Staying motivated now January is over!
February is a funny old month. January is often a month of motivation – even if you don’t set resolutions, many of us use the first month of the year as an impetus set ourselves other challenges – be it Dry January, the start of a new fitness regime or a diet! But as the end of January comes and goes, that impetus is suddenly gone. And in addition, the evenings are still dark, the days are VERY cold and summer still feels a very long time away. So how do you stay motivated?
Here are some ideas on keeping the momentum up and staying motivated this month.
Make goals meaningful
Human behaviour tells us that goals or targets are most often achieved when the individual makes a decision to do it themselves. Having goals or targets enforced upon a person rarely works, and that’s because it doesn’t mean enough to them. If you did Dry January or successfully stuck to your diet in January, it’s probably because you took the decision to do it yourself.
It’s also worth bearing this in mind when it comes to motivating employees – setting a goal on an employee’s behalf vs allowing them to come up with a target themselves (albeit agreed by you) will likely yield differing results.
Rewards are sweet
Having a reward in mind can be a great motivator yet this isn’t always something we do well. How can we recognise the taste of success if we don’t allow ourselves a reward to celebrate it? The type of reward you allow yourself will depend on what the goal is, but try to make it something that you wouldn’t normally do or buy. If your goal is a long term one, perhaps reaching a certain turnover target by the end of the year, make sure you set interim targets and mark hitting these with a little treat.
Bring others along for the ride
When you have set yourself a personal goal or a challenge, many people find that doing it alongside others can really help them see it through. The same can apply to business goals – even if as a Director, you feel you’re largely on your own, you can still share your vision with your employees so everyone knows what they’re working towards.
Outside the realm of goal setting, having people around you in your business that remain upbeat and create a generally positive vibe can go a long way to keeping you feeling motivated. Seeing you have the right people on the bus can be a long process, but it’s a journey that’s well worth starting in the long run.
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