Motivation is a key to your success. But how do you get motivated? How do you tap into your deeper self and engage your inner drive?

Chances are you’ve been holding yourself hostage with your goal, thinking you can’t feel good about yourself, or feel accomplished, until you’ve achieved the goal. No wonder you feel frustrated!

The real secret behind your goal is – it’s not really about the goal! Ask the magic question: What is this going to get for me? As you answer this question, ask this question again. Keep asking the question until you follow your answers to your plan’s higher purpose, or a ‘sense of something.’ You will find that your goal is really about a feeling, the higher purpose of your goal. And here is the secret behind the plan’s higher feeling: you don’t have to wait until you’ve achieved the goal to connect with this feeling. You can have it now!

In order to keep yourself moving forward, connect with the positive feelings you are really looking for, or what you think the goal or plan will bring you. For example, if your higher purpose of the goal (losing weight) is to feel better about you, as you focus on feeling better about you now, you’ll be more inspired to make the healthy choices that nourish and support you. The secret is, we don’t have to do anything to connect with these positive feelings – we can connect with these positive feelings now!

Many of us tend to have negative habits in how we see ourselves. For example, when you look in a mirror, what do you think to yourself? You might notice your imperfections or focus on what you don’t like. You may criticize and belittle yourself, and then expect to be motivated when you just undercut your own efforts. How do you feel when you are criticized? It probably makes you shrink back, feel small and withdrawn. Criticism saps your energy and causes you to feel down or depressed. If you are creating self-resentment through criticism, you are destroying your own motivation.

Now notice the times you were encouraged, supported and appreciated for your efforts. Were you motivated to do more, even excited and enthused? Did you stand a little taller, feel more positive and inspired to reach out beyond your old comfort zone?

As you notice what you are doing well, and appreciate yourself and your body, you will have more fuel for staying on track and motivated. If you want to find more motivation and enthusiasm for the change you are making, focus on the positives. To connect with the positive emotions you are truly looking for, you don’t have to do anything, you can feel them even as quickly as thinking about it!

This is an excerpt from my book, Lighten Up Train your Brain to Lose Weight, see more details here: www.lightenup.me/book