The Simplest Ways to Get and Stay Motivated
Ever feel like you lack motivation when doing basic things, such as working, exercising, getting the house in order? How do you find and keep your motivation for life in general? Are there any easy fixes and what are the best and most simple ways to get yourself motivated and to keep going?
As a part-time freelancer I have to ensure my limited time working from home is being productive and not wasted. It’s easy to get distracted and potter about doing house work instead of responding to client emails and pitching for more work. Plus: that new book we started looks so interesting and another cup of coffee won’t hurt, will it?
Motivation is a temporary fix and we need to work hard to keep up the momentum. It’s easy to lose the mojo that kept us going at the beginning and just give up or start something else, or, even worse, fall back into some old habits. To stop you falling into this trap, here are 7 simple ways to find and keep the motivation in your life, whether you are working from home, need to keep exercising and anything else you want to achieve in your life:
- Get started
Sometimes motivation will let you wait. In that case, you just need to get started and you’ll most likely find that you will keep going until you have finished the task. Take exercise for example: The thought of having to do it may not be appealing but once you have your gym kit and trainers on, you’re on that treadmill or doing that Zoom Yoga class, you just do it and afterwards feel so much better for it. If you can’t find motivation, let it catch up with you.
- Write a to- do list
Writing things down on paper makes them more real, plus you are less likely to forget them. Make sure you keep on top of it but also ensure that you don’t overwhelm yourself by setting unrealistic goals. You’ll be surprised how accomplished you’ll feel when you cross something off and, even better, you have proof how much you have done in a day. This will keep you motivated when working alone or from home, without a team behind you.
- Chunk it
Breaking down mammoth tasks into manageable, smaller sub-tasks will make you feel less overwhelmed at the beginning and will ensure you just keep going. Combine this with a list from tip 2, and tick things off, and you’ll soon be flying through your jobs without finding excuses for not staying on task.
- Be accountable
If you want to do something big but are scared or unmotivated to start it, tell friends and acquaintances what you are about to do, whether that’s via posting on social media or sending them a text. Not only will people get excited for and with you, they will most likely also ask you how things are going with whatever it is you are attempting. The fear of having to tell them you didn’t do something will keep you motivated to work towards your goals.
- Surround yourself with inspiring people
Having people around you who achieve small and big things, who are positive and have a can-do attitude will rub off on you and make you more motivated and determined. People who always tell you what can’t be done and who are defeatist are counterproductive to your mission to stay motivated.
- Compare yourself to yourself only
Everyone is unique in what we do at work, how we work, how we exercise and what we can and can’t do in life. Comparison is a killer for motivation and will most likely deflate you so you won’t want to start in the first place. The best way to stay inspired and motivated is to see how far you have come personally, and compete only with yourself.
- Remember your why
In our busy and now through a pandemic very muddled and chaotic lives we can quickly forget why we do what we set out to achieve and why we should keep going. Visualise your dreams and the end result, the reason you were inspired in the first place and made the first big step. Knowing why you have to keep going will up your motivation and spur you on.
Whether you adopt all of those tips or create a selection of your own – remember that motivation and getting things done will make you feel good and accomplished. Make sure you have breaks and reward yourself; this will keep you motivated with whatever you are doing and make you an inspiration for others.
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