How to Stay Motivated: Effective Strategies to Regain Focus and Stay Motivated.

How to Stay Motivated

We all have those days when motivation feels like it’s just out of reach. Whether it’s pushing through a tough work project, sticking to a workout plan, or even just tackling your daily tasks, staying driven can be a real challenge.

As someone who’s dedicated to helping others master their mental performance, I’ve got some no-nonsense strategies to help you overcome procrastination and keep your motivation levels high. Here’s how you regain focus, boost mental performance, and stay motivated.

Focus on Progress, Not Perfectiion

1. Focus on Progress, Not Perfection

Forget the idea that everything has to be perfect. The truth is, nobody has perfect days all the time. You’ll have good days, bad days, and everything in between. What’s important is that you keep moving forward, no matter what. Even if you only have 30% of your usual energy, use that to make progress. Celebrate every small step forward because it’s all about moving in the right direction, not achieving some unrealistic standard of perfection. By shifting your focus from being perfect to just making progress, you’ll find it easier to stay motivated and keep going.

Find Your Why

2. Find Your “Why”

Understanding why you want to reach a goal is crucial for maintaining motivation. It’s not just about setting a target—it’s about knowing why it matters. Ask yourself:

• What exactly am I aiming for? Be clear about what your goal is. The clearer the goal is, the easier it will be to measure. For example, “lose weight” is a goal, but it isn’t a clear goal. “Losing 30 lbs of fat” is a clear goal, and it’s measurable. Be as specific as you can.

• Why is this goal important to me? Dig into the deeper reasons behind your goal. If your goal is to lose weight, WHY is it important to you? Are you trying to find a mate? Are you always sluggish and wanting to have more energy? Make it as personal as you possibly can so that it hits you emotionally. This is what needs to drive you to achieve your goal.

• What benefits will I gain? Think about the rewards you’ll enjoy. Think of how you will feel. Think of the impact it will have on your life. Will it make you happier? More energized? More excited to get up every day? What benefits will you gain?

• What are the costs? Acknowledge the effort and sacrifices needed. If you want to lose 30 lbs, then a cost may be throwing out all of the Oreos in your house. It could be giving up that daily donut. Maybe you’ll lose 30 minutes of sleep because you’re getting up earlier to go to the gym. These are costs that you’re willing to make to hit your goal.

• Are the benefits worth the effort? Weigh the pros and cons. Is feeling better and being more energized more of a pro than the con of not eating pizza every day? Is having more energy worth losing 30 minutes of sleep in order to hit the gym? You have ot make sure the PROS and of higher importance than the cons.

• Craft a mission statement using your answers:

  • I am achieving/becoming (insert goal here) in the next (enter time frame) because (write benefits here), and I know that the costs of making these changes are (write costs here) which I accept because I’m on a mission to become the strongest/heathiest/most successful version of myself.

Plan Your Path

3. Plan Your Path

A goal without a plan is just a wish. Use our four A’s goal mastery formula to help you plan out your path to achieve any goal you set out to do:

• Aim: Define what you want in a specific, measurable way.

  • Create your destination goals which are the overall goals you want to achieve.

    • Lose 30 lbs of fat

    • Gain 15lbs of muscle

    • Fit into my Cashew Chickens jersey (yes, this is a real team)

  • Create your journey goals which are the smaller goals that, if done daily or weekly, will give you the best chance of hitting your destination goals.

    • Drink a gallon of water per day

    • Add a salad or vegetables to each meal

    • Take supplements every day

• Act: Schedule them into your calendar. If it isn’t in your schedule, it won’t happen consistently. But, if you work it into your day as a non-negotiable, then you will have a higher probability of making that action happen on a consistent basis.

• Anchor: Being anchored means you are holding yourself accountable. You’re anchored to your goals. There are two parts to this:

  • Add your goals to HabitShare and check off each day if you did or didn’t achieve your journey goal for the day.

  • Find an accountability partner like your wife, best friend, or work friend, and give them access to your HabitShare so that they can hold you accountable for achieving, or not achieving, your journey goals.

• Adjust: Are your journey goals helping you? Review and adjust your plan as needed. Don’t adjust because something may be hard. Adjust because it’s not working to help you achieve what you’re setting out to achieve.

A solid plan provides direction and keeps you moving forward, even when things get tough.

Who's Counting on You?

4. Keep in mind who is counting on you to be your best self!

You’re not alone in this journey. Think about who’s relying on you to succeed—whether it’s family, friends, or colleagues.

Are you in a tough money situation, and your family is counting on you to make more money? Do you own a business, and your employees are counting on you to help make their dreams come true? Remember who NEEDS you to succeed.

When you realize that others are counting on you, it can provide that extra push to keep going. Use your support system as a source of motivation.

Conclusion

Staying motivated is a mix of understanding your goals, having a solid plan, leveraging your support system, and building consistent habits. It’s about making steady progress and keeping your eyes on the prize, not striving for unattainable perfection.

Let’s keep moving forward together!

Now go get it, friends! Take Your Place!