Motivation is a fascinating concept; some individuals live and breathe every essence of it, reading inspirational books and listening to aspiring podcasts to fuel their energy, whereas others struggle to engage the construct, failing to create goals for themselves or stick to plans in order to achieve them.
Perhaps the feeling of being motivated isn’t the issue, but what they’re not motivated to achieve; their so-called goal isn’t floating their boat.
At RedSeven Marketing, we are obsessed with goals: personal, business and team. Here are a few of the ways we capitalise on the effect of having them:
Goal-Setting Workshops
Technically speaking, discovering what it is your heart truly desires is easy – What do you want? What is it that gives you butterflies when you think about having/achieving/feeling it?
Discovering what it is, isn’t the problem, taking the time to actually figure it out, is. Find a pen and paper, sit in a quiet room and play around with some ideas, you’ll soon come to realise it’s a truly worthwhile and enjoyable exercise!
There’s a difference between “Oo a new pair of shoes” and “I can’t wait to see the look on my wife’s face when I tell her I’m taking her to Paris for Valentine’s Day”, but that’s not to say smaller goals aren’t important. In fact, without the smaller rewards for hitting milestones along the way, it can be difficult to keep up your momentum. Having a 5 year plan is a fantastic idea, but without ‘little wins’ for progress the fire may burn out. We believe the best practise is to have small, medium AND long-term goals; you’re guaranteed to feel more motivated if you are aware of progress, no matter how small, and who would be opposed to extra rewards anyway?
Vision boards
Ever got to the supermarket and forgotten what you were there to buy? You probably would have benefited from a list right? Well having a goal in your head, but not written down is similar; time will pass, whether it’s days or months, whereby you forget what you’re aiming for. Having visual (generally pleasing to the eye) reminders of what you’re working towards/how you will feel when you accomplish it, is a handy tool to spike your motivation levels.
Some RedSeven examples are:
- Posters on the wall
- Pictures stuck into planners
- Screen savers on phones, iPads and laptops
- Phone alarms at specific times of the day/week where motivation can dip
Accountability
So you’ve set your goal, you’ve changed your screensaver and you’re fully aware of what you’re trying to achieve. But it’s Friday, it’s been a long week and everyone’s bunking off work early to go to the pub. No-one will know so what’s the harm in joining them? There you have it, that’s the issue, no-one knows.
An essential part of achieving your goals and staying motivated is accountability; having someone, or some people, who are not only aware of what you’re working toward, but are supportive too. If you’ve promised your Mum you’ll take her to the Spa for Mother’s Day, you’re more likely to make sure it happens. If you hadn’t told her however, and don’t end up going because you chose to spend your money out with friends instead of putting some away, she’d probably be more than happy with a bunch of flowers from Sainsbury’s. Question is, which would make her happiest: the last minute bunch of tulips, or quality time with her child being pampered? Additionally, which would make you happiest and most proud?
At RedSeven we schedule one-on-one meetings to discuss what it is individuals want to achieve, and follow-up meetings to review any progress or difficulties. We encourage everyone to present their goals, and consequent plans, to their team. By doing this, everyone is aware of what their peers are working toward, and any potential obstacles that could get in their way, they’re also genuinely happy for them when they succeed. It’s a brilliant way to get to know the people you work with!
Overall, the most important thing is that you have goals for your own life:
- What do you want to achieve?
- What lifestyle do you want to have?
- What’s important to you?
Whether you get there is down to you, but we highly recommend putting some thought, energy and tactics into how. Maintaining your motivation is a necessity.
To catch a glimpse of the RedSeven team on their personal journeys, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.
#RevolutionaryRedSeven #Goals #Swindon
