Achieving a lot in a day is actually a greater motivator than a fancy meal or tropical vacation.
Highly driven people often fail to pause and effectively acknowledge a job well done, especially smaller successes that are required on the road toward a big goal. Burnout, compromised personal life and health, and lost perspective can result.
Harvard University researcher Teresa Amabile found that progress is actually the greatest motivator. That means achieving a lot in a day is actually a greater motivator. To maximise this motivation, find ways to recognise and celebrate your progress.
* Break down your current goal and process into tiny steps. Make note when each of these is accomplished.
* Instead of focusing solely on what goes right, like landing a new deal, focus on goals reached, such as the number of proposals sent out or pitching a dream potential client you might have been too timid to approach.
* Make rewards healthy. A drunken night out as a reward for beating your sales goal has lots of negative baggage attached to it, compared with spending time with an old friend or investing in an education course, a fitness class or in beautifying your home.
* Invite your family, friends and colleagues to join you in your celebrations, even if it is a small gesture, such as asking your partner to join you on a hike to celebrate accomplishing an arduous to-do list.
Marvin Beckmann, 20, owner of ecommerce stores and ecommerce consultant; Austin, Texas:
I have a common entrepreneur problem in that I have very big goals, and I often cannot clearly see when I have achieved smaller accomplishments that deserve recognition. I find it very difficult to take a break until I reach my big goals. Some time ago I started feeling depressed. My work was not fun to me anymore. So I developed a reward system. First I divided my final goal into smaller goals like a step-by-step formula. Of the smaller goals, some were still pretty big, so I divided them again into even smaller goals. For every goal I accomplished, I decided to reward myself with things such as eating outdoors; spending time with my girlfriend, family or friends; playing video games; or taking a day off work. I became happier and more motivated again. A very nice side effect was that I started becoming more effective again at work, too. Soon I accomplished things faster than before.
Tom ScardaTom Scarda, 53, franchise consultant; Wantagh, New York
When I get a commission, I put 10 percent toward training such as attending seminars. I allocate another 10 percent to frivolous purchases like a nice shirt or sunglasses. Whatever my next frivolous goal or purchase is, there is a picture of it on my desk. Sometimes I will combine the two allocations. For example, when I am at a seminar in La Jolla, California, I will stay a few extra days and enjoy San Diego, especially when it’s winter in New York. Just two weeks ago, I booked a trip to Galley Bay in Antigua. A photo of that island was on my desk for a very long time. In September, I will attend a seminar in Santa Barbara, California, and I will stay three extra days out there. The little pictures keep me focused on a goal.
Courtesy: www.success.com
