Ten Science-Based Keys to Motivation

 Let’s face it we all struggle with motivation from time to time. Considering that motivation makes the world go around it’s important that we understand the science of motivation. Here are 10 science backed motivation tips to boost and sustain your motivation!
1. Dream big! We tend to be more motivated when the reward for our efforts is greater. Simply thinking about attaining your goals can get you excited. Being excited about your goals will give you an initial burst of dopamine that will increase your baseline motivation. The bigger the goal the more excited you will be.
2. Set small and easily attainable goals! Although it is important to dream big if you want to sustained motivation it is important that you keep setting achievable goals that are easily attainable. If you have a really big goal or task break it down into smaller goals. Breaking it down into smaller sequential task can make big and often intimidating goals seems realistic and achievable. As it’s been said “a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”!
3. Train your brain! Your brain reacts differently when you say, “I am”, as opposed to “I feel”. Whenever you say, “I am” you are making a statement about your identity. Saying “I feel” instead of “I am” shifts blood flow away from the fight or flight area of your brain and shifts towards your prefrontal cortex which is the part of the brain that cultivates witnessing, empathy, and problem-solving.” To train your brain to become motivated, say “I am motivated” as opposed to “I feel motivated” because it makes it a part of your identity.
4. Use the Dopamine response to keep you motivated! Until recently it was thought that Dopamine was the “reward” hormone but recent research suggestions that dopamine is a much more complex chemical found to be the root of motivation. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that, at its core, motivates us to act. The best thing to do is rewire our brains and set tangible goals. If you lack motivation in general you can kick start your engine so to speak by setting and attaining really easy task. For example, if you’re feeling unmotivated you can start with something easy like taking out the trash and doing the dishes. That will give you an initial dopamine boost to get you going. The more we accomplish our smaller goals, the more we train our brains to achieve the bigger goals we set!
5. Do it for yourself! You can set goals for others but it’s also important to set personal goals for yourself. It’s ok to be a little selfish when it comes to acheive goals.
6. Use the S.M.A.R.T. strategy! S.M.A.R.T. stands for setting Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely goals. Using the S.M.A.R.T. method will increase your chances of achieving your goals and in the future you will be able to set even bigger goals as you become more proficient.
7. Cultivate support systems. Surrounding yourself with people that believe in you, support you and hold you accountable to your goals will drastically improve your chances of success!
8. Schedule success! Scheduling time to work on your goals is an absolute must. Leave the guess work out and plan ahead.
9. Environment is everything. It is important to find environments that you feel comfortable and stress-free in. Finding environments that inspire you is a major plus.
10. What is your why? It’s important to remind yourself why you started in the first place from time to time. You might even want to write down your goals and then list the reason why you want to accomplish those goals in the first place.
You can expect SOF to go above and beyond to help you reach your goals in 2017. We will provide you with the Knowledge, Accountability and Motivation that you need to get results as quickly as possible. We know the journey is a challenging one and we are here to keep you motivated and inspired. We strive for authenticity and excellence in everything that we do. We develop long lasting and loyal relationships with our clients and they stay with us because in addition to getting good results, they are treated like family!
If you are interested in more information please visit http://www.sofhealthandwellness.com or you can reach me directly at 661-713-7576 or James@sofhealthandwellness.com.