Unlock Your Motivation: 5 Proven Strategies for Setting and Achieving Goals

Are you stuck in a cycle of feeling overwhelmed and defeated trying to reach your goals? Do you feel like you are unmotivated by the success you’re chasing? Many of us feel this way in our day-to-day lives, but it doesn’t have to stay that way. 

Meet Holly Chantal. Holly has redefined her vision of success over the years, shifting from being money-driven to now making memories with her family. She now works 20 hours a week and has developed a business model that is both profitable and sustainable. With this system, Holly was able to create a balance between her family life and her business and unlock her motivation for goal-setting.

Let’s dive in and learn how Holly measures her success in terms of happiness and how she manages her time and energy to make it all work.

Why is it important to stay motivated when it comes to goal-setting?

Staying motivated when it comes to goal-setting is essential for success. Without motivation, individuals may not have the drive to put in the necessary effort and to persist when challenges arise. Having goals can help individuals to focus on long-term objectives and stay on track, but without motivation, those goals may never be met. 

Motivation also helps to keep individuals energized, which can be beneficial when it comes to managing the time and resources needed to complete the goals. Motivation can help to reduce procrastination and provide the drive needed to stay organized and make progress. Having a clear, achievable goal in mind, as well as knowing the steps needed to reach that goal, can help individuals to stay motivated and remain focused on the end result.

Here are the five steps you need to follow to stay motivated as you work towards achieving your goals:

1. Recognize when something needs to shift.
2. Carefully choose which projects to work on.
3. Set realistic expectations and goals.
4. Limit your work to 20 hours a week.
5. Bookend the week with tasks and leave the rest of the time for chaos.

1. Recognize when something needs to shift.

Recognize when something needs to shift. Holly Chantal realized that she needed to shift her definition of success when she was feeling defeated and depressed. She had initially set a goal to make $30,000 a year, and then when she entered the business world, she set higher goals for herself, but was struggling to reach them. Holly realized that she needed to find other ways to measure success because she was feeling overwhelmed, overstimulated, and had no self-worth.

To recognize when something needs to shift, Holly recommends being aware of the signs and symptoms that something is not right, such as feeling defeated and depressed. She also recommends taking time to reflect and explore different ways of measuring success, such as spending time with family or making memories. Lastly, she suggests creating systems and processes to help manage expectations and goals and to get work done efficiently, such as setting aside specific days for creative tasks and planning and scheduling for the rest of the week.

2. Carefully choose which projects to work on.

The second step in this process is to carefully choose which projects to work on. Holly found that she had to shift her expectations when she became a mother and realized that she couldn’t reach the goals she had set due to the constraints she faced. To mitigate her unrealistic expectations, Holly started to choose only one project at a time to work on, which allowed her to perfect it more quickly and easily. To help her focus on her projects, Holly created a 20 hour work week. To help her stay organized, she created a notebook for ideas that she wanted to pursue later. 

3. Set realistic expectations and goals.

Setting realistic expectations and goals is an important step in redefining success. This can be particularly challenging for ambitious individuals, especially women, who tend to have very high standards for themselves. To set realistic expectations and goals, Holly recommends dividing your time into chunks of work and leaving the rest of the time open to life’s surprises. She also suggests focusing on one project at a time and putting other ideas in a notebook for later. Lastly, she suggests measuring success through memories made rather than numbers or money. To do this, Holly and her husband plan their year in advance with vacation planning and family time. Setting realistic expectations and goals can be a difficult process, but with the right guidance, it can be a rewarding one.

4. Limit your work to 20 hours a week.

Step 6 of this transcript is to set aside 20 hours a week for work and plan for a third of it. This can be a difficult process and is best done by breaking it down into smaller steps. First, it is important to determine which 20 hours are best to dedicate to work. This may be different for everyone, but some things to consider are when you are at your most productive, when you have the least distractions, and when you have the most energy.

Once you have determined the 20 hours that you will dedicate to work, the next step is to plan out the tasks you will do in those hours. This can be done by mapping out a timeline for the week and breaking down the tasks into smaller chunks that can be completed in the allotted time. It is also important to only plan for a third of the time so you can be open for unexpected tasks, such as responding to emails or dealing with unexpected disruptions. By following these steps it is possible to successfully work only 20 hours a week.

5. Bookend the week with tasks and leave the rest of the time for chaos.

The final step is to bookend your week with tasks and leave the rest of the time for chaos. This strategy involves setting aside a portion of each week to accomplish specific tasks and goals while leaving the rest of the time open to take care of unexpected things. This is an effective way to stay on top of tasks without burning out or feeling overwhelmed. 

To begin, decide on a portion of the week to accomplish your tasks. This could be the beginning or end of the week, or a certain day of the week. Make sure to leave enough time to complete the tasks without feeling rushed. Once the time is decided, create a list of tasks that need to be accomplished. This should include any tasks related to your business, such as marketing, client meetings, or creative projects. When completing the tasks, keep in mind that it is important to take breaks and not to overwork yourself. 

Once the tasks are identified and completed, then the rest of the week can be left open for chaos. This can include anything that comes up unexpectedly, such as family emergencies, illness, or sudden projects. This will help you stay on top of tasks while also allowing for flexibility if something unexpected comes up. By bookending the week with tasks and leaving the rest of the time for chaos, you can be productive without feeling overwhelmed.

I’d love to hear how you apply these five steps to staying motivated while achieving your goals. Drop me a message on Instagram to share your thoughts with me, and don’t forget to grab your ticket to the upcoming 2023 Women’s Conference.

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