You finally started the new business and you’re set to change the world. The gym is your best friend as you just worked out five days last week.

You were ready to marry the guy that you’ve been dating for 10 minutes because you never met anyone like him before. But something happens before you reach the outcome you wanted. Not only does the excitement wear off, you give up or want to get out.

I get asked all types of questions especially about business and relationships. Everyone wants to build an app, start a new workout routine, get into a new relationship or pursue their passion. I usually suggest a book to read before I give any specific insight. Unfortunately people don’t follow through because they never figure out how to stick with things once the excitement wears off.

Being in a relationship can be cool. It’s great to get support and meet the person you believe will be with you for eternity. In the early aka lust stage, you forget about everything else and get caught believing this feeling will last forever. Then you wake up one day and realize maybe you should of asked a few more questions and paid attention to those red flags before you committed to this person.

“You will never always be motivated

so you must learn to be disciplined.”

-Unknown

You had a dream to create this new product that’s going to make you all this money. You consistently wake up in the middle of the night and prepare yourself to take action. It takes you months to finish the business plan and you spend all of this money on a logo and incorporating the business entity. But a year later, you decide to stop as you start to feel overwhelmed and believe the idea is no longer achievable.  

It’s the new year and you decide that you will go to the gym at least four days a week. It’s important for you to get healthier and shed a few pounds. You get a membership at the local gym and they convince you to get your spouse to join. You can afford $100 per month and this time will be different. However by March, you lost all the desire to work out and now you’re writing letters to the gym to cancel.

It’s tough to follow through on things and be consistent. Here are my 5 tips on how to stay motivated once the initial excitement fades.

1. Discover your why

Why is this your goal? Are you doing it for you or for others? Sometimes we do things based on what ‘think’ we should do. We need to take the time to do our research and discover why it’s our goal. Make a list of the reasons why you want to achieve the goal.

We also allow society to set the direction of our life. But your why must be specific and meaningful to you. And once you feel comfortable why you are doing things, your why will always keep you motivated through the good and bad times.

2. Go slow and build the foundation

Break down the desired outcome into small manageable parts. Don’t go ‘too hard’ too soon and burn yourself out. Don’t take on too much at once. That excitement we feel about anything must be managed. Life comes with a bunch of roadblocks so understanding all of the possible outcomes, can help with managing expectations. If we want things to last a long time, we should be willing to be patient. The things we take the time to build will keep us thrilled.

3. Visualize how things end

You need to understand what it looks like and how it feels to reach the end result. Part of that visualization needs to take into consideration some of the hurdles you will encounter to achieve the end goal. When you know what’s to come, this will provide the fuel you need during those tough days. What you see in the mind will come to reality.

4. Realize the excitement doesn’t last

It’s important to put things in proper perspective. Nothing goes straight up! By being organized and prepared, you will smile even when the situation is dim. Take notes from people whose been there before, read books and surround yourself with people fighting similar battles. They will share their real life experiences and this will help you feel at ease and stay hopeful.

5. Get an Accountability Coach

You are not good at everything, well at least I’m not. You need support and this may require a third party to help you be accountable. It’s hard to rely on family and friends because they’re having a tough time keeping their own stuff together. With a professional in your corner, you will respect them and they will keep you in line to see the big picture and stay on track. When you have another set of eyes on your situation, their insight will help you to remain motivated.