At the beginning of every year, we usually make our resolutions – we will start exercising regularly, eat healthier, and change our current job in search of a new challenge. And we imagine the next 12 months will be spent chasing them.

Is that how it goes in real life?

February comes and it turns out that some promises may not be fulfilled. Then comes June, September, and we get to the end of the year and it turns out that we have actually achieved a very small number of the things we wanted. Don`t worry, it’s perfectly normal.

The reasons are usually varied and complex. It is very likely that the loss of motivation during the year is the main culprit. Here are some tips on how to stay focused during all these 365 days and how to pursue your personal and professional goals to the end.

Start with small steps

One of the most important things when you decide to take on a new challenge is to plan small steps on the way to achieving your goal. However, after the first steps, you may encounter difficulties and think about giving up. To prevent this from happening, it is a good idea to set clear goals from the very beginning and give yourself a realistic time for their implementation. Even with just two hours of work a day, you can gradually learn a new skill or even a foreign language. The important thing is to be persistent and not set unrealistic deadlines. So motivation will always be there.

Avoid jumping into too many commitments at once and give yourself time to rest

Taking on too many tasks in a limited amount of time can often be demotivating. Realizing how much work you have to do and your potential inability to finish it in the time frame you want can make it easy to give up. That is why it is extremely important to be able to balance between making efforts in a given direction and getting a full rest. Creating a harmonious work-life balance can not only improve your physical, emotional and mental well-being, but it is important for your career.

Monitor your progress regularly and focus on achievements

To stay motivated in the pursuit of goals, it is also good to track your progress. If you often find out that everything is going according to your plan or even better – this will definitely make you happy and inspire you to keep going. If you see that you are falling behind, this could also motivate you to be even more persistent. Allocate tasks correctly and regularly monitor the results you achievе. Experts say that monitoring progress and reporting small achiеvements will also help you stick to the goal and not give up, even when it gets tough and the work is a lot.

Surround yourself with role models

This advice may seem as old as the world, but it turns out that we often forget about it. One of the most powerful tools for staying motivated in the pursuit of our goals is to surround ourself with people who have already achieved theirs. You have a small business and want to promote it, but don’t know how to do it? Meet people who have already succeeded. You want to start working as a freelancer but you don’t have the courage? Look for someone who is already doing this. Attending lectures and events related to the topics you are interested in can also be an opportunity to meet new inspiring people.

Limit distractions

You have just started a programming course and you are highly motivated to take the first steps in your IT career. You tackle a task, but when it gets challenging, you grab your phone and suddenly 30 minutes pass aimlessly scrolling through social media. Don`t worry, it’s normal. The mass concentration time of people is getting shorter and shorter, and the things that distract us – more and more. If you want to stay motivated and focused on what you are doing – limit all factors that can distract you from work. This way you will be more productive and you will be able to complete many more tasks in the time given.

Stay tuned for part two of this article with more ideas on how to stay motivated and achieve your goals throughout the year.