Published:
03/03/2011 03:07pm
Emotional Mastery: The Key to Motivation
Motivation is a big challenge for many people and it is so important to achieving goals. Many of my clients have asked me why it is so hard to stay motivated, and my reply is always, that we forget the WHY of our goals. We lose sight of the bigger picture, the meaning behind the desire and instead we wallow in how hard it is. Whenever we associate “pain” with something that is good for us, we put ourselves on the course for giving up.
What I’m talking about here is “mindset”. Having the right attitude is what it takes to shift into high gear and accomplish your goals. You’ve heard me say before, “don’t think, just do” is an effective strategy for getting yourself out of a rut and back on track. Once you are back on track, the key to staying there is MINDSET.
If you don’t embrace that your goal is good for you and enjoy the process of achieving it, then you won’t have the motivation to stay committed to it. Something that Sigmund Fried discovered is The Pain/Pleasure Principle. That is, people make decisions based upon their emotions. People will generally choose what will create less pain and more pleasure. Emotional mastery, therefore, requires the ability to associate “pleasure” to what is good for you. To stay motivated with your goals, you must associate good feelings with accomplishing them.
Here are 5 emotional mastery tips to stay motivated:
1.) Acknowledge the Small Wins: Its easy to acknowledge the big wins, yet the majority of goal accomplishment is actually made up of “small wins”. Remember to marinate in the good feelings of every little accomplishment as you move toward your goal.
2.) Remember the Meaning: When defining your goals, don’t just focus on what you want and when you want it. Focus on WHY you want it. What personal values does your goal help you practice? What greater meaning does your goal have? How does your goal make you or the world a better place?
3.) Savor the Moments: As you are working toward your goal, savor each moment. EXPERIENCE the nooks and crannies. Breathe into the process as you would if you were enjoying a fine wine.
4.) Redefine Failure: Instead of focusing on your mistakes, focus on what each experience has to teach you. Every mistake is actually a success that you can learn from.
5.) Gather your Tribe: Surround yourself with positive and like-minded people with similar goals. Celebrate your progress together, share your wins and learnings with one another.
And remember, goal achievement includes trial and error. Track your progress, measure effectiveness and make the necessary shifts along the way.
About the Author: Susan Liddy, benevolence expert for life, body and business, holds a master's degree in counseling psychology. A Professional Certified Life Coach and motivational speaker, Susan is CEO of Aspire Life Coaching, which she founded in 2004. Susan's innovative tools include her online Social Media Sisterhood for businesswomen, "The FEMpreneur Fraternity;" the "Little You" process for personal healing; and Body Benevolence, a system empowering women to improve their confidence, self-esteem and body image. These are based on the Cycle of Empowerment, a proprietary process Susan developed to help women overcome fear and achieve their desired results in life. Learn more by visiting her public websites and blogs: www.SusanLiddy.com, http://www.AspireLIfeCoaching.org, http://SecretsToUltimateLiving.com and http://www.AspiringFEMpreneur.com. Susan can be contacted at SLiddy@AspireLifeCoaching.org.
