I recently stumbled across a simple great article at “the Modern Zen Life” which talked about setting goals for success, and how successful people set goals. It really doesn’t matter what the goals are – the most important thing is really to set the goal and then plan for success.

What’s powerful about this method is rather obvious. Setting a goal is a starting point. Keeping focused on that goal takes a good mindset. And it is often one of the toughest things to do.

Now, when it comes to saving on home energy, a lot of us feel rather powerless, right? I mean, there’s only so much we can do. We can’t easily replace windows, buffer our home with more insulation, or replace our hvac system (like a furnace or AC). But…let’s think about the problem another way, shall we? Let’s think of a different “goal”. Something that is quantifiable.

So, let’s see. Instead of “saving energy at home”, let’s say we want to reduce the number of times the AC turns on. Because we know the number of times the AC is on has a direct correlation with energy usage. What steps can you take to reduce the number of times the AC is on? You could

• adjust the thermostat
• avoid heat generating activities
• unplug unused appliances
• keep lights off
• keep curtains or shades drawn

If we take the article’s suggestion and define our goal then perhaps write down the goal on an index card, we might be more apt to remember to take action.

The article also mentions momentum. Once you start, the idea is, that it is harder to stop. I think there is some truth to that.

The real trick is getting started. And keeping motivated.

How do you keep motivated?