10 coaching questions to stay motivated and achieve your goals

Now and then we all need a gentle push to stay positive and motivated. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with feeling low in energy and uninterested in our goals occasionally but, when this becomes a default state of mind, it’s time to take action.

Here we’re sharing 10 powerful questions used by coaches to encourage their clients to feel more positive, more motivated and excited about their goals again. So, dig out your favourite notebook and pen, stick the kettle on and note down your answers to these:

1. When do you feel happiest in your daily routine?

It’s easy to think happiness only arrives during big life events or special occasions but, in reality, it’s peppered throughout our days in small doses. It takes a keen eye to recognise it but, when you do, you can savour the moment and truly enjoy it.

Think about your current daily routine and when you feel happiest. Is it during your morning coffee? At lunch when you get out for a walk in nature? Or perhaps it’s in the evening when you cosy up with a loved one. Whenever it is, consider how you can savour this moment more or introduce more moments like this into your day.

2. What were your three most positive moments in the past week/month/year?

Our brains have a negativity bias which means they hold on to negative experiences more easily than positive ones. This means we need to be really intentional about remembering the lighter moments in life.

Take some time to think about three positive things that happened in the last week, month and year. Reflecting on this offers a new perspective and can shift you into a more optimistic mindset.

3. Why is it important for you to accomplish your goal?

If you have a goal you’re struggling with right now, come back to basics and ask yourself why it’s important to you. What will change if you accomplish it? What won’t change if you don’t? Reiterating the importance can give you a renewed energy around the goal and inspire you to keep going.

4. How will achieving your goal support others around you?

If you’re still struggling, look at your goal in a different way. We often think about the ways our goals will change our lives but have you ever thought about how they will change other people’s lives? For example, if your goal is to meditate more to help manage stress, think about how those around you will benefit from you being less stressed. Sometimes taking the focus off ourselves in this way can help us feel more committed to our goals.

5. How do you feel you could best motivate yourself?

Motivation is an inside job. Consider how you are motivated and what you could do to motivate yourself right now. In need of some inspiration? Take a look at our article on where to find motivation and accountability.

6. What are some steps you can take towards your goal? What will you do first?

Taking action is what makes a goal a reality. Hopefully, by now you’re feeling more positive and more committed to your goal, so now is the time to think about how you’ll achieve it. What small steps will help you get there? What is one thing you can do today to bring you closer to achieving your goal? Remember, small steps lead to big changes. 

7. What potential barriers are there to you achieving your goal and what will you do if these barriers come up?

It’s important to be realistic when it comes to goals. As much as we would love to believe everything in your life will line up perfectly and you’ll have no problem at all achieving your goals, sometimes… life happens. A bump in the road might come up, something unexpected might derail you.

While you can’t prepare for all eventualities, taking some time to think about potential barriers and, crucially, how you’ll handle them if they do appear can help.

8. Who can you ask to help you along the way?

Remember, it is OK to ask for help. In fact, having the right support system around you can be crucial to your happiness – we were never meant to do this alone. Think about who you have in your life that could support you and consider whether or not you would benefit from hiring a professional, such as a coach. 

9. How can you best support yourself right now?

As well as considering your external support, it’s helpful to think about how you can support yourself. Take a holistic approach here and think about how you’re looking after yourself physically, mentally and spiritually. Self-care, while you work on your goal, is essential for avoiding burnout. 

10. What past experiences can you draw on to help?

Reflecting on past experiences and successes is an easy technique that can help you build confidence. Think about the times in your life where you’ve been challenged and how you came through the other side. Remind yourself of your resilience and move forward knowing you have the strength to pick yourself back up should you need to. 

Learn more about coaching and find a coach to support you in achieving your goals.