MOTIVATION AND WILLPOWER

Have you ever tried to lose weight, score an A on a course, be chosen to be part of a sports team, or have you set yourself any other personal challenges? If yes, it is possible that, as it happens to many people, you started out with a lot of desire, giving the most of yourself, but then you lost part of the motivation and had problems to get back motivated as at the beginning

YOU ARE NOT ALONE!

How to maintain motivation and keep moving towards a goal? It’s all about planning things well, having realistic expectations and being persistent. Here’s what you need to do:

First, set a goal. Start by writing down what you want to achieve: your main goal, what you want to make a reality. For example "I want to get an A in this course" or "I want to lose weight for the high school graduation party" or even "I want to participate in the Olympic Games" are main goals because they are the ultimate goals that the person wants to fulfill (obviously, some goals require more time and effort than others). It’s okay to dream big-it’s the way a lot of people get what they want. The only thing to remember is that the more ambitious the goal you set, the more you will have to strive to achieve it.

Be specific. It’s much easier to plan and achieve a specific goal than a vague one. Suppose your goal is to lose weight. That’s pretty vague. Figure it out by specifying how much weight you want to lose, why, and when you want to lose it. That will help you plan how to achieve the goal. It costs more and more time to lose 10 Kg than to lose only 3, so you will have to adjust the timeframe accordingly.

Be realistic. People often abandon their goals because their expectations are unreasonable. Some expect to lose weight and stay as a sylph in a few weeks instead of several months, or quit smoking overnight after several years of road-driving. Suppose you want to run a marathon. If you try to run more than 42 km. of a marathon tomorrow without training, it is unlikely that you will make it. ¡ An average person needs a four-month workout to run so many miles in a row! But the biggest risk is that you end up so exhausted and burned by the effort you’ve made that you abandon your dream of running in a marathon and even running in any other race.

Part of the ability to maintain motivation depends on being realistic about what one can achieve within the period of time that has been set. Losing 3 Kg. for the high school graduation party is feasible if there is a month to celebrate. But if the party’s next Saturday, there’s no way you can lose that much weight in such a short time. Also, competing with the Olympic ski team is a doable goal if you’re 15 and already a top skier. But if she’s 18 and you just got your first ski lessons, time isn’t exactly on your side.

Write it down. Put your specific goal in writing. Then rewrite it. Over and over again. Research shows that writing a goal is part of the mental process of committing to achieving it. Write down your goal every day so you don’t lose sight of it and remind yourself how much you want to achieve it.

Forge it into partial goals. Every change requires self-discipline. You need to devote constant attention so you don’t stray from your purpose. One way to pave the way is to divide the goal into small steps. Let’s take up the example of losing 3 Kg. for the high school graduation party. Suppose you have a month, so your goal is achievable. But what do you do to achieve it?

First, divide your target into partial targets (such as losing 1 kg. a week for the first two weeks and then a pound for the next two weeks). Then set specific tasks to perform daily, such as eating five servings of fruit and vegetables and doing half an hour of exercise each day. Put it on a calendar or agenda so you can keep track of your partial achievements.

If your goal is to participate in a marathon, you should follow a similar process. Suppose we are in February and the marathon is held in August-a realistic time frame to prepare you. Start by running 3 km. and gradually increase the distance. Ask a trainer to help you set you workable partial goals when it comes to increasing distance and suggest exercises to improve performance by working both muscle strength and stamina.

The fact that we frequently achieve small goals is something to celebrate. It will give you confidence, self-confidence, encouragement and motivation to continue dieting, running or doing what you set out to do. So reward yourself for every partial goal you reach.

Also write down the partial goals so you can keep track of what you need to do, record the partial achievements as you meet them, and enjoy knowing that you are approaching the big goal. (Writing the specific steps has another advantage-if you notice that your will weakens, you can take a look at your list to check the path you have already walked, encourage yourself and redirect yourself).

Check your progress. Now that you’ve divided your goal into a series of partial goals, check your progress every day.

When you meet a partial target, mark it on your list. Say to yourself, "Well, I’ve already lost 1.5 kg. I’m already halfway to achieving my goal!" Reward yourself with something you promised yourself when you set your goal. Savor success! And then think about how you’re going to achieve the rest of your goal: "Now how am I going to get to lose the kilo and a half I’m missing without recovering what I’ve already lost?"

If you have a slip or your will fails, re-commit to your goal. If you have a slip, don’t throw in the towel. Forgive yourself and organize a plan to retake the path that will lead you to your goal. Pat yourself on the back the way you’ve been walking. Don’t beat yourself up or be too hard on yourself, regardless of what you have deviated from the path you had mapped out. Most people have a slip when they try to make a change in their life-it’s a natural part of the process.

The fact of writing the daily tasks and the partial goals also helps at this point, because, if you keep track of your progress, you will soon notice when you have a slip, which will make it easier to pick up the road to your goal. And you’ll know exactly when you’re off track. So, instead of getting discouraged and saying, "I never get it when I set out to lose weight," you can say to yourself, "I’m not losing weight because I haven’t followed my daily diet and exercise program."

What if you slip after slip? Ask yourself if you’re really committed to your goal. If the answer is yes, re-commit -and put it in writing. The process of writing everything can also help you find out whether or not you are really committed to a goal. For example, you may be more "hooked" on the fantasy of being a sports star than the reality of "sweating" to achieve it.

Take slipping and slipping as lessons or reminders of why you’re trying to make a change. If you step out of the way, don’t interpret it as a failure but as an opportunity to learn something new about yourself. Suppose your goal is not to fight so much with your brother or sister. Maybe you’ll learn that it’s better to say, "Now I can’t talk about it" and take your time to calm down when you’re starting to lose your temper.

Keep a positive attitude. Imagine or dream of fulfilling your goal: wearing the dress you bought for the high school graduation party with your slender figure, or scoring the winning goal in the football final. Imagination helps you not to lose sight of what you are trying to accomplish. It helps a lot to believe that it is possible. And you can also recover your mental image when your will weakens or you feel that you lack motivation.

Positive thinking and inner language are also good allies of motivation, encouraging the adoption of a positive attitude. Say to yourself: "I deserve to get an A in this course because I’ve sunk my elbows" or "I’m sure shorts will suit me this summer. I’m following my exercise program and my weight loss diet!"

Find a partner. Another great encouragement is to find people who support and encourage you. Find a partner to train with, a friend who also wants to lose weight or someone who has set a goal similar to yours so you can support each other. Being able to count on someone to share your goal can make a difference when your will fails-like when you have to get up to run first thing in the morning.

If you’re not getting the support and encouragement you need from the people around you, you may need to take a break from a particular friendship and surround yourself with people who want to help you achieve your goal. For example, if you go to a classmate’s house every Thursday to study together after school, but lately your friend has been putting on TV, texting or hanging himself, ignoring your pleas that it’s time to study, The time has come to change study partners. You won’t be able to focus on your goal if your friend doesn’t share that goal-or, even worse, try to get away from it. Find someone else who shares your goals and has set a similar path.

Do not trhow the towel!

Putting an end to insane behavior or learning to do something new and exciting, at the end of the day, is just taking responsibility for our lives. Finding the motivation to do so is not necessarily easy, but it is always possible. You can keep your motivation by writing down your goals, sticking to the plan you set, and reminding yourself what made you set that goal. The changes are exciting. Otherwise, life would be very boring! Good luck in achieving your goals!

KidsHealth medical experts. [s.f.] Motivation and willpower. KidsHealth. Recovered from: https://kidshealth.org/es/teens/motivation-esp.html?WT.ac=t-ra#catsports-psychology