CREATE YOUR DREAMS TODAY

4: Get Real With Your Goals

Further research from the APA shows that you have a higher chance of getting work done (by up to 90 percent, in fact) by breaking down your big goals into smaller, specific tasks.

By quantifying your goals with a specific metric (e.g., do 30 pushups and 10 burpees in 30 minutes), it feels more concrete and doable. Once you have these mini-goals in place, you can start tackling them one by one.

Write your big goals, then make a list of related tasks under each one. Do this a day in advance (like the night before) so you can hit the ground running first thing in the morning.

Then as you chip away significant chunks from your overall goal, the more motivated you’ll feel.

Every time you accomplish one of these smaller, specific goals, you’ll be rewarded with a small dose of dopamine. This will give you the push you need to keep going until you’ve cleared all of your tasks.

#5: Visualize Your Future

While it's crucial to get motivation from accomplishing your goals, it's also helpful to give yourself a dopamine boost before getting started.

As such, you'll find that it's hugely beneficial to develop the habit of creating a vivid picture of your desired outcome. Spend about 5-10 minutes every day visualizing yourself enjoying your dream life as if it’s happening now.

Like we discussed earlier, rats are more motivated to overcome those obstacles just by anticipating the reward for doing it. In the same way, thinking about the results of your hard work will release neurochemicals that will get you pumped for the task ahead.

Think about what it would FEEL like to finally get your big goals done. Imagine the people in your life congratulating you and complimenting you on your efforts.

When you know exactly what’s waiting for you on the other side, you’ll suddenly lose all the excuses that were holding you back.