Hi Gals! It’s Clodagh from Nonna Diary where we are all about helping people reach their goals. Whatever your goal, the success of whether you reach it all comes down to two things: Motivation & Consistency. I have yet to meet a person that can stay constantly motivated all year around (except Beyoncé – I really don’t know how she does it all!). But for mere mortals like us, staying motivated is all about being consistently intentional with our behaviours and thoughts. Only then can we truly exercise motivation to our best ability. We have made our go to list of all you need to do to stay motivated in 2020. So, let’s get into it….

• Get your TIME right

– Daily habits & routine. You need to make time for your essentials – sleep, eat & exercise. Rest up, fuel up and get moving. All of these allow you to work at your best.

– Declutter your time. Do you ever have those days where you begin feeling like you can take over the world and by 5pm you have twice as much on your to do list? We feel you. Whether the boss needed help with a deadline, the girls needed your advice on a dress for the night out at the weekend or the kids need you to read the same book for the 100^th time – all these little added tasks can add up and eat into your time. Saying the dreaded word “No” sometimes can be terrifying but trust me, sometimes you need time for you and to get your priorities straight.

– Guilt free down time. We are all guilty of this. Again, putting others in front of ourselves and having little time for what we need to do to recharge. Think of yourself as a battery – if you are running low, how do you expect to be able to help others and yourself at the same time. You need time out by yourself, to relax, unwind and recharge. Set time aside in your schedule just for you.

• Work on your MINDSET

– What’s your why? So, you set New Years Resolutions; but why? What is your reason for wanting to create new habits and stop doing certain things? Really think about why you chose this and keep that constantly in the back of your mind when you feel like giving up. Write down your why’s in your diary to keep them close at hand every time you do need a reminder.

– Keep Positive. Easier said than done, right? Try to get into the habit of looking at things in a more positive light. For example, when you get up in the morning and complain about having to go to work. Instead, why not shift your thinking into “I get to get up this morning, go into work and help others, socialise with my work colleagues and provide for my family”. It may feel a little daft at first but soon it will become an automatic way of thinking. Positive thoughts lead to positive actions.

– Comparison is the thief of joy. Mary from down the road has just put posted that she has ran a marathon for the third time this year and it’s still only January. Whereas you find it hard to walk 1km without falling over. It is so easy to compare your progress to others but all it actually ends up doing is demotivating you and sabotaging your own progress. Stay in your own lane. Do not compare your journey to someone else’s chapter.

– Starve your Distractions. A big distraction is social media. I pick up my phone to upload one photo; next thing its 2 hours later and I have spiralled down a rabbit hole of funny puppy videos – and I know I’m not alone! Set limits on your phone so that after a certain amount of time, it locks itself. If you can work completely without your phone, then I would even recommend leaving it in another room and use it during your work breaks. Putting limits on your distractions allows you more time to focus on what you need to do, and you will accomplish a lot more. This feeling of accomplishment will then motivate you to keep going further.

– Confront your Excuses. How many excuses go through your head before you actually get up to do something you have been putting off or even let the excuse win and not do it at all? When an excuse comes into your head – talk to it as if it’s a separate person to you; ask why you are thinking of this excuse? Will it really help in the situation? If it was someone else what would you say to them? Excuses can become a subconscious reaction, so much so that we don’t realise it affects us. If you consciously confront these excuses, eventually the excuses will no longer arise.

• Celebrate the little wins.

– Savour Success. Us Irish tend to play down our triumphs and focus on the negatives for fear we would look like we are praising ourselves. Well I say hell to the yes with praising yourself! You worked damn hard and deserve to savour that success! For every success, write about it – how it made you feel. Then in the future when there are times you feel as though you are struggling; look to this to remind you of what you have achieved and how much you can do this.

– Reward System. Celebrate the little wins by treating yourself. Put in place a reward system so that when you reach a certain goal, you reward yourself with something you like. This will be a big motivational push to keep going to reach your big win by also getting little rewards on the road to success.

– Surround yourself with like-minded people. Your tribe is your vibe. You need to surround yourself with people who celebrates your wins, supports your fails and everything in between!

• Get Organized

– Define your Goals. Break down each goal into manageable tasks. Writing down your goals makes you 42% more likely to achieve them so make sure to grab a pen and paper! Set Practical Deadlines for each task.

– Keep patience. Complete tasks step by step instead of rushing, going full throttle and expecting a quick success. Sometimes the goal you are working towards involves a lot of patience and time – so don’t give up just yet and trust the process.

– Make your goals visual. Do a vision board, put it somewhere you will see it everyday as a reminder to keep going.

– Schedule weekly check-ins. It’s easy to make goals. It is even easier to conveniently forget a goal at the first sign of struggle. This scheduled time will help you to see how far you have come, what are the next steps you need to do and how you can fit these steps into the new week facing you.

So now you know how, it’s time to practice what we preach! You can do it and 2020 is your year to kick ass at your goals! If you have any further questions or need more help, girl we would always love to chat!

Clodagh x