When Your Goals Aren’t Providing You with Self-Motivation
Motivation is the energy to take action. If your goals don’t energize you to act, then it’s time to rethink the goal setting process you are using to come up with your goals.
Firstly, ask yourself if your goal setting process begins with self-awareness. Are you setting goals that take into consideration your strengths, personality, and mindset? For example, if competition is one of your strengths and your goals require you to do most of your work in isolation then you have a problem. This is likely the break point of why your goals aren’t providing you with motivation.
Secondly, if you pass the first break point ask yourself if your goals are 100% self-serving or will achieving your goals somehow make the world a better place for others too? Pursuing goals that are both beneficial to you and to others are more motivating than pursuing a goal that is 100% self-serving. For example, if achieving a goal will also be the means for providing critical help to your family then your motivation will be higher than if the goal was just for more fame or beauty.
Finally, if your goals pass these first two break points then ask yourself if your goals are too big or too far off into the future? Small attainable daily and weekly goals are more motivating than big goals that take months and years to achieve. As a result, if you don’t break down your big goals into the elements of measurable progress then your motivation will suffer. This is what I like to call creating a goal progression.
If you make sure your goals meet these three requirements, then you can be sure that your goals will provide you with motivation.