Read below for 4 ways to get motivated, but first a story…
A grandchild asked her grandmother ‘How have you done all the things in her life that you have done?’ The grandmother handed her grandchild a vase. The grandchild looked at her confused. She asked the grandchild to put 3 large rocks in it. The grandchild stared at her like she was crazy but did as they were told and put 3 large rocks in the vase. Then the grandmother asked, ‘Is it full?’
The grandchild responded, ‘Yes’.
Then, the grandmother asked the grandchild to put stones in the vase. The grandchild did so. The grandmother asked. ‘It is full?’ The grandchild looked at her and laughed, ‘Ok, now it is full. Yes.’
‘Now put pebbles in it. Is it full?’ The grandmother said. The grandchild stared at the grandmother, uncertain and nodded tentatively. ‘What would happen if we put some sand in it? Fill it with sand.’ The grandmother said. The grandchild did so. The vase was now almost overflowing. ‘Is it full?’ the grandmother asked. Finally, the grandchild replied with certainty ‘Yes!’
‘Now put water in it.’ The grandmother requested. The grandchild looked at the grandmother in disbelief. Then the grandchild filled the vase with water. ‘Now it is full,’ the grandmother said. ‘If you were to put the water in first, would you have been able to put the big rocks in without it overflowing? The grandchild shook their head.
‘Think of the vase as your life. It holds everything dear to you, big and small. Always put the big rocks in first. For once your life is full, you can’t fit anything else in.’
I love this story.
I’ve lived by it repeatedly. It helps me make decisions about so many things. How much time I spend on things. What I do, how long I do it for. I know what my big rocks are and I know what my water is.
What are your big rocks?
What at the most important aspects of your life? Your health? Career? Family? Your pets? Money?
Everyone’s big rocks will be different.
Whatever it is, give that the most attention. Make your big rocks your priority. Set achievable goals for the areas of your life that you feel most passionate about.
When you know what parts of your life are the most important. It’s easier to work out where to put your energy.
The small things are still important but not as important as your big rocks. Think of the small things as your stones, then pebbles and so on. Use the rock analogy like time and effort.
Put lots of time and effort into the most important things. Small amounts of time into the sand.
Once you work that out, it’s easy to stay motivated.
1. Set Goals to get motivated
Set goals connected to the most important parts of your life (Your big rocks). What are you passionate about? What do you love in your life? What do you need? What do you want?
Look at the bigger picture, like a view from the sky. What is it in your life that you want to achieve?
How are you going to get there?
What steps do you need to take?
You can set goals for your pebbles and rocks too. Though setting too many goals can become overwhelming, which then can lead to procrastination and lack of motivation. Don’t overcommit yourself. What ever is the most imporant part of your life, gets the most time and effort – your big rocks.
2. Break it down to make life easy
Break it down into smaller manageable chunks.
Do one thing each day towards your goals. When you look back, you will see how far you have come.
3. Use Rewards to stay motivated
Use Rewards A lot of people talk about giving yourself rewards for achieving your goals. I love to celebrate milestones. This too can be a helpful tool. A reward can be anything that you enjoy. A walk in nature, a night off, dinner with a loved one, your favourite cup of tea. It doesn’t have to be expensive bubbles of champagne to celebrate or dancing in the streets- though sometimes this is called for.
4. Be Accountable – it helps
Be Accountable. Accountability partners can also be a big encouragement. Telling someone you are going to do something and having them hold you accountable can also be useful.
Need more help?
If you need more help with goal setting my guided journal – Discovering your brave, has a whole section on how to set goals, plus 60 days of guided journaling all connected to goal setting and helping you to stay motivated. You can get your copy HERE:
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