if we took more time to set our priorities correctly, we would place more attention and energy where it belongs and take action to improve our life and live the life we want to live.

So if you have lost your motivation, or noticed that you are drifting away from one or more of your core values, or simply haven’t taken action in the area of life that is important to you, then maybe this can be a good time to review your values and priorities?

Here is an exercise to look at what matters to you and to help you to gain alignment with what truly matters.

1. Write a list of the most important aspects of your life. These "aspects" will vary depending on your values and what matters to you in your life. Examples can be: Family, career, health / fitness, spiritual growth, friendship, money, fun, travel etc. Out of all the “aspects” of life you listed, which ones are the most important to you?

2. Make a list of the things you spend most of your time doing and thinking about. Now, be honest with yourself even if you are not proud of the activities and thoughts you focus on. Take inventory of your day today (as well as the past few days, weeks and months) and make a list of what you spend your time and attention on. Does it correlate with your values and priorities?

3. Compare the two lists and see how you can get them even more aligned. Don’t get discouraged if you notice that the lists are not very compatible. Instead spend some time investigating what you want to eliminate from your agenda and what you can do to spend your time and energy on what really matters to you!