Sometimes when we are getting ready to make changes in our life we have the best intentions but end up falling short. There are a variety of reasons we give for why we fall short on our goals, be it a time issue, emergency situations or other reasons that we simply do not get to achieving these new desires but often the reason comes down to a lack of willpower. If you are anything like me, you blame your lack of time as the reason why you don't get your goals done, but I will argue that really the root culprit is a lack of willpower. So in an effort to try to get ourselves on the right path of accomplishing our goals, here are three tips for boosting our willpower!
1- Know Thyself
First thing is to know when you are best at accomplishing different types of goals. Some of us work well doing things first thing in the morning while others at the end of the day. Only you can truly know when you are best able to accomplish the most in your day. If an answer isn't immediately jumping out at you, try keeping a journal of what you do throughout the day over the course of a few days and see what times of the day seem to be your most productive. If you want to get really scientific in it, you can even do what one of my old professor's suggested and check your body temperature every hour. For this you need a very accurate thermometer that will read to the second decimal point. Take your temperature every waking hour over the course of several days and you should see a pattern emerge. Your mind is most active when your temperature is slightly elevated so this is the best time to work on intellectual projects. When your temperature is at its lowest, it is time for a break and either relax or switch to simple or physical tasks at this point. By watching your natural biorhythms you can plan your day in a way that works with your body.
2- Have a Plan
Of course, the world does not always bend to our wills so setting your schedule off your biorhythms might not always be possible. In these cases, we need to sometimes help ourselves by planning ahead. If you know that you are pretty much useless after work, then don't plan on doing too much in that time, or you will only be planning for failure. Instead prep on the weekend to make your evenings run smoother. Sit down and write out a list of things that need to be done and try to get these errands done on the weekend in order to leave more time for rest on workday evenings. If you can, meal prep. Say you never wake up in time for breakfast, then be proactive with some of our great recipes here (https://www.bullionite.com/blog/2020/6/16/breakfast-meal-preps-f2ene) so you get your breakfast the way you want it, instead of running late or blowing a diet by having to settle for breakroom snacks or fast food. This plan ties directly into knowing yourself, only you can know what plans and preps will work for you. Sit down and be honest with yourself and create a list of the areas you need help in and how you can alleviate some of the stress. If issues are lying in tasks such as domestic chores, don't be afraid to ask your spouse/ live in and/or children to pick up some slack. Also, do not feel ashamed to explore meal prep or delivery services. We do not have to be good at everything and do everything ourselves in order to be successful.
3- Start Small
If you have grandiose plans for change in your life, chances are they are not going to happen overnight. You can not expect yourself to make many huge changes and stick to it for any length of time. Instead, try making changes gradually whether it is phasing in or out several habits or focusing on one goal at a time, be patient and kind with yourself and allow yourself time to change. Nothing happens overnight, and expecting that of yourself will only lead to early failure and future disappointment. Look at the goals you have in your life and phase them down to manageable bite sized steps and add a little each week. Perhaps this feels like “cheating” but I assure you that you will be in a better place 6 months from now then if you try to force all the changes at once in your life.
As we approach our life and goals it is important to remember to be kind to ourselves. It is easy to fall into being mad at ourselves for lack of willpower or time management, but sulking and giving up is not the solution either. Allow yourself grace and patience and you will be surprised at how much more you can accomplish with an open heart.
What do you do to get yourself motivated? What goals are you hoping to accomplish this year? Reach out to us at info@bullionite.com with your comments and questions.