projects are easier to get started on, because you can see more clearly where they’re leading. But what about the smaller stuff that happens from day to day, which you just may not feel like doing? How do you get motivated to do the housework? Or go to the gym?

The answer lies in expanding the picture until you can see that it’s part of something you really do want. So say there’s a sink full of dirty dishes and you just can’t face tackling them – expand the picture and what do you find? A clean kitchen, the satisfaction of a job well done, a sense of having contributed to your family? Or if yo

* Woulda, shoulda, coulda
Do you sometimes find yourself thinking about the things you ’should’ do, but for some reason aren’t? Often a ‘should’ goal is actually somebody else’s goal, not necessarily the thing that gets your zinger zinging. ‘Shoulds’ are generally the things that don’t get done.

Why not ban yourself from using the word ‘should’, and challenge your brain to come up with something else instead?

Next time you hear yourself saying ‘I should go to the gym; I should eat more salads’ take a moment to ask yourself, what is it you actually want to do? Maybe football or running are more your thing. Start finding the things that’ll motivate you, not somebody else.

* Write it down
Get a big sheet of paper and write this question on the top: What difference would losing the weight and getting fit make to my life? Then write at least 20 answers to the question. Maybe you’d become more confident, try new things or feel and look better than ever.

Spend a few minutes thinking about how fantastic it would be to have everything on your list. Focus on it until you’re glowing with motivation. Which answer excites you most? Where’s the juicy bit that really makes you want it?

Keep your list somewhere handy, maybe in your handbag or coat pocket. Re-read it once a week or whenever your feel your motivation needs a boost. You’ll instantly be transported back to a state of supercharged motivation.

* Keep on keeping on
The main thing that separates the successful from the unsuccessful is not talent, luck or money, but simple persistence. Thomas Edison got the lightbulb wrong 10,000 times before he got it right. Getting it wrong is an essential step along the way to getting it right.

Whatever you’re doing, whether it’s building a business or losing weight, there will be days when things just don’t seem to go your way. It’s at this point that the unsuccessful person stops, whereas the successful person keeps going. Remind yourself that this is a normal part of the process and give yourself a day off to recharge your enthusiasm.

Of course, this only works when you concentrate on the learning that each failure can bring – sometimes we learn an awful lot about how not to do something before we hit on the way that works for us. Keep asking yourself ‘What am I learning from this?’ and you’ll turn failure into progress.

* Think big
Some projects are easier to get started on, because you can see more clearly where they’re leading. But what about the smaller stuff that happens from day to day, which you just may not feel like doing? How do you get motivated to do the housework? Or go to the gym?

The answer lies in expanding the picture until you can see that it’s part of something you really do want. So say there’s a sink full of dirty dishes and you just can’t face tackling them – expand the picture and what do you find? A clean kitchen, the satisfaction of a job well done, a sense of having contributed to your family? Or if you

re more your thing. Start finding the things that’ll motivate you, not somebody else.

* Write it down
Get a big sheet of paper and write this question on the top: What difference would losing the weight and getting fit make to my life? Then write at least 20 answers to the question. Maybe you’d become more confident, try new things or feel and look better than ever.

Spend a few minutes thinking about how fantastic it would be to have everything on your list. Focus on it until you’re glowing with motivation. Which answer excites you most? Where’s the juicy bit that really makes you want it?

Keep your list somewhere handy, maybe in your handbag or coat pocket. Re-read it once a week or whenever your feel your motivation needs a boost. You’ll instantly be transported back to a state of supercharged motivation.

* Keep on keeping on
The main thing that separates the successful from the unsuccessful is not talent, luck or money, but simple persistence. Thomas Edison got the lightbulb wrong 10,000 times before he got it right. Getting it wrong is an essential step along the way to getting it right.

Whatever you’re doing, whether it’s building a business or losing weight, there will be days when things just don’t seem to go your way. It’s at this point that the unsuccessful person stops, whereas the successful person keeps going. Remind yourself that this is a normal part of the process and give yourself a day off to recharge your enthusiasm.

