Success isn’t a result of spontaneous combustion.
You must set yourself on fire.
– Arnold H. Glasow
September is perfect time to ride the energetic wave of “new beginnings” towards your own big goals even if “back to school” is many decades past.
The first step toward the life you love is to fan the flames of possibility around you and start creating momentum. Maybe you’re yearning to ignite a career goal or a romantic relationship? Perhaps it’s a creative project or ramping up your health/fitness level? Or do you want to cultivate more passion or serenity in your everyday life? Well, get ready because I’m pulling out the motivation big guns for you…
The best way to get something done is to begin.
– Author Unknown
10 Ways to Light the Fire Under Your Butt
1. Procrastination Shake – Stuck in procrastination-mode? Put on a high-octane song and literally shake off the paralysis, overwhelm, or lethargy. Think of the procrastination as a heavy gooey substance that’s been weighing you down and then start jumping and shaking it the hell OFF!
2. Baby Step – Decide what your number one intention is for this year and then choose one small step that you can take towards it today… Not tomorrow or next week, but TODAY! Even the tiniest of steps can create powerful momentum. As Zig Ziglar said: “Do it, and then you will feel motivated to do it.”
3. Superpowers – Think of the biggest challenge you’re facing in achieving your current goal and imagine a superhero version of yourself with special superpowers that could obliterate this challenge. For example, last year when I was feeling scattered and sluggish around a project, I created my alter ego “RocketGirl” a sexy babe who has jet-force propulsion to power me and my goals forward and keep me uber-focused. A friend of mine even created an image of her for me to use as my desktop (and yes, speaking of derriere flames, she has fire shooting out of her butt…please keep your bean jokes to yourself)
4. Goal Buddy – Using the buddy system as part of your new year goal strategy makes you more accountable, gives you somebody to celebrate the little victories with, and a place to vent if it all starts going very wrong. You don’t even need to share the same goal – just declare your intention to each other and decide when and how you will support and hold each other accountable in your individual pursuits (ie. Daily email? Weekly coffee? Gold stars?)
5. “To Do” List Dry Run – If you’re feeling paralyzed by the list of actions you need to take to achieve your goal, try going through your “to dos” in the morning, spending a few seconds to envision accomplishing each one and how that feels. Whether it’s writing those 5 pages of script to making those 20 cold calls, visualizing their completion takes some of the overwhelm and mystique out of each step and sends a concrete image and feeling to your brain that this can be accomplished. It may not sound like much, but I’ve actually found this technique to be incredibly effective.
6. EmBODY your goal – What quality do you need more of to realize your goal (ie. power, tranquility, enthusiasm, focus)? Try taking on this quality in your body for a day. Start in the morning in front of the mirror and see what “powerful”, for example, would look like on you… What would your expression be like if you were powerful? What would your stance be? How would you walk, sit, talk? Keep returning to this physicality all day and start to feel the accompanying emotional shift.
7. Signs – How about some passive kick-ass motivation? Write a cheerleading message about your intentions/goals on colourful pieces of paper and post them in your environment hotspots (ie. fridge, desk drawer, car, bathroom mirror, etc.) Each time you see a sign, take a moment to breathe in the energy of that intention.
8. Excuses Begone! – On a big piece of paper, write down all the negative thoughts that are getting in the way of you achieving your goal — all the excuses, fears, and old stories. Then, with a sense of great determination, urgency, and gusto black out each one with a big ole marker and tear the piece of paper into as many pieces as possible. Extra bonus for yelling at and then burning that nasty little pile of limiting beliefs!
9. Tickle-mentum – If you’re feeling low energy, heavy, or just plain stuck, get someone to tickle you (preferably someone you know, but hey – who am I to judge?) It’s a great way to shock your system into a state change. Besides, it makes me giggle heartily to picture you all getting tickled.
10. Commit– Choose a first tangible goalpost for your current intention and pick the date you will reach it by. If finding a romantic partner is your intention, a goalpost could be to create your online dating profile. If your goal is to write your memoir, then you could schedule reading a first excerpt to a group of trusted friends. If tranquility is your goal, your first milestone could be having a complete tech-free day. Mark this date with neon lights in your calendar and – come hell or high water – honour that date!!
Ok Team — wishing you your finest September yet!
To change one’s life: Start immediately. Do it flamboyantly. No exceptions.
– William James
