On Motivation

What motivates you?  Why does it matter?  We’ve talked a lot about setting goals, but if we don’t have the right motives, we will never reach those goals.  We first have to decide why we want something in order to be able to stay on track and be diligent until we get there.  We’ve talked about setting financial goals and personal goals, so let’s take the next necessary step to ensuring our success in reaching those goals.

We are all motivated by different things.  Some people are motivated by praise, some by getting a prize, a lot are motivated by money.  I myself am motivated by accomplishment, like getting a medal at the end of a race.  Maybe we’re motivated by fitting into a pair of jeans that we haven’t worn for a while.  Reaching a goal can take time, sometimes weeks  but oftentimes years.  Staying on track for a long time can be a daunting task.  You can see why we need to find out why we want to accomplish something in order to be able to stick with a plan long enough to accomplish it.

When I set my sights on a half marathon, usually the motivation to do it involves keeping me on a steady training schedule.  This keeps me on track for improving my running so that I can get that bling at the end.  When I decided to return to school, it was a job I wanted that kept me focused on finishing even when I was exhausted.  If I had not kept my eye on the prize, I would have bailed at least a hundred times in the process.

How do you find what your motivation is?  Steven R. Covey talks about “beginning with the end in mind.”  Maybe you need to think about where you are going, then map out your path to get there.  What do you want your life to look like?  Steve Chandler, in his book “100 Ways to Motivate Yourself”, talks about simplifying your life.  Maybe we need to keep our goals short and simple.  Often we want to do something, and we have a whole paragraph explaining why we want to do it.  Try simplifying, give yourself your two top reasons to accomplish this goal and stick with those.

The other important factor is to make sure that your goals are your own.  You are going to have a hard time staying motivated if your goals are not truly your own.  Make sure you set goals that are very personal, and that will enhance your own life.  Don’t set a goal to please someone else, because you will have a hard time following through with it, which will lead to a greater sense of failure.

What are your goals?  Let’s talk about a few common ones and see if we can find our own inner motivation.

1.  Becoming debt free.  Because you want to retire earlier?  You want to be able to travel all over the world?  (where and when?)  You want to be able to give more? (how much and to whom?)
2. Learning to fly fish/rock climb/mountain climb/kayak/snowboard.  Because you think it looks fun?  It looks challenging and rewarding?  It will get you outside where you love to be?  You want to share activities with your family?
3. Losing weight.  This one is a tough one, because often our motivation needs to be really strong to stick to it.  Do you want to be able to get off certain medications?  Be able to ride your bike with your kids?  Look good in your children’s wedding photos?  (wait, that’s me….)
4.  Start a new business.  Because you want to work on your own schedule?  (why?)  Because you want the potential to make more money?  You want to do something fun?  Keep in mind that although running your own business can be really rewarding, it can also be very challenging, so make sure you have a strong sense of your motivation.
5. Running in a 5k/10k/half or whole marathon/relay.  Because you want to stay in shape?  You want to be able to chase your kids or grandkids around the yard?  Because you want to lose weight or feel healthier?

It doesn’t matter what your goals are, remember these are your own personal goals so they can be anything you want them to be.  It doesn’t matter what others think, or what motivates them.  The only thing that matters is what your own goals and motivations are, these are the factors that will determine how successful you will be in attaining them.  Take some quiet time, write down a few of your own goals.  Start small so you don’t overwhelm yourself.  And dig deep and think really hard about what will motivate you to stick to your plan to accomplish those goals.

What motivates you?  Have you found something that helps you stay on track?

 

Setting Financial Goals

While we’re talking about goals and the new year, let’s discuss financial goals.  This is a subject that is uncomfortable for a lot of people.  It’s a lot easier to just stick our heads in the sand and ignore it all.  But our finances should be planned as much as anything else we do in our life.  Even more so than other goals in my opinion.  Because if we don’t plan our financial adventures, the other adventures in our lives aren’t going to happen.  As the great Zig Ziglar said, “If you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time.”  So let’s put our goals out there early in the year so that we know what we are aiming at.

What do you want your year to look like?  Do you want to be debt free?  Do you want to own your own home?  Do you want to be able to travel?  What do you want retirement to look like?  Do you want to retire early, or do some form of work forever?  Does your vision of retirement cost as much as you are making now, or less?  These are all questions that need to be asked.

