The end of the holidays doesn’t have to be a bad thing; That time limit that implies starting a new season of “back to work” can be an element of self-motivation that, if used well, will make it easier for us to reach our goals (and to enjoy ourselves along the way).
Therefore, in the following lines we will talk about what those are. key strategies and ideas that we can use to achieve our goals from a positive mindset
Strategies to reach our goals in this new season
It is clear that the simple fact of ending the vacation period and returning to work is not going to make us perform better or be better by enhancing our self-motivation; In fact, some people experience the opposite, having difficulties adapting to day-to-day work.
However, If we adopt the appropriate measures, we can make this change in routines work in our favor making it a new beginning for us in which to apply from the beginning everything we previously learned, and a first step in an ascent towards the goals we want to achieve.
In this sense, below we will review these ways to take advantage of the potential of this start of the season after the holidays.
1. Make sure you get all the sleep you need the day before
Start this season by ensuring that you will not lack energy from the first moment ; If not, you will not only experience discomfort, but it is also very possible that you will become demotivated and refuse to adopt a more efficient and healthy performance dynamic for yourself.
It is common that after vacation we develop chaotic sleep patterns that make it difficult for us to start getting up early due to the demands of work, so prevent that from happening to you by preparing for your first day.
2. Make a list of your goals and organize them
First of all, It is necessary to move from abstract ideas about vague desires that you want to satisfy, to more defined objectives , that can clearly reflect what you want to achieve. If not, you will not be able to clearly visualize what you want to achieve, and consequently you will not have the same motivation to achieve it and, on the other hand, indecision will paralyze you more.
To prevent the latter from happening, try to make a list of three to four objectives that you want to achieve, expressing them in complete sentences with subject and predicate. Make sure that at least one of them can be achieved in the medium term, in a matter of months and not years, and that another is in the long term, on the time scale of semesters. Then, order them from most to least important, taking into account the degree to which you want to achieve that, and the effort it would take.
3. Visualize what you want to achieve
In this second phase, You must visualize in the most vivid way possible the goals that you have selected to achieve You should do it literally: close your eyes for about three to five minutes and visualize what it would be like to achieve it, with as many sensory details as you can recreate in your mind.
This can be the starting signal of motivation to push you to get to work, but you can also repeat this experience several times a week, to help you reinforce your commitment to that goal.
4. Divide your goals into sub-goals
Following the line of specifying the objectives, make each of the goals divided into very simple and relatively short units, to the point that in each of the work days that you dedicate to that project, you have several tasks that you come closer to that end.
In this way, those very short-term goals (a matter of minutes or a few hours) They will give you the satisfaction of knowing that by working a little you can feel good about your progress
Furthermore, so that you do not fall into the temptation of “leaving it for later”, use a type of resource known as action triggers: memorize key moments of the day that begin the completion of a task, as if it were an automatic mechanism of your body.
For it, associates the start of an activity with the combination of a specific place and time For example: “When I get to the living room after having breakfast in the kitchen, I will go to my desk and test myself on what I studied yesterday using exam models.”
5. Set your new schedule for this season
To maintain your work rhythm, combine the previous step with a weekly structure of tasks and routines.
Yes indeed, Make sure your schedule allows you to dedicate enough time to eat leisurely and get enough sleep It is better to dedicate your time to that during that part of your schedule than to lose it during the rest of the day due to not being able to concentrate due to hunger (or malnutrition) and sleep.
- You may be interested: “How to better manage time at work: 12 tips (and what to avoid)”
Do you want to have professional psychological assistance?
As you have seen, achieving our goals is not something as simple as having “willpower” or not having it. The solution is to learn, among other things, ways to relate to the elements in our environment that can bring us closer or further away from our goals, as well as with the people around us.
And to learn to do it correctly, nothing is more effective than psychotherapy: psychologists work to train people to adopt these new habits and routines adapted to their needs, after analyzing the characteristics of the person and the goals they set. has proposed.
Therefore, if you have considered seeking psychological help to achieve your goals, we invite you to contact us. In Psychological Awakenings We serve people of all ages, and we offer the possibility of carrying out psychotherapy or coaching sessions in any of our centers located between Madrid, Getafe, Leganés and Móstoles, or online by video call.