How to Stay Consistent to Reach Your Goals!

We all have things we want to accomplish- what we want to do, be, and have.

But we also have things we have to do by obligation.

Taking action on these things can sometimes come easy to us, but sometimes, eh.. not so much.

For the things that we want to stay consistent with to achieve success, but don’t always feel inspired to do, I’ve been on a mission of learning..

How to stay persistent with doing the needful while sustaining the motivation and inspiration needed.

The overarching lesson I’ve learned is.. we have to make the process (the efforting) more enjoyable!

Of course, we’ve all heard the saying: “It’s not about the destination, it’s the journey.”

This means that the end reward isn’t the end-all, be-all goal.

The goal is to find pleasure and appreciation in the effort and action of each step along the way.

It’s the journey, my friends :)

Let’s enjoy chewing on this together and talk about actionable things we can do right NOW to learn how to genuinely make our journey more enjoyable!

First, it’s good to know some basics about dopamine - the neuromodulator made in our brains that’s in charge of our focus, drive, perception of time, and our general mood:

• We all have our own baseline level of dopamine coursing through our bloodstream.

• The things we do and how we perceive them can impact dopamine

• When we have a higher level of dopamine, we’re enjoying an experience, have more energy, drive, and motivation, and are excited and maybe even a little anxious at the same time

• When we have low levels of dopamine, we tend to feel more lethargic, unfocused, and unmotivated.

• When we get a spike in dopamine from doing something we enjoy, our level of dopamine goes up and then actually drops below baseline in proportion to how high that previous spike was.
  There’s a balancing act.
  In other words, when we get a direct hit of dopamine from a pleasurable experience (like grabbing a piece of chocolate to eat), it lowers our baseline for pleasure for a bit afterward.

• When we effort just for getting to the reward (the end destination), performing that effort will actually start to feel less enjoyable to us and we’ll have less motivation to continue doing it because we’re essentially disassociating dopamine from the activity and instead only associating it to the reward.
  Remember.. we want to enjoy the journey, not just the destination.

• When and how much dopamine we get creates our experience and perception of time, so if we’re just doing something for the sake of the reward only, we’re extending and prolonging what that block of time feels like which can feel like we’re efforting harder and longer.
  
  

In understanding these few key points about dopamine, we can now look at how we shift our focus off the end result (the destination) and start putting our energy more in the present moment and each step of the way (the journey).

This is how we do it:

1. Find alignment

   Take a moment to visualize your goals and dream life.
   
   This is more than just picturing a “dream life” with lots of money and the body you’ve always wanted.. it’s about how you want to spend your life on this planet🌍
   
   Who you want to be as a person.
   What you want to be doing.
   Where you want to be.
   What you value most in life.
   How you want to give back.
   What’s been calling you..
   
   Step into that vision of your dream life.
   Imagine yourself walking through that life in your day to day.
   What efforts/activities are you doing?
   How are you spending your time?
   Feel the emotions you'd have - peace, satisfaction, security, appreciation..
   And sense all the sensations of what it’s like to be there - textures, temperature, aromas, colors, sounds..
   
   Now.. take a real look at the activities you currently have in front of you.
   
   Invite the decision on whether or not you need to make changes to those activities in accordance to your dream life.
   If you want to, take notes.
   It’s not about trying to make lots of changes, and making them all at once.
   It’s about becoming aware and inviting ideas to come to you on how you can start to implement your dream life NOW!
   
   If life is about enjoying the journey, we need to make sure we’re going in the direction that our souls truly want to go.
   
   As possible, start to weed out or delegate things that don’t actually serve you or the greater good of those around you.
   This not only will help you find deeper meaning in the things you do decide to keep doing, but will make room for more growth and possibilities for your future!
   
   For the things that we can’t weed out or delegate, read on to keep learning how to enjoy them more :)
   
   

2. Learn to find the reward in the effort
   
   

   Now the nitty gritty..
   
