Each of us has goals that they want to achieve, but it often happens that we cannot reach these goals. Reasons of this frequent occurrence can be that: we did not defined our goals well, we may not be aware of the resources that we need to achieve the objectives, we don’t know what we need to do in order to achieve the goal, and sometimes motivation is not on a sufficiently high level.

Motivation is usually at a satisfactory level when we are setting our goals and in a short period after setting goals. However, for motivation to consistently be at a high level it is necessary to have a broader picture of the goal, the required resources and action steps to achieve it.

How can we set a goal so that the motivation for its achievement is greater?

The goal that we set should be precisely and prudently defined:

Mesurable – how do we know that the goal is achieved?

Within our control – who does the realization of our goal depend on? How much is the goal under our control, and how much it appears not to be?

Attainable – do we have all the resources to achieve the goal?

Realistic –is a set goal realistic in the given circumstances?

Time limited – what is the deadline for achieving the goal?

Visualize goal so motivation is at a high level!

Think about how exactly you will feel the moment you reach the goal? What’s the space around you like? Who is with you? What does the achievement of the goal bring you? Why is it essential to achieve the goal?

In this way you’ll be able to create the feeling that you will have when you reach the goal and you will have a broader picture of how the achievement of this goal will affect you and your environment, and motivation to work towards this goal will increase.

Make a list of activities to be undertaken to achieve this objective.

Define what you need to do in order to reach your goal. Write down many options that can help you reach the goal, since the more options, the better the chances that you will achieve what you have set. Think about how you should behave and define the checkpoints when you will control if things are running on schedule. The more activities you finish and check on your list, the motivation for further actions will be higher.

What to do when motivation drops?

There are situations and moments when your goal will look much further away than it is, and when you won’t be motivated to work on it. In the moments when the motivation to achieve the goal is not satisfactory, remind yourself of the goal that you have set, look at your list of activities to see how many things you have already done and think of yourself as a person who has already achieved this goal.

Your motivation will increase and likely remain at a high level until the end, but if that doesn’t happen remind yourself once again of all these things.