Getting inspired to start something is very easy to do; the
hard part comes when you need to stay motivated weeks later when the doubt
starts to creep in.
The first object I want to tackle on my road to success is motivation.
This is the most important thing on my list of discontent because without the motivation to keep going I always end up quitting. I set
goals and make to-do lists but I always end up procrastinating and I don’t
follow through. We all are faced with obstacles but it is how we deal with
these obstacles that defines us and sets us apart. Overcoming obstacles
determines who we are and how successful we become.
The biggest obstacle we need to overcome is our emotions.
The feelings of doubt, desperation, fear, and self-pity, all lead to a
debilitating depression that keeps us from reaching our goals. The problem is
that feelings are a fundamental and unavoidable part of being human. How does
one go against human nature? I have been searching the web for tactics and
methods, to overcoming this and get motivated, and I came across a few techniques
that might help stay motivated.
When trying to stay motivated it’s a good idea to try many
things, almost as insurance, so I have listed several ways below:
Get Positive
The number one reason we procrastinate is
because were in a bad mood. So essentially if we do things to make us happy we
can increase our productivity. A good example I came across is with the
military. What do they teach the recruits to mentally toughen them up?
Optimism. So the key is to find ways to become positive and increase optimism.
Building a positive attitude can happen many ways. Here are some examples:
-
Try listing the positive outcomes to achieving
the task. Think about what you need to accomplish and visualize the benefits of
accomplishing them. When you can list a few, try writing them down so you can
come back to them when you need a reminder.
-
Try to think about the part of the task that you
enjoy the most. Think about how you felt when you first came up with the idea.
Chances are you were inspired because it sounded like a fun idea. So when doing
the mundane parts, try to visualize the reason for embarking on this task.
-
Don’t compare yourself to others. You might come
up with an idea you thought was awesome, but then you see someone else doing it
and they seem to be doing it way better. You are a unique person and just
because someone else is doing something similar doesn’t mean you will be the
same. When doing your task try to ignore others and put your own personality
and twist into it. Coke and Pepsi are practically the same thing but when you
drink them you can still taste the difference. Or maybe not, but you get what I’m
saying. Just because someone is awesome at doing something doesn’t mean there
isn’t room for improvement. Believe that you are more than enough.
-
Smile. Smiling is proven to keep you happier
when you are down. It‘s almost as if it’s a trigger to release endorphins.
Smiling is infectious and if people see you smiling chances are they will start
smiling too.
Reward Yourself
I know this reeks of how a dog gets
rewarded with treats when they perform a trick but who cares. We respond to
rewards. Rewards feel good. There is no reason why you should sit around
waiting for someone else to reward you with a pat on the back, do it yourself.
Have a drink to your success. A good way to do this is to set attainable
milestones and add a reward for when you reach it. Ways to do this can be:
-
Take yourself out to eat
-
Do a victory dance to your favorite song
-
Take a field trip
-
Retail therapy (not a huge shopping spree)
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Buy yourself flowers/chocolates
-
A night on the town
These rewards don’t have to be
expensive or major but you know what you want and what you are willing to work
for.
Peer Pressure
When you think of peer pressure you might
think of teenagers being pressured to do something they are reluctant to do.
But peer pressure can be a good thing if implemented properly. Putting yourself
in a position where you feel pressured to succeed is using a negative to create
a positive. Ways to create positive peer pressure:
-
Surround yourself with people you want to be or
people that inspire you. This makes succeeding much easier. It almost becomes a
competition to complete the task.
-
Announce your task to other people. Announcing
to your friends and family on social media will put you in a position to where
you don’t want to look like a liar if you don’t follow through. The need to
prove yourself and impress kicks in and you are propelled forward. Plus if they
know what you have planned they might give you words of encouragement.
Physically feeling good
It is hard to get motivated when you
feel dirty and tired. Try doing the simple things to yourself that put you in a
good mood.
-
Try taking a shower and brushing your teeth
-
Get some caffeine by starting a pot of coffee or
put a tea kettle on the stove
-
Eat something, preferably healthy to give you a
boost
-
Try taking a brisk walk to get the blood flowing
Avoid Procrastination
Turn off all methods of
procrastination like Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, other social media sites,
and the TV. Lock yourself in a room and sit yourself down with the mindset of
getting your work done. Another way to avoid this is the reserve this block of
time beforehand. If you schedule yourself from 8-10 to work on your task and
nothing else it will help you get into the frame of mind to work and not play. Maybe
figure out the time of day when you are most focused and productive and
schedule your tasks then.
Motivational Art
-
Try finding a motivational picture or quote and
stick it on the wall next to your workspace. Have something plainly visible to
refer to when you need motivation.
-
Another thing you can do is to play your
favorite music. Listening to enjoyable music tends to amp us up and put us in a
mood to do something.
-
Sometimes tweaking the fung shui in your
workspace helps. Maybe paint your office
a loud color or posting pictures all over the walls to put yourself in a good
mood.
-
Maybe create a motivational video to watch
whenever you need to remind yourself you can do it.
These are a
few of the countless ways someone can get motivated and inspired to do
something. Maybe some of these will work for you and that’s great, but for
those who need something more you need to think of the moments in your day that
you are really productive and analyse what you did to become productive.
If you have experienced this before and figured out a way to
combat it feel free to add to the list by commenting below.
