It can be easy to get motivated by reading other people’s upbeat stories. Finding out how their successes can inspire you is no-brainer, especially when you’re at the struggling stage. 

So, we go online to find the stories about how others have dealt with that same struggle. It’s a smart idea, right? And why not, because it’s a great way to get back your ‘can do’ attitude when times are difficult.

However, there are times when reading a rags-to-riches story, can lead you down the rabbit hole of comparing yourself to that other person, instead of being inspired by the way they overcame the problem.

You are not them

Being jealous of someone else’s success or beating yourself up for not already having your situation under control does nothing for your motivation. In fact, it makes it much worse.

You start feeling like you might as well give up now because it’s never going to happen. You might even go further the other way. So, trying to find a way to get out of debt turns into creating more. Trying to find a way to lose weight leads to putting on twenty more pounds.

If you are looking for some external motivation to help you get taking action on your goal, try this:

1. Be careful who you turn to – there are gurus of all sorts out there that think they are motivating people, but in reality, they are only good at just tooting their own horns. You don’t need that type of aggravation, so take the time to find someone you really can connect with and look up to.
2. Emulate their behaviors – if it’s some personality, read their blog posts or books, join their Facebook group or whatever they offer. Then, map out the way they found that worked for them. Going back to the previous examples, if you want to get out of debt, find out how they did it and then set up your own debt-free plan. Want to lose weight? Once you’ve found a good, healthy role model, learn how they got started and set up an exercise routine and eating plan similar to theirs.
3. Make it your own – one word of caution should be mentioned here. There’s not only one way to get out of debt or lose weight. You need to start a program that works for you and your particular circumstances. Take their advice and action plan into consideration – there’s no sense in reinventing the wheel. But then, tweak it so that it feels right for you. That will make it so much easier to stay motivated to take action and stick to it.

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See also:

How to think big and succeed
Step up your self-efficacy
How to get organised