When we celebrate the New Year, we set goals, resolutions or ideas about what we want to accomplish in the coming year. However, keeping these plans is difficult. Especially if we are not sure how to keep ourselves motivated. So this year as well as using SMART goal setting I thought about what helped me to stay motivated.
While I was listening to a podcast the question was posed; “what keeps you motivated? Are you motivated by rewards or by challenges?” This is an excellent question. If I want to achieve my goals, I need to know what will help me to stay on track. I can write SMART goals because I have been doing it for years. However, achieving my goals is another thing. This made me realize I was missing the one thing that I always seem to lack. A motivational tool.
I realized that I am not motivated by rewards. This may have something to do with my feeling of unworthiness (that is a topic for another blog.) I do like a good challenge. In fact, that what got me to jogging the first time was the goal of finishing the Disney Princess 5k. I love a good challenge. I just need to find the right one that keeps my interest. The challenge need to motivate me, be interesting to achieve. That is what motivates me.
Not everyone wants to step up to a challenge. Some people work better with small steps, small rewards. Then when you reach, the ultimate goal there is a bigger reward. It needs to be something that would excite you. A vacation, a day at the spa, or something else that you would enjoy that is big.
When focusing on sleep and learning to use you CPAP this can be difficult as it is not necessarily something you want to use. However, the focus of the goals should be on your health. The need to use the PAP device and to find improvement in your health.
New users may find it difficult and will need to set those short term and long term goals using rewards or challenges. You may need to start with wearing your PAP for 30 minutes and build up to 60 minutes. That is worth a reward. Of the challenge of watching an hour of television before taking off the mask. This is a great way to get used to it and push forward to wearing your PAP all night.
Sometimes it takes time to get used to it. You just need to learn your motivation and then move forward with your use.
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