First, let’s clear up a big misconception. Nobody can motivate you but you. You are 100% responsible for your own attitude and motivation. Other people can inspire you but you have to decide if their words or actions motivate you. You can just as easily choose to ignore them. Motivational speakers can’t motivate you. Oh, they can get you all excited about a new idea or concept but that’s not motivation. Motivation is turning that excitement into action and only YOU can do that.

The good news is that means you can be motivated and/or have a positive attitude whenever you choose to. No one can make you have an unproductive day or a crappy attitude unless you let them.

In order to maintain a consistently high level of motivation, you need to have a plan to keep your motivation at that kind of level. This plan should include these 5 things:

Clear written goals that you are working towards every day.

There has been so much written about how valuable written goals can be to your success, this one should almost go without saying. For more on goals, read my blog HERE.

Standards & measures that show your progress towards your goals.

The SMART system of setting goals says you goals must be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant & Time-based. Using this formula you will have the necessary specifics to measure your progress towards achieving the goals you set.

Success experiences

You can be more successful and motivated by reminding yourself of past successes. My mentor, Jeffrey Gitomer, recommends putting your goals on your bathroom mirror so you see them every day. Once you have accomplished them, he recommends moving them to your bedroom mirror so you can remind yourself of how much you have accomplished.

Recognition of some kind

Nothing helps to keep you highly motivated like others recognizing you for your efforts. Enlist your family and friends to help you stay motivated by recognizing efforts and goals you reach.

Reward of some kind

While recognition is a form of reward, you also need to reward yourself with something tangible when you reach a goal. The reward should be something you desire and not something you would do anyway. The reward must support the goal. For example, if your goal is to not drink for a certain period of time, a bottle of your favorite liquor would not be a good reward.

Set some goals for yourself and put them in writing. Develop a step-by-step plan on how you are going to reach those goals. In order to stay motivated, that plan should include both recognition of your effort from others and a reward for when (not if) you achieve each goal. Do this and you will be amazed at how much more successful and motivated you can be.