How to stay motivated and build an action oriented mindset
If you want to achieve Goal A, Goal B and Goal C, make sure Goal A has a big pay-off, then pick up Goal B and Goal C down the track.
Setting goals is hard. However, when asked, most people can pretty easily name at least one or two things they would like to do more of, or get better at.
So what’s stopping them from setting clear actionable goals, and improving their performance?
In this article we’ll teach you how to:
- Become motivated, and
- Overcome the perfectionist mindset
How to become motivated
For most people, a lack of motivation stems from one or both of the following:
- Not being able to properly visualise the pay-off
- The goal not being ambitious enough
In a seminal study by Locke, Carltedge & Knerr, the researchers found that if you participants thought the pay-off was going to be of equal or lesser value than the pains required to achieve the goal, they often stopped pursuing it. The pain was not worth the gain.
Inversely, if the outcome of achieving the goal was greater than the pains required to achieve it, people would literally break down walls to get to where they needed to be.
So, when thinking about setting goals, it’s important that you:
1. Visualise the pay-off.
In order to achieve your goal you need to be able to really anticipate how good it is going to feel when you cross that proverbial finish line. Take some time. What will it sound like? What will it smell like? What will it feel like? These are the pay-offs you need to keep at the tip of your minds eye when the going gets tough and achieving your goal becomes hard.
2. Set ambitious goals
If have successfully visualised the pay-off, and it’s still not doing it for you, it’s time to ramp up your goals: add a zero on the end of that financial objective, double the weight lifted, halve the time taken, triple the impact.
If after visualising the pay-off of this new, more ambitious objective it’s still not doing it for you, it might be time to look to other goals.
But all the motivation in the world won’t help you if you are holding onto the Perfectionist Mindset. But what is the Perfectionist Mindset, and why is it a problem?
The perfectionist mindset
When setting out to achieve Goal A, Goal B and Goal C, those with the perfectionist mindset will learn all there is to know about Goal A, Goal B and Goal C. They’ll be so deeply concerned about becoming experts in these areas, that they’ll either simply forget what they set out to do, or they’ll become so overwhelmed with wanting to get everything planned out perfectly before they start, that they just won’t take any steps forward.
Here are some common questions from people with the Perfectionist Mindset:
- Where do I start?
- What if I don’t measure up?
- It’s too much. How can I balance picking up three new things at once?
If you’re struck with the perfectionist mindset, what are you meant to do? The answer is become action oriented.
How to become action oriented
If you want to achieve Goal A, Goal B and Goal C, get started with Goal A then pick up and learn about Goal B and Goal C down the track.
The reason this approach works so much better than getting three steps ahead in planning is that the momentum you pick up from working on Goal A, makes it much easier to get started on Goal B and Goal C.
Not only will working on Goal A give you an incredibly confidence boost, it will also give you time to start building the habits you’ll need to achieve Goal B and Goal C. Whether it’s waking up earlier, or being more fastidious in your record keeping, these skills take time to develop, and it’s better to hone and craft them on one thing first, rather than three all at once.
As a final thought on becoming action oriented, even if everything falls to pieces and you aren’t able to achieve Goal B and Goal C, at least you will have worked on Goal A. And that’s certainly better than nothing.
For most things, most of the time, by combining visualisation and the Action-Oriented Mindset, it will not only be easier to get started on things, but you’re also much more likely to achieve them.
Elephants is a private place where small groups of friends set and share goals, chat freely and celebrate achievements.
