How to Stay Motivated Until You Get What You Want

And somehow you knew how to stay motivated...

Goals are mysterious things - they spring into our mindsmotivating us to succeed, fuel fires of fantasy aboutsuccess and new found happiness, initiate an almost maniceffort to move our lives forward, and then - suddenly thefire goes out.

What once motivated you to succeed, drove you to get upearly and work late, now weighs in your mind as a failurein the wings.

Don't despair.

The aftermath of the best intentions often feels likefailure, but a few simple questions to yourself every daywill provide the motivation to carry you through until yourgoal's completion.

Step 1: Repeat goal aloud.

Repeat it again. And again. Simple statements repeatedaloud and often can trigger the subconscious into action.

Choose your goal, and pick strong words that inspire you.As you say them aloud, pay attention to what the wordsmean. If your goal is to practice the bassoon, say aloud "Iwill practice the bassoon and make beautiful music!" or "Iwill make my bassoon sing!"

Each statement rephrases the initial goal, but does so in away that refreshes and revitalizes the initial excitementof your goal.

Step 2: Tell a good friend about your goal.

Talk openly about why you wanted to pursue your goal in thefirst place, and what you hoped to achieve.

Talking with someone about possible outcomes and the stepsalong the way can make the goal more realistic in yourmind.

Each time you talk to someone, the goal becomes lessa secret desire, and more a route you have chosen that yourfriends can encourage you on.

Step 3: Even if you don't feel like it, do it anyways!

There are mornings we all loathe getting out of bed, buthitting snooze once more will not get the paperwork doneany earlier, finish our paper route, or see us to success.

Feelings are not facts, but they can catch up to the factsin time - doing what you know you ought will eventuallybring you a feeling of satisfaction as well as of relief.

Step 4: Reward Yourself!

When you complete a step in your overall plan, rewardyourself. Little rewards along the way can make the overalljob seem more attainable.

Rewards do not have to be overly expensive to provide aboost. Allow yourself a night off if you make three coldcalls, or give yourself a manicure once you have completedyour thank-you card list.

The goal is important, but the path you take can be wherethe fun is. As you think about what arena of life you wishto succeed in, remind yourself how capable you are.

Goals are meant to stretch us and push into places we wouldnot ordinarily go. Let the journey help you grow as aperson.

Recognize that, although you will not always feel the samelevel of motivation, an unwavering commitment can make allthe difference and you can stay motivated to succeed.

Peter Murphy is a peak performance expert. He recently produced a very popular free report that reveals how to crush procrastination and sustain lasting motivation. Apply now because it is available for a limited time only at: http://www.getmotivatedstaymotivated.com/special.htm