Here’s my list of things to consider so that 2017 can be your best financial year so far:

1.  How much debt do you have and how much can you pay it down this year?  This is the most important thing on your list this year.  Start this right away so that you can move to the next item on the list.
   

   Carrying debt is like lugging this ball and chain around.

2. How much extra can you pay on your mortgage?  The sooner you have your house paid off, the better, but make sure to pay off your other debt first.    That way you can take the money you are paying on student loans, credit cards, cars, etc. and put it toward your mortgage too.  Being mortgage free puts a lot of extra cash in your hands every month.
3. How much do you need to have saved for your retirement?  Chris Hogan has a great retirement calculator that will help you see where you’re at and how much more you need to save.  Don’t think that you don’t have to worry about this yet, because everyone over the age of 18 should be thinking about retirement.  Time is money, and the sooner you start saving, the less painful it will be.  On the other hand, it is never too late to start saving either, you will just have to save more aggressively if you start later.   https://www.chrishogan360.com/riq/
4. What adventures do you want to go on this year?  Plan this into your budget so that they are paid for in advance, an adventure isn’t nearly as much fun if you are charging it on a credit card.
5. How about budgeting for Christmas now so that December isn’t so financially draining.
6. If you’ve gotten your budget put together, go through it and recommit to sticking to it.  If you haven’t, read my article on choosing the best budgeting system for you, and get it put together.  Don’t wait any longer.

The new year is a great time to start on a new financial path.  The holidays with all of their added expenses are over.  We’re thinking about fresh starts anyway.

This is for me.  I totally want to adventure in a VW van!

 

You have the whole year ahead of you to save for some of the expenses that you know are coming up.  Make a commitment now to end 2017 better off financially.

 

Setting Goals for the New Year

What are your goals for the new year?  It’s that time of year when we reflect on 2016 and think about what we want to accomplish in 2017.  Part of that goal setting inevitably includes physical goals.  I’m no different.  In fact, some of my physical goals are so good that they make it on the list every year, like to lose 20 pounds.  That one should be written in permanent marker on my list, carried over every single year.

2016 was a fantastic year for me.  I let go of some of the outside expectations and went after what I wanted, for the first time in my entire life.  And I focused on having fun instead of losing that same pesky 20 pounds that I have been worried about for the past 5 years.

Learning to paddleboard with my sister and our grandsons

So for 2017 I am approaching my goal setting in a new light.  I am worried about staying physically fit and healthy.  That should always be a priority.  And I do want to attend some races, something I usually do quite a bit, but I didn’t participate in any events in 2016.  And although it is fun to do these events, the most fun I have had is when I have gone on these adventures with one or more of my kids.

Dirty Dash with my youngest.  The family that muds together stays together.

Instead of setting goals for just myself for the new year, I am challenging myself in a different way.  I want to set my goals around fun instead of numbers.  I want to focus on learning new skills.  I want to make more time for myself.

These opportunities are more important that any housework that needs to be done.

I’m doing away with setting goals based on weight loss, and concentrate more on participating in life.  I like to show my kids that getting outdoors and being active is fun, and the best way to do that is to do these things together.

My son and I after the Lander, Wyoming 1/2 marathon.

My challenge to you is to include your family in your new year goals.  Maybe make a plan to go on a hike with our kids once a week.  Maybe go on a family run.  Pick out a 5K together with your spouse.  Color runs, bubble runs, and mud runs are really fun for kids of all ages.  I did a sprint length triathlon once with one of my daughters and it was a blast.

Two of my daughters and a friend after a color run.

What new skill would you like to learn with your child, spouse, sister?  These types of activities teach our children to love being active, being outside, and being together.  And they help us to stay active and schedule fun into our weeks.

My daughter and I at the Strip at Night 1/2 marathon in Las Vegas.

I haven’t been able to talk any of my kids into doing Ragnar with me, but I have every intention of trying to rope at least one of them into doing the Grand Teton Relay with myself and some of my friends this summer.  And I might even take a rock climbing course with my youngest.  The years go by quickly and 2017 will be no exception.  Don’t let the year pass by you without enjoying it.  Let’s make a plan now to make this our best year yet.  How are you going to incorporate fun into your new year goals?