   This has a lot to do with utilizing a growth mindset.
   This means acknowledging, encouraging, and enjoying the effort we’re putting into an activity (growth mindset), contrary to just attaining and reveling in the reward or end result (fixed mindset).

   
   For example:
   Praising a child for studying (growth) instead of telling them that they’re smart (fixed).
   Praising for the effort of studying can nurture a growth mindset about having control over what, how, and how much they study to be as successful as they’re willing to effort for.
   On the other hand, just rewarding by telling someone they’re smart can promote the feeling of being either smart or “dumb” and depending on certain circumstances and mindset, make them think that’s just who they are as a person and may always be.

   
   Praising our effort and seeing the reward in the effort itself will allow us to raise our dopamine from doing the activity instead of feeling like we need to have a reward waiting for us at the end - thus disassociating dopamine from the journey, meaning we may not really be getting any enjoyment from what we’re trying to do.
   
   This brings us too self-talk.
   
   

3. Self-talk
   
   

   My favorite tip :)
   
   We have to be our own cheerleaders and nurture our growth mindset.
   
   Telling ourselves that the action and effort we’re putting in is good for us and will be worth it, AND that we’re doing it by our own choice is a profound way of staying motivated to continue with the effort and feel good about doing it.
   
   Effort starts to feel less like a chore and more like another way to appreciate and be proud of yourself. 😇
   
   So next time we’re feeling iffy about working out, for example, let’s give ourselves a pep-talk.
   Do some self-talk motivation to remind yourself how good exercise is for your body, mind, mood, and that it’s up to you to reap those benefits for yourself - no one else can do it for us!
   
   

4. Amp it up!
   
   

   This goes a little beyond self-talk in that it’s more about milking the benefits of doing the effort/activity that further encourages us to continue and appreciate that we’re doing this for ourselves.

   
   This reinforces dopamine amplification, so the more we believe the effort is beneficial the more that will reinforce that it actually is beneficial for us, even at a chemical level.
   
   We can amp it up by reflecting on the benefits and by telling ourselves what we love about doing the thing.
   (We shouldn’t lie to ourselves though.. this should be what we truly do love and enjoy about the activity)

   
   For example, if the activity we’re trying to enjoy more to stay consistent with is exercise, we can amp it up by saying things we love about it that are true like:
   “I love getting outside for a walk in the sunshine and breathing the fresh air.”
   “I like feeling a little sore after a good leg day because I know my muscles are growing!”
   ”It’s so fun to max out and then work to beat my max the next week!
   ”I love seeing and feeling my progress!”
   “I love doing what’s good for my health and seeing positive changes in my body.”
   
   Do you kinda feel like working out now? ;)
   
   

5. Nix bad habits
   
   

   This is a big one.
   
   Ponder for a second, what habits or activities don’t really serve you - that act more like distractions that waste your time and energy..
   
   This could be things like over-checking social media (how many likes did I get!?),
   Eating too many sweets (ice cream.. yum),
   Snacking too often (just a handful..),
   Or maybe excessive shopping (but I deserve it!)
   
   Why do we do them!?
   
   Because it makes us feel good, fast.
   It’s a way to check out, relax, or “reward” ourselves.
   
   Because it spikes our dopamine!
   
   This spike in dopamine can act a bit like a sugar rush, through.
   There’s a high, then a crash.
   
   What bad habits give you an unnecessary sugar rush of dopamine?
   
   When we nix unnecessary dopamine-spiking habits and activities, the dopamine deprivation we get from cutting them out can actually leave room for and amp up our potency to experience dopamine, thus saving our dopamine reserves to be used for enjoying other, healthier, and more productive activities.
   
   Essentially, this helps us reset our reward pathways, rewiring our dopamine from unnecessary and possibly destructive activities to those that are essential and growth-promoting.
   
   

6. Replace with better habits
   
   

   Obviously😋
   
   Again, when we’re replacing bad habits, we’re saving our dopamine reserves for those healthier, more productive activities that we want to enjoy more of and stay consistent with (like exercise, projects, meditation, etc.)
   
