I receive many e-mails from people that basically ask the same question: How can I keep myself motivated long term? This seems to be quite a common dilemma for many people. Here are tips for staying motivated:

1.   Get motivated every day. Zig Ziglar was once confronted about being a "motivational speaker." A salesperson said to him, "You guys come and get people hyped-up and then you leave and the motivation goes away. It doesn't last, and then you have to get motivated again." Zig reminded the gentleman that baths are the same way but we think it is a good idea to take a bath every day!

It is true that motivation doesn't last. We have to renew it each and every day. That is okay. It doesn't make motivation a bad thing. We simply have to realize that if we want to stay motivated over the long term, it is something we will have to apply to ourselves each and every day.

2.   Have a vision for your life. The root word of motivation is "motive." The definition of motive is, "A reason to act." This is the cognitive or rational side of motivation. It is your vision. You have to have a vision that is big enough to motivate you. If you are making $50,000 a year, it isn't going to motivate you to set your goal at $52,000 a year. You just won't get motivated for that because the reward isn't enough. Maybe $70,000 a year would work for you. Set out a vision and a strategy for getting there. Have a plan and work the plan.

3.   Fuel your passion. Much of motivation is emotional. I don't know quite how it works but I do know THAT it works. Emotion is a powerful force in getting us going. Passion is an emotion, so fuel your passion. "Well, I like to work on logic," you may say. Great, now work on your passion. Set yourself on a course to have a consuming desire for your goal, whatever it is. Do whatever you can to feel the emotion and use it to your advantage!

4.   Work hard enough to get results. You can build on your motivation by getting results. The harder you work, the more results you will get and the more results you get, the more you will be motivated to get more. These things build on one another. If you want to lose weight, then lose the first few pounds. When the belt moves to the next notch you will get fired up to get it to the notch beyond that!

5.   Put good materials into your mind. I can't say this enough - listen to tapes. I still listen to tapes regularly. I buy tape clubs from other speakers and I learn and grow. Their successes motivate me to get my own successes! Read good books. Read books that teach you new ideas and skills.

Read books that tell the stories of successful people. Buy them, read them and get motivated! Buy great music and listen to it. I just did a spinning class at the club today. When-ever a good song came on I was actually able to get motivated to ride faster! It gets you going and motivates you!

6.   Ride the momentum when it comes. Sometimes you will just be clicking and sometimes you won't. That is okay. It is the cycle of life. When you aren't clicking, plug away. When you are clicking, pour it on because momentum will help you get larger gains in a shorter period of time with less energy. That is the Momentum Equation! When you are feeling good about how your work is going, ride the momentum and get as much out of it as you can!

These are the top six ways to stay motivated:
1.   Get motivated every day.
2.   Have a vision for your life.
3.   Fuel your passion.
4.   Work hard enough to get results.
5.   Put good materials into your mind.
6.   Ride the momentum when it comes.

These are simple principles that when you put them to work regularly, will change your life by keeping you motivated all the time! Get going!

Chris Widener is a popular speaker and writer as well as the President of Made for Success and Extraordinary Leaders, two companies helping individuals and organizations turn their potential into performance, succeed in every area of their lives and achieve their dreams.
Visit his website at www.madeforsuccess.com.

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