Happy 2019. Welcome to a brand new chapter, a new 12 months of possibilities, a new chance to make new year’s resolutions stick. If you’re like most people, motivation and keeping motivated is the biggest obstacle between you and accomplishing your goals. Here are four pro tips to mastering motivation.

Self-Talk Time: You’re Amazing

The first step towards mastering motivation is believing in yourself. You’ll make a false start if you begin a new path defeated. Remember, you are capable, you are strong, you are can do anything you put your mind to. It’s so easy to put limitations on ourselves just because we aren’t confident in our own abilities. The best way to kick start motivation is to believe that you can accomplish your goals.

Write Your Plan

Go old school with pad and pencil, or an app on your phone to organize your thoughts and plan out our goals. Be specific: what do you really want to do and what will you need to check off to accomplish it?

Place this list somewhere you’ll see it, that way you’re constantly reminded and encouraged to stay focused. Pin it up on your bathroom mirror, stick it to your fridge, clip it in your car, or set it as a screen background on your phone, tablet, or laptop. You can even set reminders on your device with encouraging phrases to keep you motivated.

Every time you accomplish a step in the process, check it off, highlight it, or strike through it. This will help you see you’re really making progress and staying motivated. There’s something so satisfying about physically crossing off what you’ve accomplished

It’s Scientific

The science of self-motivation starts in your brain according to a new article published on Ask The Scientists.  Dopamine, the hormone created when you’re happy, after you workout, or once you’ve reached a goal, has recently been linked to having more motivation. The center and front sections of your brain store  high concentrations of dopamine and are where your decision making, planning and motivation skills initiate from. All those skills are essential to goal-digging and scientists are even looking into brain mapping techniques to direct more dopamine to those areas of your brain in order to keep you more motivated.

So, if dopamine is related to motivation, keep those levels up and you’ll feel the difference.

Try, Try Again

Trying something new is often a chain of trial and error, readjust, and try again. Don’t be discouraged if the first path you take towards a goal doesn’t work out. Just refocus, renew your direction, and try a different trail. No one says accomplishing new goals is easy, but it’s worth it.

To stay motivated, try habit stacking where you mix a current habit with a new habit to get you closer to your goals. For example, if you’re looking to get fit and toned, make it a habit to do easy exercises like calf raises, wall pushups, lunges or wall sits in the shower or at your desk. If you’re trying to drink more water, have a glass of water after you drink anything else like your morning coffee, or afternoon green tea. If you’re pushing for a promotion or raise at work, take a ten-minute break each day to get face-time with management where you can show your initiative and foster a relationship with them.

You’re A Goal-Getter

Motivation might seem like an elusive myth, but it really is attainable. Know that you are capable of doing great things and make a plan. Keep your dopamine levels up by working out and doing things that make you happy. Try new paths to accomplish your goals and stay motivated towards a better you.  Think of all the goals you’ll crush this time next month.