Of course, this only works when you concentrate on the learning that each failure can bring – sometimes we learn an awful lot about how not to do something before we hit on the way that works for us. Keep asking yourself ‘What am I learning from this?’ and you’ll turn failure into progress.

* Think big
Some projects are easier to get started on, because you can see more clearly where they’re leading. But what about the smaller stuff that happens from day to day, which you just may not feel like doing? How do you get motivated to do the housework? Or go to the gym?

The answer lies in expanding the picture until you can see that it’s part of something you really do want. So say there’s a sink full of dirty dishes and you just can’t face tackling them – expand the picture and what do you find? A clean kitchen, the satisfaction of a job well done, a sense of having contributed to your family? Or if yo

nt it?

Keep your list somewhere handy, maybe in your handbag or coat pocket. Re-read it once a week or whenever your feel your motivation needs a boost. You’ll instantly be transported back to a state of supercharged motivation.

* Keep on keeping on
The main thing that separates the successful from the unsuccessful is not talent, luck or money, but simple persistence. Thomas Edison got the lightbulb wrong 10,000 times before he got it right. Getting it wrong is an essential step along the way to getting it right.

Whatever you’re doing, whether it’s building a business or losing weight, there will be days when things just don’t seem to go your way. It’s at this point that the unsuccessful person stops, whereas the successful person keeps going. Remind yourself that this is a normal part of the process and give yourself a day off to recharge your enthusiasm.

Of course, this only works when you concentrate on the learning that each failure can bring – sometimes we learn an awful lot about how not to do something before we hit on the way that works for us. Keep asking yourself ‘What am I learning from this?’ and you’ll turn failure into progress.

* Think big
Some projects are easier to get started on, because you can see more clearly where they’re leading. But what about the smaller stuff that happens from day to day, which you just may not feel like doing? How do you get motivated to do the housework? Or go to the gym?

The answer lies in expanding the picture until you can see that it’s part of something you really do want. So say there’s a sink full of dirty dishes and you just can’t face tackling them – expand the picture and what do you find? A clean kitchen, the satisfaction of a job well done, a sense of having contributed to your family? Or if yo

eight, there will be days when things just don’t seem to go your way. It’s at this point that the unsuccessful person stops, whereas the successful person keeps going. Remind yourself that this is a normal part of the process and give yourself a day off to recharge your enthusiasm.

Of course, this only works when you concentrate on the learning that each failure can bring – sometimes we learn an awful lot about how not to do something before we hit on the way that works for us. Keep asking yourself ‘What am I learning from this?’ and you’ll turn failure into progress.

* Think big
Some projects are easier to get started on, because you can see more clearly where they’re leading. But what about the smaller stuff that happens from day to day, which you just may not feel like doing? How do you get motivated to do the housework? Or go to the gym?

The answer lies in expanding the picture until you can see that it’s part of something you really do want. So say there’s a sink full of dirty dishes and you just can’t face tackling them – expand the picture and what do you find? A clean kitchen, the satisfaction of a job well done, a sense of having contributed to your family? Or if yo

projects are easier to get started on, because you can see more clearly where they’re leading. But what about the smaller stuff that happens from day to day, which you just may not feel like doing? How do you get motivated to do the housework? Or go to the gym?

The answer lies in expanding the picture until you can see that it’s part of something you really do want. So say there’s a sink full of dirty dishes and you just can’t face tackling them – expand the picture and what do you find? A clean kitchen, the satisfaction of a job well done, a sense of having contributed to your family? Or if you just don’t feel like that aerobics class – remember how good you’ll feel afterwards and how this will get you one step closer to the size you want to be.

Every small task, somewhere along the line is connected to something that you really want, and that’s where you can hook your motivation into. Remember that the juicy bits may be a bit further down the line, but they’re still there.