Everybody has goals. Maybe you want to run that half marathon coming up in six months, or you want to finish up your degree and go for a promotion. Whatever you are working towards it is important to continually take steps towards success and find ways to improve yourself along the way.

Unfortunately, that’s easier said than done. You might reach an unexpected roadblock, or a task you need to complete might be much more difficult than you expected. When this happens, it’s easy to get discouraged, and lose your motivation. It’s so important that you don’t let this happen. Every step that you take towards reaching a goal doesn’t just get you closer to accomplishing something. It’s also a step towards self improvement.

If you are feeling like giving up, try a few of these motivational tips below:

1. Keep a jar of accomplishments

If you are active on social media, you have seen a post suggesting that people start a jar of blessings. The idea is that whenever something good happens, you write the blessing down and put it in a jar. Then, at the end of the year you open the jar and reflect on the blessings of the past year. This is a great idea, but why not start a jar of accomplishments as well?

Every time you accomplish something that is related to your goals and improving yourself, write that down and put it in a jar. However, in this case you don’t wait until the end of the year to review your accomplishments. Instead, look them over whenever you are feeling discouraged.

2. Find a support system of like minded people

Whatever you are trying to do to accomplish your goals, chances are there are other people doing the same. One thing that you can do to boost your motivation is to find these people and use them as a source of help and encouragement.

Of course, it goes without saying you should also reciprocate by being helpful and encouraging yourself. If you look online and in your community, you can probably find others who are trying to accomplish the same goals. If a group exists, join it. If it doesn’t, consider taking the steps required to create one.

“Surround yourself with people you can always learn something from. Always work with people that are better at their craft than you are.” –Tony Vincent

3. Set goals that allow you to see frequent progress

It can take over a year to train to run a half marathon. Finishing your college degree can take several years. If your only measurement of success is whether or not you achieve some big, final result, you may find it difficult to stay motivated.

This is why it is so important to set incremental goals within your bigger goals. If you want to make it to finishing your degree, you should take the time to celebrate each semester you successfully complete.

4. Always spend some of your time learning something new

One of the great things about self improvement is that one action taken to improve yourself tends to boost your motivation, and increase your chances of successfully achieving your other goals. Learning new things is a great way to do this.

You can take online classes or sign up for education classes at your local community center. All that matters is that you are constantly learning something new and that you study effectively. You should never lose motivation when it comes to learning new things.

5. Write it down as an affirmation

Take whatever you are trying to accomplish and write it down on a piece of paper. Then, figure out how to rewrite it as an affirmation. For example, if your goal is to finish your degree by the end of 2016.

You might write down “I want to obtain my Bachelor’s degree in Human Services by December, 2016”. Then your affirmation would be “I will have my degree in Human Services by December, 2016”. The point is to write your goal, and then turn it into something that is a given.

6. Meditate and visualize

Many successful people give some of the credit for their accomplishments to the fact that they meditate. Why not join them? Meditation is easy to do, and it requires no special training or education to get started.

Simply find a quiet place, close your eyes, focus on breathing in slowly and breathing out slowly, and then visualize yourself successfully reaching your goals.

7. Take care of yourself

Sometimes, we spend so much time focusing on the work of meeting our goals that we overburden ourselves, and we end up burning out.

While it is very important to work very hard, it is also important to take of yourself in the meantime. This means getting enough sleep, leaving time to interact with loved ones, and engaging in hobbies and other activities that we enjoy.

“We are what our thoughts have made us; so take care about what you think. Words are secondary. Thoughts live; they travel far.” – Swami Vivekananda

8. Read motivational and inspirational books

If you want to stay motivated, read books that motivate and inspire you. These books could be inspirational biographies and autobiographies, self-help books, or even works of fiction that are uplifting to you.

Think about it. If you are like many people, you probably spend more than an hour each day watching television and surfing the internet. Why not dedicate 20 minutes each day to reading something that will keep you inspired?

9. Limit the time you spend with negative people

People who continually find fault, place blame, and nit pick are toxic. They sap the emotional energy of the people around them, and the unfortunate thing is that they don’t even realize it.

If you have somebody continually draining your emotional reserves, do whatever you can to limit the amount of time you spend with them. You’ll be surprised at how quickly you get back to feeling motivated and ready to tackle your goals.

10. Be a source of positive energy for other people

When it comes to motivation and inspiration, you really do get what you give. So, be encouraging when others tell you about their goals, and curb your own tendencies to complain or be a downer.
When you do this, you create positive energy within your inner circle. That uplifts everybody including you.

Which motivation tip helps you get motivated? Please share your thoughts in the comment section below!