Just hang with me. I'm not usually a parable person but when I heard this one it really struck a cord with me. That horse needs to get out of that field because it will waste away. Horses are not made to just sit and graze in one place, but that horse is lacking one thing self-motivation. I don’t know about you ladies, but sometimes...no a lot of the time I feel like that. I’m content in my little field, and even though I have goals for a healthier lifestyle I just don’t have the motivation. We get so caught up giving to our families and becoming content in our day-to-day errands/chores. Don’t get me wrong  it’s a wonderful life, but we deserve more too. We give ourselves over to our children when they are young. We skip sleep, meals, and showers. We skimp on good self-care products so we can buy them more of what they want. We play Super-Mom all day every day, but we forget that first we were Super-Women. 

   You are a fantastic mother and probably a rockstar wife as well, but if we are honest it’s easier to be motivated for our children then it is for ourselves. Motivation are the forces within us that account for the direction, level, and persistence of effort we put into a task.  

• Direction: the choices we make amongst alternative paths to a goal 
• Level: the amount of effort we put in. 
• Persistence: the length of time we stick with a plan of action, especially when faced with difficulties. 

    ​So how do we motivate ourselves for ourselves. It starts by having the right goals to drive you. Now, I’ve made it a goal to lose weight and get in shape twelve thousand times and failed. A large part was I didn’t understand how to make goals and plans that would be successful. But after my third child’s birth didn’t go as I wanted; I knew I needed to make some lasting changes for myself.  So here are few steps in goal making that have helped me choose the right paths, put in high energy, and ultimately stick with my plan. 


1. Be Specific! 

Often times goals are too vague to create a clear targeted objective. We say lose 10 pounds, but what does that look like or mean? When you work out you build muscle, and everyone’s body sheds weight on different parts at different rates so it’s hard to make a number on the scale your goal. Try setting goals that more tangible like tasks or obstacles. Maybe you want to build the strength to lift a goal weight or run a mile at a certain pace. If you want to just be healthier that’s great but create a goal that describes what that exactly looks like for you so you know when you’ve reached it. 

2.Create Due Dates! 

Once you have a clear goal in mind you want to set a specific timetable for achieving it. Things don’t have to happen overnight so don’t set yourself up for failure by trying to push too hard too fast. On the flip side of that is not making goals too far out in the future that you lose motivation to stay persistent. Manageable timeframes keep you focused, and goal orientated in day to day activities. 

3. Measurable! 

Don’t leave the results ambiguous. If you have created a specific goal you should also have specific measurable results throughout the process. Keep a journal of your progress or daily activities to see how your behavior has been changing. You can’t always see results of a healthier lifestyle in the mirror and that can be discouraging. You can track though if you are consistently getting up at the time you set, how many meals have you eaten that activity worked with your body, were you able to keep up with your kids longer than before. Writing down your journey everyday helps you clearly see the gains your making. 

4. Challenge yourself! 
​
When we talk about the level of effort, we put into a task, it’s dependent on how challenging that task is. Set yourself up for success by really going for something that is a stretch goal. Giving yourself an objective, you know you really have to work for by being accountable every day. When a goal is too easy it’s tempting to push that days workout or have a cheat meal because  you’ll just make up for it later. 
​
5. Attainable! 
​
Even though you want to push yourself for a stretch goal you also have to be realistic about what you can achieve with the resources you have. It can be damaging to set goals that are too far out of our reach and fail. Create goals that challenge you to start and when you accomplish those you can push to the next big step. Don’t start off with completing  an ultra-spartan race in the next month if you can’t run a mile now. Work up to with smaller goals first so to build your ability and confidence.