Lacking Motivation to Do What It Takes to Reach Your Goals
When you lack motivation to sustain the day-to-day grind of pursuing a goal, motivation is not your problem. Instead, you have a problem with commitment. As I wrote yesterday, the difference between motivation and commitment is that motivation is a feeling and commitment is a choice. Feelings come and go; choices are permanent until you make another choice to change your mind.
However, if you keep changing your mind about your goals then you are not committed to your goals. This means you have a problem with your goal setting process.
When You Lack Motivation Revaluate Your Goal Setting Process
Goal setting is so common that most people take for granted that it’s a skill that has generations of research behind it. Instead of using this research to identify what works and what doesn’t, people just wing it. As a result, many people set goals that motivate them only in the short-term, but then don’t have a plan to commit to that goal in the long-term when the short-term motivation is gone.
So, the first thing you should always do as you are setting goals is evaluate if the goals you’re setting are based on long-term commitments. To do this, you don’t need rocket science. All you need to do is reference the timeless and classic Stephen Covey book you’ve probably either already read or heard of a thousand times…The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. The second of the seven habits Covey describes is Begin with the End in Mind. Covey States:
To begin with the end in mind means to start with a clear understanding of your destination. It means to know where you’re going so that you better understand where you are now and so that the steps you take are always in the right direction.
Goal Setting by Beginning with the End in Mind
Covey goes on to state (and I paraphrase) that setting goals without vision blind people from seeing the goals that matter most. By beginning with the end in mind you can prevent this. You do this by starting with a mental picture or vision of what’s important. It’s this vision of the end that guides your goals.
If a goal doesn’t help you get to that vision, then you won’t commit to it. It’s really that simple. However, the mistake people make is saying they want one thing, but really wanting another. Therefore, I always recommend that before making something you say you want your vision, apply the “Five Whys” method.
The “Five Whys” method helps you go beyond what you say you want and understand why you want it. You do this by asking why about the answer to why you want to achieve a goal at least five times deep before concluding with a vision. The answer to the fifth why about why is how you begin with the end in mind.
Simply stated, if you aren’t taking the time to think through your goals with this level of rigor, you’re setting yourself up to lack motivation in the long-term. Following this process will save you this heartache.