   What will you have more time, energy, (and dopamine) for when you cut out those bad habits?
   
   Here’s some examples:
   - Eating unhealthy treats —> Opt for a snack of fruit, veggies, nuts, or a yummy combo
   - Playing video games —> Play with your kids, pets, or plan a fun outing with friends & family
   - Watching TV —> Journal, meditate, or go for a walk
   
   

7. Random deprivation & stimulation
   
   

   One easy way to enjoy an activity more and thus stay more consistent with it is to pair it with something we already like to do.
   
   BUT.. now that we know a little more about dopamine..
   We want to learn to enjoy the efforting so we continue to do the activity we need to do, even if there’s NO OTHER stimulating, dopamine-releasing things going on at the same time.
   
   Basically, we don’t want to become dependent on adding other things to enjoy the sole activity.
   
   Try this example:
   Let’s say you enjoy exercise more when you listen to music or a podcast..
   Wendy Suzuki, an NYU neuroscientist says, “Without music, most people aren’t going to enjoy exercise enough to do it regularly.”

   
   So.. to combat this consistency issue, every once in a while, try exercising without listening to anything and savor the acknowledgment and benefits of putting in the effort without needing that extra stimulation.
   
   Maybe we start finding joy in hearing our footsteps hit the ground when we go for a jog, hear the birds chirping outside, the leaves rustling in the wind, or the rhythm of our breathing.
   
   And of course, we don’t have to quit our favorite combos altogether.
   But by having them together less frequently and indulging in them sporadically, we can heighten the receptors for and perception of dopamine when we do decide to do that combo.
   Again, keeping it random and sporadic.

   
   This way, our tolerance for the combo won’t build up and instead, we keep it interesting by changing it up every now and then!
   
   Here are some of my favorite examples:

   • Meditation
     Adding:
     - listening to my favorite meditation music
     - saging or lighting incense
     - picking a couple crystals that I’m feeling called to
     - pulling an oracle card

   • Journaling
     Adding:
     - sipping on my morning coffee while still listening to my meditation music with the lights still low

   • Morning cleaning routine
     Adding:
     - turning on all the lights (to increase alertness)
     - playing a motivational podcast, youtube video, or dance music
     - dancing around!

   • Workflow
     Adding:
     - pleasant essential oil room spray
     - playing chill focus tunes
     - making a detox water & hot tea

   • Long showers (where I have to also shave.. ugh)
     Adding:
     - keeping the lighting low and romantic
     - bringing in the music speaker
     - singing my heart out ❤️
     
     

8. Accept the challenge
   
   

   Recall how dopamine can act like a sugar rush with the after-crash..

   
   Well, the pathway actually goes both ways.

   
   What’s kind of crazy (and cool) is that by ”crashing” first, or voluntarily doing harder things (I like to say “challenging yourself”), we can actually drive an upswing in dopamine!
   
   This process is called hormesis.

   
   This means we can work to raise our dopamine levels by voluntarily encountering friction of an effort or activity.
   
   Some examples of voluntary friction include:
   - Taking cold showers
   - ”Roughing it” camping
   - Exercise! (Plus.. random fact: Exercise is shown to protect dopamine receptors as we age. Otherwise, they dip about 10% every decade.)
   - Seeing if we can get the task done in less time
   - Finding a more efficient way to do the task that could save time or effort later on
   - Going a little further than our goal (like doing 5 more reps, or running beyond our “finish line”)

   
   By stepping into the friction and essentially the unknown in this way, we raise our dopamine which leads to the release of norepinephrine.
   This means, it gets us excited!
   And when we get excited, our minds become more focused and our bodies become more energized.
   
   Take advantage!
   
   

9. Get into flow state
   
   

   One of my favorite topics recently..
   
   ”Flow occurs when individuals are so absorbed in a task that they lose track of themselves, coinciding with a slow but steady dopamine uptick.” says Rian Doris co-founder of the Flow Research Collective.
   
