Every new year begins the same for a lot of people: the creation of new goals attempts to start new habits, and some early successes. By day 30 maybe the newness of it all has worn off, or you’re going about your just adopted routines with less motivation.
So how can you keep your motivation alive in an authentic way? Here are 4 pointers on how you can live a more intentional year:
Progress is critical to feeling like your life is moving forward and it keeps you motivated in the long run. Depleting motivation and thinking that you're stuck are signs that your sense of progress needs some loving. Start the new year by creating manageable milestones for your goals.
Want to work on your health and fitness? If you don’t go to the gym at all, try setting a goal of going to the gym at least twice a week instead of four or five times. Then ramp it up after a few times of completing that goal. Progress is not a sprint; it’s a marathon kind of thing.
In the age of social media where everyone seems to be celebrating big wins in their life [new house, new baby, new job, etc.], people forget how important it is to celebrate the little stuff too. Did you finally get lunch that new colleague of yours? Did you decide to take on a new and exciting project? Those are wins!
You can easily celebrate them by writing down your little wins after each work day. Then at the end of your week, review what you’ve accomplished.
No journey is picture-perfect. We too frequently focus on the happy endings and forget the struggles and roadblocks that happen on the way to creating successful change. What would it look like and feel like if you openly shared your hiccups and challenges along the way?
Choose a good friend at work to talk to; they’re probably struggling with something similar. You can even come up with ideas to tackle these challenges; a fresh perspective can be helpful. Trust us; no one is expecting you to be perfect.
Related: The Easiest, No-Cost Activity Used to Build Team Connectedness
On a regular basis, start reflecting on the progress you’re making towards your goals. We recommend daily, weekly and monthly. It’s easy to get overwhelmed and be over-ambitious, but the key to being consistent is admitting if you missed the mark and adjusting your goals when needed.
The journey to change is for YOU, not for anyone else. So be kind to yourself and remind yourself how your efforts are aligning with the bigger picture of a more intentional year.
Progress is a key element in our happiness model.
See how it can impact your company culture and bottom line: