Do you ever wake up in the morning, and the last thing you want to do is get out of bed? How about the mornings when you wake up, hop out of bed ready to take on the world? What's the difference? Why is it that some days you are ON fire and some days are just plain OFF? The answer is - Motivation. Motivation is what compels us to set goals, and more importantly - drives us towards them.
I wanted to encourage you today with some top tips for finding (and keeping!) motivation.
Know What You Want - What is the point of motivation if you don't know what you want? Without having a clear vision of exactly what you desire, you won't be able to build up enough motivation to get through the obstacles you are sure to face.
Know Why You Want It - This step is just as important as knowing what you want. Why do you want to reach specific goals? What will it mean to your life? Your “whys” are essential.
Set Goals That Excite You - It's beneficial to set reasonable goals that are easy to reach. I would never suggest stopping that. However, it can also help to set some relatively wild or audacious goals. These goals might seem out of reach right now, but the allure of reaching them in the future might motivate you in the present.
Track and Measure Your Results - Tracking and measuring your progress is key to motivation. When you can actually see your efforts paying off, your motivation will naturally rise. If you don't track and measure, how else will you know if you are making progress?
Reward Yourself - If you are tracking your progress, make sure you reward yourself as well. Rewarding yourself will ensure that you stay motivated. You are more likely to keep plugging away when you can see that reward getting closer and closer.
Use Your Social Circle - Building accountability through your social circle is a great idea. When you have a big goal you want to achieve, let the people in your life know. Besides them potentially helping you along the way, it will also make you more accountable. The funny thing is, we are more likely to let ourselves down than our loved ones.
Fake It - Not feeling motivated or energetic today? Try faking it. This tactic won't work all of the time, but it could help you get through a slow morning or two. Pump yourself up with some music. Chug some coffee. Jump around if you have to. Anything to make yourself feel a bit more energetic.
Take Action - Have you ever sat down to work, and you just couldn't get started? Sometimes all it takes to give your motivation a little boost is to accomplish one simple task. Pick the single, most straightforward thing you can do towards any of your goals and do it. Most likely, this will motivate you to take on the next challenge.
Find Your Inspiration - People get inspired by different things. If you want to maximize your motivation, then you need to figure out what inspires you. Maybe it's a specific type of music. Perhaps it's a view from your house. It could be a motivational speaker or celebrity. Find out what inspires you and schedule some time to immerse yourself in it each day.
Just a reminder too that you don’t need to do ALL of these things! Overwhelm can kill motivation really fast. My encouragement is just to find a few things so that the next time you are facing a day where your motivation is lacking, that you have a tool or two to get you moving again. I hope this helps you!