People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily.
-Zig Ziglar
Achieving goals is not a matter of possibility, it’s a matter of
motivating yourself to focus on the right things. You know you should
be doing something, but sometimes you just don’t feel like doing
anything. This stagnation can last a long time if you don’t head it off
and take action.
Here are some daily motivation tricks that work for many people:
1. Get started!
This is by far the most important tip in this article, because in the
end, all of the other tips in the world won’t make as much of a
difference as this simple and timeless instruction: Sit down and start!
Do you feel the push-back of laziness? There’s no better way to
overcome it than to just start. Reading more about motivation won’t
help. Reviewing your to-do lists won’t help. Only doing actually helps
get the momentum going. And the only way to do something is to just
start.
So stop thinking about how hard the task is going to be or how long
it’s going to take you. Just get started! Not starting is failing.
Start telling yourself, “As soon as I start working, I’ll feel more
motivated.” Because once you start, you’ll realize it’s not nearly as
hard as you thought it would be. Read Getting Things Done
.
.2. Find and use your positive voice.
As Henry Ford once said, “Whether you think you can or think you
can’t, you’re right.” Be aware of your self-talk and stay positive.
Positive thinking can be amazingly powerful.
You have the choice to replace negative self-talk with a more encouraging and friendly voice. A voice that will consider your goal as not just a possibility, but a
probability. A voice that does not look externally for validation
before taking action, but rather uses self-belief as its driving force.
A voice that realizes that any person who has ever achieved greatness
had to do so against similar odds, and that all things are possible to
those who commit to their vision.
Tell yourself over and over again that you can do it. Try saying, “I
want to go to the gym,” “I am going to nail this presentation,” “I am
going to have a great day,” etc. See what effect it has. Persist with
this kind of positivity and eventually you’ll feel better about whatever
it is you want to get done, and you’ll even start to fool your
unconscious into believing it’s true.
3. Spend time with people who inspire you.
What better way to recharge yourself for improvement than spending
time with someone who inspires you. They are smart, driven and motivate
you to be better. Study their qualities. Study their habits.
Surround yourself with them, talk to them, learn from them; they are
already living and producing results at a level you admire and aspire
to. Compare stories, successes and failures. Let their inner light
guide you.
4. Start a friendly competition.
You can really raise your motivation with some friendly competition.
We are all competitive in nature, take advantage of this by using it to
fuel your motivation. Find a co-worker or friend with similar goals
and turn it into a competition or game. The key is to find a way to
make it fun. This will make the task or project seem less like work and
more like play; and it will also encourage you to avoid defeat.
While you’re at it, mutually support each other toward your goals.
Staying motivated on your own can be tough. A partner in crime always
helps
5. Think about how far you have come.
You have made so much progress, you just don’t realize it. Open your
eyes and give yourself credit for all that you have accomplished.
Think about it. Write down your past successes. Consider using a
journal to keep track of them. You’ll probably be pleasantly surprised
when you review your results. It’s a great motivator to see how much
you have improved and how far you have come. You felt at the top of
your game before and you can do it again.
And don’t forget to be patient. The problem with many of us is that
we expect quick results. Think long term. If you want to run a
marathon, you won’t be able to do it overnight. If you don’t see the
results you want, don’t give up, give it time. Think of your goal as a
long-term journey, and your slump is just a little bump in the road. In
the mean time, be happy with your progress. Read The Magic of Thinking Big
.
.6. Embrace failure as a positive learning experience.
Ask yourself: What have I learned from this? As Michael Jordan once said:
“I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300
games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and
missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is
why I succeed.”
Do not judge failed attempts and mistakes as an indication of your
future potential, but as part of the growth process. Something does not
have to end well for it to have been one of the most valuable
experiences of a lifetime. When times get tough, take a deep breath,
and know that most great things come when you least expect it. Being
defeated is a temporary condition; giving up is what makes it
permanent. And most people that gave up didn’t realize how close they were to success. Push through!
7. Review, refine and breakdown your goals.
Set and pursue S.M.A.R.T. goals. These goals must be Specific,
Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely. And don’t be afraid to
set big S.M.A.R.T. goals either. Establish goals that inspire you even
if they seem slightly out of reach at the moment. If you set goals that
are too easy to achieve, you likely achieve far less than you are
capable of. As Les Brown said, “Shoot for the moon, and if you miss you
will still be standing among the stars.”
Break down your big S.M.A.R.T. goals into realistic, high impact
tasks that you can track. The thought of accomplishing a huge task can
be overwhelming. Try taking small bites at a time. Break down your
large tasks into mini goals. Daily actions will yield greater benefits
than biting off more than you can handle. When you start to see your
progress you’ll feel more alert and ready to tackle the next step.
For example, if you want to change careers, that goal may be driven
by several smaller goals like going back to school, improving your
networking skills, updating your resume or getting a new certification;
and each of these smaller goals is then supported by even more granular
sub-goals and associated daily tasks. And it is these small daily tasks
that, over time, drive and motivate larger achievement.
Also, make sure your goals are truly YOURS, and in line with your
values. If you’re striving for someone else’s goals you are never going
to be motivated to pursue them.
8. Let the whole world know what you’re up to.
When you’re trying to do something you’ve never done before, it can
take a lot of concentration and effort, and life can get lonely pretty
quickly. To keep your motivation thriving, it’s important to let others
know what you’re up to. Don’t be shy! Announce to the world that you
are going to achieve a certain goal by a certain date.
Trap yourself. None of us want to look bad in front of friends,
family and co-workers. If you’ve made a commitment to all of them, then
the shame of saying you didn’t try will outweigh the effort of doing
it. Hold yourself accountable, don’t just commit once, but commit to
giving progress updates to everyone at least once a week.
9. Visualize your successful outcome in great detail.
Before we do anything our minds start seeing pictures of how
everything might turn out. Close your eyes and visualize how great the
events will unfold – see yourself smiling,
hear yourself being positive and feel how great you will feel doing the
task, leading the project, playing the game, attending the meeting.
Form as clear a mental picture as possible. Do this every morning for
at least five minutes. This is a surprisingly effective technique that
will raise your motivation and enthusiasm, and get you into the right
mood before you begin working each day.
Another great visualization / motivation technique is to post
physical reminders all around you. Post a picture of your goal in a
place you’ll see every day. Set it as your desktop wallpaper, or post
it on your wall, refrigerator or bathroom mirror. The idea is to keep
your mind focused on end result and keep your excitement going.
10. Spend some time every day working on a passion.
There are some things in life that you just have to do, even if you
aren’t passionate about it – cleaning the house, paying bills, finishing
that task for your boss, etc. But the dilemma of doing these things is
greatly reduced if you spend a decent amount of time each day working
on something you love – something you’re truly passionate about.
Because subconsciously you know that regardless of what you’re doing,
your passion is still part of your day. Read The How of Happiness
.
.
So make time to focus on doing something you really want to do. Take
an hour break and work on something that’s meaningful to you. Engage
yourself in a meaningful personal project, or pull the trigger on
starting something you’ve wanted to do for a long time, but haven’t yet
had the resolve to do. Do so, and your motivation and happiness will
skyrocket.
