The biggest problem with using excitement for motivation is that it wears off fast.
New goals bring a flood of excitement. And new plans provide a surge of emotional energy to get you moving.
But once that initial excitement wears off, you’re left adrift with nothing to move you forward but your own initiative. Without any of that initial excitement to push you forward, you must push yourself with sheer force of will.
Or so we’re told.
I’ve found, over many years of working to help other people get motivated and stay motivated, that it’s more like keeping a fire going.
The initial excitement sparks that first flame, but it’s up to you to keep adding fuel and fanning the flames.
You add fuel by working towards your goal every day. Simply stay on top of your long term plans by putting some effort each night into looking at where you started, where you are now, and where you need to go. Then create your to-do list for the next day.
You can then fan the flames and keep your excitement white hot by always making sure to include at least one task that gets you excited to wake up and get to work the next day.
Even long after the initial excitement wears off, you can always find at least one thing to be excited about each morning. Your to-do list will probably contain things that you must do, but aren’t very excited about. But if you want to stay motivated, it also always needs to contain at least one task that gets you fired back up with excitement. Something that gets your creative juices flowing and makes you *want* to hop out of bed and hit the ground running.
This exercise will become a habit and, like all habits, it will take on a momentum of its own.
You’ll condition yourself to wake up feeling excited about each day until you reach the point where it just comes naturally to be motivated.
And if you need an extra boost of motivation to get yourself going on a long-term goal, my Unstoppable Determination session will get you moving fast!