Achieving really big goals and dreams always involves breaking it down into do-able little steps. Assuming that you've picked a goal or dream that you really love working at, then most of steps are a delight to take. No matter how much you love your dream and no matter how much you love your work, there are going to be tasks along way that you really don't want to do. Those pieces of work that we hate doing can be very ones that sabotage our success. How do you stay motivated during those parts of journey?1) Reward yourself. Let's say that I want to lose twenty pounds. That's not too much, but it's still going to involve more days of self discipline that I feel like doing. So, I reward myself with a little treat every time I drop five pounds. I get to have one of my favorite fattening meals at end of each five pound loss. Then I go back to my diet. At end, I get to go on a shopping spree to buy new clothes. Come up with a reward that you can use to motivate yourself.
2) Do it for love of someone else. My teenage son proposed a deal that works for both of us. I don't smoke cigarettes and he doesn't experiment with drugs. Every time one of us is about to give in to temptation, our love for each other stops us. I can't light up knowing that he might start doing drugs because I broke our deal. He hates idea of me dying of cancer, so he never touches any kinds of drugs offered to him by his peers. The love of someone else can motivate you to do what you otherwise might not be able to do for yourself.
3) Trade work with someone else. I've watched my kids perfect this style of motivation. My son will offer to scrub out showers if my daughter will do dishes for him. Hiring someone to do work you don't want to do is actually a form of trade. Barter or pay someone else to do it for you, so that you can continue moving forward with your dreams.
4) Truly consider quitting. I'm not telling you to quit, but to really think about it. If you've got a goal or dream that means a lot to you and you've already invested a large part of yourself into making it happen, then what would quitting feel like? Is avoiding difficult or distasteful task worth giving up on your goals and dreams? The love of your long-term goal can motivate you not to quit.
5) Share misery. This reminds me of friends in college getting together to study for an upcoming test. Having friends along can make experience more festive then it would have been if you were doing it alone. Is there a way to team up with a friend so that work is easier or at least more enjoyable?