Graduating from college can be quite the whirlwind for your personal goals, especially if you find yourself in the limbo of not quite starting your idea career but also not in grad school either. Whether you like it or not those few years in your early 20s have the potential to lay the foundation for later on in your career. That’s why it’s so important to stay motivated enough to make those years count. Here are a few tips on how I stay motivated through it all:
Set Measurable and Tangible Goals
This one is closely tied to one tip I mentioned in my fitness goals post but of course in order to stay motivated, you’ve got to be working towards something. It doesn’t always have to be a goal as lofty as getting into grad school or receiving a promotion, sometimes it can be a daily productivity goal at work. Whatever it is, set one. Having a tangible goal helps when you are assessing outcome. Having a measurable goal does the same as well. Some people like to use the S.M.A.R.T criteria whether it’s that or something else, find what works for you!
Find Accountability
Sometimes I find I’m more likely to follow through with something if I’ve consistently told so many people that I would. That’s because all those people I’ve told can hold me accountable in one way or another–even if they don’t realize it. Those people who hold you accountable can be the support you need on rough days or the push you need when you’re being downright lazy.
In this day and age accountability can take so many different forms. GroupMe is a cool way to get in contact with people who share similar professional or personal goals. I am in a number of different groups ranging from one for those who wish to travel more often to one for Youtubers and content creators. These groups make it easier to gain tips and gain motivation from other people’s success.
Other times I may just simple tell a friend “I’m working on being more compassionate today” just so they can call me out if I do or say something that contradicts that goal. Those are just a couple of examples but there are so many different ways you can have someone or a group of people hold you accountable so you can stay motivated to be the best version of yourself!
Develop a Healthy Reward & Consequence System
The wording for this one may or may not be tied to my role as a teacher but that’s beside the point. The reality is we need incentives to reach our goals. Developing a healthy reward system could like like treating yourself to a nice meal when you’ve been consistent at the gym or getting an item off of your wish list when you’ve reached another savings goal.
On the flip side you may need consequences for when you don’t reach a goal. I love to watch YouTube tutorials in my spare time but when I’ve got to grade or prep a lesson, I may tell myself I can’t watch a single video unless I’ve graded a full class set of papers. Maybe I had planned to hang out with friends over the weekend but didn’t get around to meeting some personal deadlines–guess who isn’t going out anymore? Obviously this is super specific to me but you get the point. It’s really helpful to set up rewards and even consequences to keep you motivated on a daily basis and of course you have to have the discipline so that this system actually works.
Wrap Up
Obviously this list isn’t exhaustive but these are just a couple of strategies that work for me. I want to hear from you! What are a couple of tips and tricks you use to help you stay motivated at this point in your life. Leave a response in the comment section below!
#EniGivenSunday
