The year 2022 has ended. Are you looking forward to the days and months ahead or are you bogged down with unfinished tasks from the previous years? No matter what sort of years you have had, you can still end this year on a high, and start the New Year on a positive note; highly captivated and motivated.
However, there has been a debate surrounding motivation. Many are discussing the importance of motivation when it comes to making life changes or pressing that reset button in your life. Is consistency more important than motivation for achieving life goals? Which should you really go for?
I have worked at more than ten different places in ten years; two places at the same time or even one at a time. They’ve all taught me valuable lessons. Some could not even be placed in a structured manner in my resume because they were project-based.
And they were in numerous industries: broadcasting, marketing, publishing, journalism, training, and the education field. I was juggling with too much work and tasks with tight deadlines. That was how I coped with troubles and problems of life.
Work, and I would say I was a workaholic. I enjoyed being swamped with tasks. The more, the better.
Then, along the way I became the Subject Matter Expert for a training company.
Throughout the journey, I figured what I should say no to after my mental health suffered to the core during the pandemic. Too little too late, some would say. I believed I had zero job prospects at that time. I had to somehow start over, after all those time, money and energy sacrificed. I not only whinge and whine; but literally wail at that point in life.
The lesson - the human brain loves a challenge, but only if it is within an optimal zone of difficulty.
If you love badminton and try to play a serious match against a newbie, you will quickly become bored. It is too easy. You will win every point. In comparison, if you play against professional badminton players like Lee Chong Wei or Lee Zii Jia, you will quickly lose motivation because the match is too difficult.
Now, consider playing football against someone who is your equal. As the game progresses, you win a few points and you lose a few. Balanced and just about right to keep your motivation going. This is what we call momentum. How to keep this motivation momentum going?
Adopt the habit of persistency.
Persistent enough to pursue what you want no matter what life throws at you. If you want results: figure out your unique peak motivation. Humans experience peak motivation when working on tasks that are right on the edge of their current abilities. Not too hard. Not too easy. Just right.
Thus, there is a significant link between a motivation to be consistent and the ability to create and finish off tasks you have set for yourself, especially for a whole year.
Remember to put into account your limitations. Time, money, energy, et cetera. Perhaps, this is the time you will then be prepared to have the Sidek brothers or Tan Kim Her as your coach to keep your progress up? Everyone needs a helping hand to improve and achieve the goals they aspire for themselves.
Just as I do to myself, my learners, and clients; always add new goals, but also keep a few great routines and tasks that are guaranteed to satisfy you emotionally and financially. Set just enough goals and record victories to keep you motivated and forgive yourself for that just enough mistakes to learn from and keep you working hard and smart.
To commemorate your 2022, you will have had a few successes in the last twelve months and it is important to acknowledge them. At the same time, you can learn from those things that did not quite go the way you had hoped.
Being grateful for the goodness already in your life makes it possible for you to receive even more.
Celebrating your successes is also a key step in having the confidence to take on new challenges in the New Year.
No matter how the year ended for you, just remember that it has been a great year.
And, you can always make 2023 even better.
SYAZUIN SAZALI is a Subject Matter Expert in soft skills. She aims to continuously advocate for progressive growth in education. Linkedin & Instagram: @syazuinsazali, Email: syazuinsazali@gmail.com
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of Sinar Daily.