Stay Motivated

Congratulations! You have created an action plan that will help you move closer to your vision of the future.

There’s one more key step to take. To succeed in your action plan, you need to stay motivated.

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Plan Your Career

What Motivates You?

Think about a time when you were motivated to do something because it felt good, (inner motivator) or someone said you should, or someone else was doing it (outer motivators).

As you work through your action plan, you may be:

• Letting go of things
• Dealing with confusion
• Adjusting to new situations

All of this can be stressful. When you are under stress, you may resist making changes or procrastinate to avoid acting. Even the best of us can’t always stay focused on completing a goal we have set. That’s where motivators come in.

Fortunately, you have lots of ways to stay motivated.

Try these suggestions

• Reward yourself when you complete the major tasks on your To Do and To Research lists in Step 3 – Identify Your Chosen Occupation Supporting Tasks. Do something positive that you enjoy—see a movie, take in a concert, indulge in an hour of guilt-free gaming.
• Develop a Plan B. If your action plan falls through, a Plan B gives you an alternate route toward your future. If you want to keep your current Take Action results, sign in with a different email address and start again to develop a different way of pursuing your career option.
• Stay in touch with your support system. The friends and family in your network know what you want to achieve. They’ll listen when you need to vent, cheer you on when things get tough, and celebrate your successes.
• Keep your eye on the prize. Check in often with your vision of the future. Refine it, expand it, and remind yourself of the future you’re working toward.
• Find a coach or mentor. Someone who has been in your shoes and knows what you are facing can help you through the rough spots.
• Give yourself credit. Feeling discouraged because you haven’t reached your goal? Think about the tasks you have already completed and give yourself a pat on the back.

What are other things that motivate you? Remember to review and use them from time to time to help you follow through with what you have decided.

Find out more about managing change, and moving from self-defeating to powerful thoughts.

Bumps along the way

Despite all your planning and hard work, a course of action can sometimes create problems you haven’t thought about. Finances, relationships, or other situations can change. For example, your new position does not match the job description. Or your study grant is cut in half. Or your job’s travel requirements cause your fiancée to have second thoughts.

What do you do? Recognize problems when they come up and find helpful ways to deal with them. Check in with mentors and your support system to find solutions that work. When you are taking action, it is wise to continually reflect on where you are. You may decide to return to this website often and ask yourself these questions:

• Am I getting closer to my vision of the future?
• Are my actions aligned with my values?
• Am I doing more of the things that interest me?
• Am I satisfied?

You can always come back to reassess your preferences and update your career plan as you move closer to your vision of the future.

If you still have not developed a career plan you like, keep exploring. Return to each career planning phase as often as you want. Use the tools to learn more about yourself and the many career possibilities that could work for you.