What do you usually do to keep you motivated in accomplishing your goals? What are your tricks to keep you on the right track towards success?
Life has a way of interfering us while we are going after our dreams. It distracts us from pursuing things that really matter and even convinces us that nothing really matters.
It can attract us to adopt a defeatist attitude – lacking on enthusiasm and interest – ultimately sapping out our sense of purpose.
You can drag yourself up the same way you can drag yourself down. It is a choice you have to make every, single day.
There are ways to stay motivated, no matter how you feel about everything around you.
These are not easy, far from that, but are nevertheless very helpful in keeping yourself fired with motivation.
Whenever you are faced with this conflict of choices, bring with you these tiny nuggets of wisdom on motivation.
Develop the attitude of interest.
Find the thing you are most passionate about. The happiest people, they say, are those people who do the things they love the most.
It is not coincidental that they are the most motivated people as well. After all, passion and motivation go hand in hand. They are closely intertwined to create a person who is full of zest about everything.
Nearly every successful people are very passionate about what they do.
Why do you think Lance Armstrong, in spite of having been diagnosed with terminal cancer, went on to win 7 consecutive Tour de France trophies?
It is not only because he refused to give in to life’s cruel joke, but because he is also very passionate about cycling.
We are not saying that it has to take some forceful circumstances in our lives before we find the thing we are most passionate about.
In most cases, this very thing is right at the tip of your nose. You just don’t want to see it, to accept it.
Find the thing that can spark and sustain your enthusiasm.
Then channel all your energies towards that thing. This sparks motivation, productivity, and satisfaction.
But what do you do when you are stuck with things that you are not truly passionate about? In times like this, when passion is lacking and your zeal is at its all-time low, interest will suffice.
Be interested in everything you do, no matter how boring, tedious or nonsensical it may seem. Find meaning in everything. Take the time to be engrossed, to be interested. Otherwise, your life will seem and feel like a living hell.
Having said that, always find reasons to be happy about the things you do, the goals you are pursuing, the dreams you are trying to realize, and the life you are trying to live. Never lose sight of happiness and never let it slip away.
Maintain an elevated level of energy.
The mere act of smiling at yourself can recharge your energy. Having no energy almost always ensure that you won’t feel as motivated as you need.
Always take the time to recharge yourself – sleep, eat, breathe, relax, and rest. Do whatever it takes to always keep your energy high, if not sustained.
Act like it.
Translate positive emotions into actions. If you are not feeling positive about anything, try to act like it. Sometimes, despite the lack of motivation, you can still feel motivated when you deliberately act with enthusiasm.
It all begins with little excuses like ‘I don’t feel good’, ‘I am not that smart’, ‘I don’t have enough faith in myself’. Then you start believing in these things like they are written in stone, then these negative beliefs become a part of your system, a part of who you are.
Don’t give a second’s worth of recognition on these negative self-talks.
Whenever you hear that part of your brain tell you things that can pull you down, shut it out and listen to that less powerful, but oftentimes ignored the voice that says ‘you can!’.
Try to have a little faith – in yourself, in what you can do, and the things you believe in. It doesn’t matter if you fail, everyone goes through that hurtful process. What matters is that every time you do, you bounce back, rebuild yourself, and give the world a better you.
Be very careful when choosing your side.
You can either talk yourself into doing the task or not, which means you can either be a part of the success that one part of your head says you can be or take part in the downfall the other side of your head tries to go to.
Always take that side of your brain that believes in you, that cares about your well-being, and pushes you to be the person you are trying to be.
Try to win the debate with yourself every time. Remember that sometimes, the act of doing something is not really difficult. It’s the few minutes of mental chatter leading up to doing the act.
Hold on to that something that matters to you.
There is nothing more meaningful in life than that something that we dearly hold on to. Some people call it their passion, others call it their cause. What do you call yours?
Cause, passion, or whatever it is that propels your inner drive to accomplish something is a very powerful source of motivation. It never runs dry. It flows so long as you hold on to that thing you care about.
Sometimes, it is what makes people do the impossible in the face of difficulties. And it is that thing that gives them the courage to face and get through the biggest difficulties life throws at them.
Dream big.
Big dreams inspire. It makes people work harder, with even more passion. What would happen to people if they have nothing to shoot for? Nothing.
If there are no Olympic medals and several hundred Olympians to compete against, the champions will never exist.
If Mount Everest is not the highest mountain, there will be no mountaineers and hikers who struggle daily to reach the peak.
If you don’t dream big, you would stay forever in that nook of the world where everything is mediocre, where the sense of achievement is an abstract concept, and where success is all but inexistent.
Compete with yourself.
Competing with others is good, but oftentimes it is a sure-fire way to demotivate yourself because you will start to compare yourself with others each and every time.
Run your own, personal race. How many times have you heard the saying, ‘you are your worst enemy’?
In the end, tease your mind or challenge yourself on how to stay motivated and keep being motivated in doing what you love, in pursuing your dreams and triumph through your struggles.
Download here a free PDF copy of how to stay motivated.
