I was once dubbed The Tenacious Trainer. I took it as a compliment. Once I have a plan, I stick to it.

Easy for you to say, you are probably thinking, because all you are focusing on is one training regimen. Not quite so easy when you are juggling lots of life's different balls.

All it takes is for one thing to go wrong, and then it seems that everything does. And that''s when you say to yourself, why am I doing this?

Well, I go through that in my everyday life as well. And I have found, by using tenacity and applying my training mentality to everyday problems, I can stay motivated. Finish up the task. Achieve my goals. Here are my five top tips for staying motivated.

 1. In trying to solve difficult problems, make two lists. The worst case scenarios and the best case scenarios. Then, try to live somewhere down the middle. When negative thoughts seem to dominate my thoughts, I find their equivalent positive thoughts. Keeping all these thoughts balanced in my mind, keeps me from giving up. I never see only the worst side of things.

2. Get up with the sun. Sure there are morning people and night people. But the old phrase of early to bed, early to rise, makes a person, well you know the rest. It works. Setting the alarm 6 days out of 7, even when I don''t have to be anywhere, has a psychological effect. It puts a parameter around my thinking: I will get up and achieve something. The first few mornings are the hardest. But you soon realize the early hours are the golden hours.

3. One day at a time. In other words, set realistic goals. In training, you build your body strength up slowly with repeated exercises. You don''t try to get super fit in one day. Apply that to things you want to achieve. Do one thing really well. And then repeat.

4. Give up. ""What?"" you might be saying, ""I thought you telling me how to stay motivated?"" I am. But let me finish the sentence. Give up and come back to it the next day. Sometimes, if you can''t see a solution to a problem, it''s better to set it aside and look at it through fresh eyes later. Then it''ll get done.

5. Count your achievements. That''s right. Take the time to bask in your own glory. Put your feet up. Sit alone for a few moments. Take a bath. Reflect on what you''ve done and think about how you might do it better. Enjoy your success. It'll spur you on to greater things.