In todays episode of Join Up Dots we look at Motivation and how to keep it, after a recent listener asked "David how do you keep motivated? I have many business failures which i started and then stopped. I just lose the motivation to keep going. Do you have any tips. Well here is what we consider are the best ways to keep yourself motivated, when the motivation is starting to depart. 1: Remind yourself of your goals. Usually before devoting time to any specific endeavor, we tend to make short- and long-term goals. Remember to keep your goals realistic, that way you wont be disheartened if you don't reach them. That doesn't mean you can't push and challenge yourself though, if you don't challenge yourself, then it's not really a goal. If you start to lose sight of your goals, then you may be less motivated than if you were always checking to see how much closer you are getting throughout the whole process. Keeping track of your goals and checking your progress can help keep you motivated day in and day out. 2: Make weekly checkpoints to track your progress. Everyone needs to see how they are keeping up with their goals if they want to stay motivated. If you see that you are on track or even excelling every time you check your progress, you will be motivated and happy that you are getting there. If you see that you are lagging on your goals, it may be the kick start you need to help get you back on track. 3: Make sure to reward yourself every time you achieve your weekly goals. This could be as simple as a bowl of ice cream after a long, hard week of working out or as rewarding as a trip to the spa for all your hard work. Whatever rewards will keep you going are the ones you should be giving yourself. 4: Give yourself breaks. Sometimes even the most determined people get overwhelmed. You may be burning yourself out, and a much-needed break might be just what you need. If it is a fitness goal, maybe take a three- or four-day rest instead of your normal one- or two-day rest. If it is at school, don't try to do all your work in one sitting, but stretch it out over the course of the day or week, if possible. 5: Don't be too hard on yourself. Everyone falls short sometimes. If you fail to meet your goals for the week, take it as a lesson. Try to complete your next target before time, so that you can use the saved time to complete the pending work. This way you stay right on schedule even if you have taken a hit. It's not always about how hard you hit, but how well you can take a hard hit and keep moving on. Don't dwell on failure; just accept it as a human occurrence, and continue working towards your goals. 6:Watch and read motivational stories or speeches. Everyone deserves a great pep talk every once in a while. Stay elevated by watching YouTube videos of inspirational moments so you can suddenly feel a new sense of motivation to keep striving. Here are just a few example of easily-found inspirational media: Mary Schmich's famous "Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)" speech. Almost any Hollywood sports movie. Much rap music - "rags to riches" is a common lyrical theme. Historical stories of bravery or courage (see: Jack Churchill, Audie Murphy, etc.)