Motivation is the driving force behind all of your actions.  I understand that motivation is often intrinsic since we are all  motivated by different things but a universal motivator is attaining a goal you have set for yourself.  When this happens, endorphins are released and your sense of satisfaction, accomplishment and happiness escalates.  It is a great feeling.  However, this doesn’t usually happen by “chance”.

It begins with setting goals (now don’t glaze over here).  Setting SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic & timely) short and long term goals is key to your “achievement motivation”.  It also takes a dose of daily inspiration and a positive attitude for optimal success.

So what do you do?  Well, I will share what I find helpful.  Every January, my wife and I           individually set at least two Personal, Family, Health and Business goals.  We then plan a “date” where we review them together (an added bonus since we also get a night out alone together).  This helps to ensure that we understand what we each want to accomplish and helps us support each other throughout the year  We also brainstorm actionable items to make the goals a reality.  She types everything up and we post them in an obvious place so they are seen/reviewed each day. We also meet monthly to review our progress, brainstorm solutions to any real/perceived obstacles and revise as necessary.

We find this so effective that we also sit down individually with each of our 4 children in January and then quarterly to review their Personal, Family and Health goals each year. This helps them create good habits for the future and keeps us in touch with their dreams/aspirations and problems they encounter along the way. Try it—and get ready for accomplishment. Be sure to celebrate your success along the way!