7 Ways to Find Motivation

Okay, we’re a few months into 2018 (but, doesn’t it feel like the year should be over already sometimes?!) It’s time for tips and a pep talk.

Think back to a few months ago. Eager to be going into the new year, you set some goals. What were they? Are you still working on them? Did you hit a wall and give up? Did you surpass them and are well your way to more greatness?

Whatever the status of your goals and your progress, now is the perfect time to recenter your intentions and make sure that you are on track. Taking the time to recenter on your goals and analyze the reasons you may have fallen off track can help recharge your motivation as you launch into the month.

Let’s start of with breaking down the goals you set for 2018 and pinpointing what roadblocks you hit that may have caused you to fall off. Take a minute down to think about it.

Think: 3 . . . . . . 2 . . . . . . 1 . . . . . . .

Great! Now that you have your 2018 goals at the forefront of your mind, let’s talk about some simple steps to get back on track. The goals and roadblocks you thought about above were most likely the large, higher level goals you set out for the whole year. What about the smaller goals that build up to those larger goals? What are some of the steps you need to take to get to that goal? Take another minute now to think about them.

Think: 3 . . . . . . 2 . . . . . . 1 . . . . . . .

Fantastic. You know exactly what steps you need to take to reach your 2018 goals. Here are some tips to get going on these steps and reach your goals!

1 | If it can be done in 5 minutes, do it now.
Having more things on your to-do list causes more stress, more anxiety, and more distraction. If you are looking over your to-do list for the day and a task can be accomplished in less than 5 minutes (i.e. sending an email or scheduling a social media post), do it now. Scratching that item off your list will make you feel better for getting something done and prevents distractions as you work on the harder and more time intensive tasks.

2 | Trick your brain into productivity.
It is proven that if you stop yourself from slouching or slap on a smile when you may be frustrated, you can trick your mind into a stronger focus. Fake it ‘til ya make it! By adjusting and remaining at least slightly cognizant of your physiology, you can make a big difference on your psychology.

3 | Plan, Plan, Plan.
By planning your day out the night before, you can go to bed with your intentions for the day clear. When you wake up in the morning, you will instantly be more motivated and calm for what’s ahead because you have strategically set up your day prior to your alarm going off. This will also help you to get better sleep, because you can get all your thoughts out onto paper and organized in a constructive way for a good night’s rest. If you want more information on the impact of nightly planning and intentional morning, read The Miracle Morning by Hal Elron – it’ll change your life.

4 | ROCK ON.
Playing music that you enjoy will help you focus and will also lift your spirits. When focusing on your work while energizing yourself with stimulating music, you can synergize your work and even take a dance party break when you mentally need to relax, which leads to our next step . . .

5 | Don’t Force It!
Motivation doesn’t last for ever. If you expect it to, burnout will happen. Overworking yourself will not lead to your best work and will delay you from reaching your goals. Work hard, rest hard. It’s important to give your mind some moments of rest in order to recharge and get back on the motivation train. At the very least, take 10 minutes to do a short meditation and let your brain unwind so that you can really focus on the next big task ahead.

6 | Rethink your systems.
Is there one place where you find yourself continuously discouraged or stumped in your working process? If so, it would be ideal to take some time and re-strategize how you tackle that task or restructuring your system overall so that you stop degrading your motivation.

7 | CELEBRATE!
There are big wins and small wins, but all wins should be celebrated! When you take a moment to really appreciate your work no matter how big or small the accomplishment, you will be motivated to accomplish more! There needs to be more celebration in this world for all the things that people do. Be that change for yourself and your work!

Which of these tips are you most interested in trying? Are you going to implement them this week or month? Share below!

If you need a little extra help getting started, managing your stress, and getting focused, definitely check out my Manage Your Stress workbook here.