How not to lose motivation and always to achieve goals

Motivation - this is not a character trait or talent, but an art that can be mastered by everyone. We just need to know the recipe. And the ingredients need little - only two.

One of the brightest contemporary comedians Steve Martin (Steve Martin) has received the "Oscar" is not for the first joke. His way to success It was long:

1. At 10 years old he got his first job at Disneyland Anaheim: selling guides for visitors to the park.
2. A year later, he was taken to the shop where he knew that to attract the customer's attention, you can use simple tricks and jokes.
3. In high school, Steve Martin played in small clubs in Los Angeles: his numbers rarely lasted more than five minutes, and there were few visitors.
4. At 19, he has already performed weekly for 20 minutes.
5. Another 10 years he experimented and practiced, worked as a writer, and to the mid-70s became a regular guest of The Tonight Show and Saturday Night Live.
6. Then there were the exhausting tour of 60 cities in 63 days, 72 of the city for 80 days and 85 cities in 90 days.
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7. After years of hard work, 45,000 tickets were sold for his performance in Ohio came almost 20 thousand people, and in the three-day show in New York City!

For half a century, Steve Martin starred in 56 films, but "Oscar" was only two years ago. But what! For outstanding contribution to cinema.

Steve Martin Way to success - not for the faint-hearted comedy. 10 years of education, 4 years of bringing the show to perfection, and 4 years of dizzying success - as Steve Martin describes the beginning of his career autobiography. His story - an inspiring example of high motivation and perseverance.

How to stay motivated

Why does one reach the goals, and the other - no? Why the desire does not always lead to the result? What is the difference between the areas of life where we all turns, and areas where we are failing and giving up a couple of days?

These questions is given almost everyone. For decades, scientists have studied motivation, and white spots much more. But one conclusion seems quite logical:

The best way to stay motivated - to work on achievable goals.

No more, no less

Take the wrapper, tie a thread to it and start to drive in front of the cat. Her pupils expanded immediately, the ears stand erect, it will closely monitor the toy. Once the wrapper will be within reach, the cat will make a throw. But it is unlikely to be a hunt for a bird that sits high up on a branch.

We are organized in a similar way. The game of tennis against the four-year child, most likely, you will quickly become bored. And against Serena Williams (Serena Williams) you hardly dare to go to court: receive calls nice and fun, only when they are in range. Another thing - to play against are equal chances of losing and score points almost equal. Victory is possible, but not guaranteed.

Too simple tasks evoke boredom. Too complex - is discouraged. And only those that are on the verge of success and failure, are of interest.

This principle Goldilocks (the name of Masha in the western version of the tale of the three bears), or the golden mean. In psychology, they explain the behavior of young children: they are involved in the task, which is not too simple, not too complicated for them.

As we age, we, of course, are trained to solve an impossible task. But motivation still remains the same peak in the work that lies on the border of our abilities: not too hard but not too easy.

Evaluation of results

There is another important aspect. Permanent motivation guaranteed if properly mix two ingredients: hard work and a sense of happiness. And it's the right way to state flowWell familiar to athletes and artists. In this state, you are so focused on the task, everything else just disappears.

To get into the flow, you need to regularly capture how you approached the objective: it is incredibly motivating. Imagine Steve Martin joke and the crowd begins to laugh. This causes a burst of energy, courage and desire to continue to entertain the audience.

In other areas of measurement of progress it is different, but it is equally important to continue to operate. You must regularly receive a report on the victory. That is why learning languages ​​is so nice to Lingualeo, Duolingo and Codecademy: There is always give rewards.

Step 2 to motivation

So, to stay motivated:

1. Stick to the golden mean: Set a doable task.
2. Evaluate your progress and mark achievements as often as possible.

Pretty simple, but it works!