   Andrew Huberman has also mentioned in one of his podcasts that even if it’s a task we don’t typically enjoy, when we’re fully aware of and focused in the present moment on the task at hand, we tend to actually enjoy that task more.
   
   Rian also says, ”To unlock flow, however, we must leave our comfort zones, involving pain and struggle.”
   
   This part brings us back to “accepting the challenge” or the “friction” of our task.
   Again, when we do this, we get that boost of dopamine and norepinephrine, and then become more energized and focused on the task at hand.
   
   The key here is the focus and presence we have on what we’re doing in the moment.
   
   Another bonus of flow state is that it can feel like losing track of time while performing a task.
   Remember how dopamine controls our perception of time.
   It might feel like only 30 minutes passed by, but you’ve actually put in 2 hours of work.
   How nice!

Now.. before I deep-dived into dopamine and what it means for enjoying the process (of anything) more, I had some other tips that were at the top of my mind..

I still think these are very relevant and easy to implement, so definitely wanted to include them here! 🙂

1. Set the stage
   
   

   Make things easier, more comfortable, and enjoyable for yourself by setting up your environment to work with you and for you.
   
   For example, if you’re goal is to be consistent with eating more fruits and vegetables every day, you can

   • cut up fruits and veggies to store in easily packable containers for on-the-go when you’re running errands.

   • keep leafy greens on hand to throw into breakfast scrambles, buddha bowls, smoothies, stews, pasta.. pretty much anything!

   • treat yourself to a trip to the local farmer’s market with a friend!
     
     

2. Upgrade your experience!
   
   

   With whatever activities you’re wanting to enjoy more, how can you make the experience of doing them even better?
   
   What tools or aspects of your environment will help you do and step into the person you’re wanting to become?
   What will help make the process more efficient and smooth?
   What will make it look, taste, smell, sound, and/or feel better?
   
   Maybe it’s getting new workout shoes that are more supportive, a nice, big water bottle that keeps your water cold, finding a workout buddy, getting an air fryer to easily roast veggies, or redecorating your desk space to make it more aesthetically pleasing. 🌺
   
   Think about what tools and equipment you’re using now to accomplish your goals/tasks and contemplate what you can upgrade that will reduce unnecessary friction and allow smoother sailing and more growth!
   
   This can also be a nice way to reward yourself after making some good progress. 😉

3. Keep playing and exploring!
   
   

   Always.
   
   

   I’ve mentioned “course correcting” before.
   It’s one of my favorite things.
   
   It basically means improving as we go, making the tiny corrections that we need, and not judging ourselves, but being present in the moment and taking mental note of how we’re going to proceed moving forward.
   
   So keep trying new things out!
   
   Things won’t always go or seem perfect.
   If it’s not, it’s just meant to teach us something.
   Win-win, all the time.
   
   If we keep exploring with an open mind, remain curious, and gently strive for improvement, we can be pleasantly surprised along our journey in ways we would never fathom. 🤩
   
   

In summary

To build motivation to do things we need to and want to and keep consistent with it, we need to be able to enjoy the process by learning how to employ a growth mindset to enjoy the efforting itself.

We do that with practice and course correcting.
For example:

• positive self-talk and pep talks during the efforting

• thinking of the benefits and milking it

• staying focused on the task

• being present

• swapping bad habits and guilty pleasures for healthier, more productive alternatives

• accepting the challenge and embracing friction to use to our advantage
  
  

This is how we stick with something for long periods of time and maintain the effort needed to accomplish our desired outcomes!

I hope you enjoyed these tips and I would love to hear if you have any others!

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Stay fli!

References:

• How to Get Healthier Dopamine Highs - https://time.com/6155109/healthier-dopamine-highs

• Controlling Your Dopamine For Motivation, Focus & Satisfaction | Huberman Lab Podcast #39 - https://youtu.be/QmOF0crdyRU