Family Support Blog #1
Self Motivation is the key to growth
Motivation is to do or achieve something, this can be something big or small, professional or personal. I myself sometimes, needs to dig deep to find the motivation to get on with my day, let along setting goals for the future, but if you dig deep enough we can get to where we want or need to. It’s all about mind over matter, so let’s looks at some reasons why we sometimes block our own motivation and ways to motivate ourselves.
What motivates people?
A few things that motivates people are: money, success, power, recognition, approval, passion, a desire to win, personal development and growth and so on.
Often times we are our known worst enemy and make excuses for not achieving our goals, but let’s be realistic here, life throws curve balls at us from day to day.
Now let’s look at some things that may hold people back from being able to motivate one’s self to reach their desired goals.
- Perfectionism
- Failure
- Fear of taking big steps
- Lack of focus on the end result
- Excuses
- Procrastination
- Expectations
- Lack of consistency
- Distractions
Let’s look at one of the biggest hurdles! “Yes that would be being a parent (two parents or single parent). Having a household to take care of, children and partner can sometimes feel like enough for some people to deal with, but it is not impossible to reach your goals if you make a plan.
Strategies for parent success
- Assemble a support network
Have people around you that you can get emotional support and practical support when needed.
- Ask for help
I know it’s sometimes hard for people to ask for help or even admit they need help, but we all need help at some point. Be specific about what you need and remember there are probably people in your life who want to help you, but they may not be sure what to do.
- Readjust your priorities
Whether you work or not take a look at your day and prioritise your priorities. Don’t stress if your housework has to be left for one more day. Be realistic about what you can and can’t do in that day and give yourself a break.
- Wave the guilt goodbye
Holding onto guilt, whatever it maybe; not having enough time, not having enough money, being in conflict with your partner or ex, feeling your family is damaged. Let it go! Focus on the good things rather than looking at what’s wrong or lacking. As long as you can say that your children are loved, well cared for, their basic needs are being met in a consistent, dependable way; your home is warm and a happy place to be. “These things in the long run are more important than the materialist things in life”.
- Set goals for yourself
Whatever you want to achieve in life whether short term or long term, start by setting goals for yourself – for a day, week, month, or year – this will give you something to look forward to and achieve. Having goals, no matter how modest gives you something to work towards, which can give you a sense of achievement which can help to keep your spirits up and keep you moving forward.
- Make peace with the past
In order to move forward, try to make peace with the past to create a peaceful and harmonious home life. Making peace with the past gives you a better chance of finding that motivation you have been ignoring to help you reach those goals you desire.
Following some of these things above, who knows what you can achieve and also teach your children/young people to improve their future as well as yours.
The family support team are here for you if you need advice or support – you can contact us via the contact information on our Team page.
