How to Get Motivated
I’ve noticed something about motivated individuals. They usually exude a luck and a positive force in their lives that some long for and dream about. Scraping up motivation is not always easy, especially if you’ve been anything but lucky.
I guess it’s up to an individual to decide if they’ve had enough of negative or neutral. Do you have what it takes to kick it into overdrive and get to a new refreshing and positive place? Motivated individuals are rarely plagued by negative circumstances because they know how to put the pedal to the metal so to speak.
Hear me correctly. Yes, they have negativity. Bad things happen to good people, however, they don’t allow their emotions to chew them up and leave them hopeless.
Whether you’re trying to get motivated or stay motivated, I think you can find some tips below that might help. Anything worth doing is worth doing well so stick with it daily for best results. 
“People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily.”- Zig Ziglar
This little guy to the left is going to inch his way forward, one very little step at a time. The work required of him before transforming into a beautiful butterfly requires a daily effort and patience, like the kind we owe ourselves.
Some days things will move along much easier. Motivation won’t be a struggle. Other days, well, we’ve all been there. So here are some tips for helping turn motivation into a habit.
Motivational Mojo!
- Break bigger jobs up into smaller ones. Spring cleaning does not have to be done in a weekend friend. Bigger more daunting tasks lead to procrastination because we all know how much effort and work is ahead. Break it down into smaller, manageable tasks. You’ll do a better job, and stay motivated enough to keep going.
- Pump up the volume. Have you ever found that upbeat, happy music leads you to do things with a smile on your face? (I know you sing as loud as you can in your car.) Honestly, though, you can more cheerily clean your house or power through a workout with your favorite upbeat tunes on. No Adele or Celine Dion. More like Black Eyed Peas, “I got a feeling”. If you’d like I’ll send you a playlist. Be prepared for the longest list of one-hit wonders ever compiled 😉
- Ask Why? Have you ever notice that someone trying to lose weight is often told to do one of two things? Put their least favorite pic of themselves on the fridge to remind themselves to not mindlessly eat, or pick out their favorite pic of themselves and post it on their closet door or mirror. This is to remind people of why they set a goal and it works in all areas, not just body image. For example, I put a pic of my kids next to my computer to remind myself that writing regularly will eventually free me up to spend more time with them.
- On the flip side, why not? Remember why you set the goal in the first place. Thinking of a nagging boss, low pay, poor benefits, demanding hours, etc, these things were enough to fire up my motivation to keep going. Sometimes if the goal is far away, it’s easier to think about what you don’t want to revert to or what you are trying to get away from. My friend once said, “Driving this dump so I can pay off my credit cards and never get a nasty collector call again makes me want to wash and wax this ole thing“.
Block out your time
Quality over quantity. I have a sweet spot for tasks of about 35 minutes. I learned this especially true in college. If I attempted to work on a paper or thesis longer the quality would slide. Same with cleaning, exercising, or anything productive. Does that mean work at something only 35 mins a day? Of course not, but get up and take a break and then start another block of time. I only allow myself a 5-10 minute break otherwise I lose focus and motivation.
[bctt tweet=”Motivated people do not berate themselves until they throw in the towel completely.” username=””]
Countries in Europe have been proving this to be insanely effective in the workforce. Many big-name companies have scaled back their work week to 32 hours. They are finding that workers are so motivated by the extra time off, their production is far better than when they worked 40 plus hours a week. They also found those who do not skip their vacation to be more productive. Oh, how I wish my former workplace would have caught on.
4 Tips for Motivation
- Forgive yourself. Friends, you are going to have days where you completely blow it. Treat yourself like you would treat your best friend. Pick yourself up, dust off, and keep going. Make a small note to self of why you derailed and then a list of three reasons to fire back up again. Motivated people do not berate themselves until they throw in the towel completely.
- Get going already. A bit of planning can certainly help you to achieve what you want to achieve. A lot of planning and thinking tends to have the opposite effect. Need proof? Read 9 Things I Did Before Starting a Blog. Hesitation and over-planning nearly killed this blog. I was hesitant because I had done so much planning and not enough doing. All the research had me overwhelmed.
- Dale Carnegie offered up this little nugget. “Do your hardest tasks first”. As a day wears on we naturally are less productive. I can already hear you night owls calling me out. Sorry, I too have always been a night owl but it’s true. This is why so many people work out early in the morning. If they don’t, it won’t get done. As the day carries on and you’ve used some of your energy in other places, or have been exposed to other people’s attitudes and energies, you are less likely to tackle your more difficult tasks. Nearly all grade schools have moved core classes to the early morning because kids are emotionally checked out by noon. If that’s the case with all the crazy energy they have can you imagine it for us adults? Just sayin!!
- Finish something. Not finishing things started can leave you in a major negative funk. The stress that piles up from unfinished projects or goals is energy zapping. Stop right now and make a list of a few things that need finishing up before you go starting more. If you do this you may find that you can cross a few off as no longer necessary. Tackle the few that are still important to you and you’ll be motivated to succeed at new goals.
Get Motivated Using Little Things
When my motivation is lacking I have a little routine I go through to try and jump start myself. If you are getting ready to tackle something major, go back and tie off a few loose ends on other things you may have started but not yet finished. The sense of accomplishment will give you a little boost in the right direction.
This can be beneficial even in areas that do not seem connected. A friend of mine kept putting off starting her Beachbody 21-day challenge because she needed that time to reorganize her kitchen, which she was tackling very slowly.
You see, stuff that belonged in her kitchen was piled up in her living room which was the very space she needed for her workouts. I convinced her teenager to pitch in and do half of the kitchen one night while I took her mom out to dinner. When we got back, I helped her with the other half. Job done, in one evening. She had been working on it and using it as a crutch for months.
I then sat down and asked her about wanting to start the 21-day challenge. Why is this important to you? I can see the excitement and spark re-light in her eyes as she thinks about what could be. Mission possible.
xoxo– Deanna
P.S. This article helps me break my blogging tasks up for better management and success. Give it a quick look.