How to Keep Your Motivation Going
“Do you want to know who you are? Don’t ask. Act! Action will delineate and define you.”
~ Thomas Jefferson
Life is a mystery; its challenges, many. What is the essence of motivation in your life? How do you keep yourself going when you begin to droop a bit? Here are some suggestions to keep you fresh and moving forward away from stress, away from indecision, away from lack of decisiveness, away from gloom.
Ways to Keep Your Motivation Going
Find Ways to Smile More
Give smiles to your work associates, your children, your boss, your customers, total strangers, even. You know how good an acknowledging smile means to you, so why not extend that great feeling to others. You’ll end up feeling more motivated.
Focus Without Distractions
You have to clear the deck of all distractions so your focus can be laser pointed and your work filled with the spirit of inspiration. Have a list of #1 Priority and #2 Priority before you begin, so you don’t waste time figuring out what to do after you’re pointed. This way, your day’s work will be optimized by doing the right things from the right sweet spot.
Explore New Ways, New Paths, New Methods
Have you ever danced while washing the dishes? Why not? Have you ever worn black glasses with phony eyebrows and fake noses and looking at kids in school buses as you drive past? You’ll love their astonishment. Don’t let yourself get stuck in a rut. Mix things up into a new order. It helps us stretch and open our creativity. It’s how you nurture your soul and encourage it to grow.
Ask for Assistance
Do you like to help people? They like to help you. So, don’t hesitate to ask for help if you’re weary, puzzled, or out of ideas. It will inject freshness into the idea and you’ll feel loved. It’s a small bit, but an important one.
Know What Motivates You
There’s a lengthy discussion about writing with music playing or writing in silence. I prefer silence and music is distracting while I’m writing. Take a look at what motivates you while you’re working. Moms, can you play music while you’re cleaning house for the peppiness of it? Do you love entering your office and smelling a favorite fragrance? Does your desk face toward the out of doors? Whatever motivates you should be indulged because you’ll become more efficient at your work when you do.
Get Comfortable with Saying “No.”
You never have to offer anyone a reason for your good reason for saying “No” even if they ask you. Practice this one a lot until you get comfortable because you have discovered the world didn’t come screeching to a halt when you said “No.” You can thank them nicely for their offer, or you can provide some other option to solve the situation. “No, I’m not the best one to head that project, but I know Marcia would be great at it and would love the challenge.”
Pace Yourself
You’ve only got 24 hours and your energy – while it can be renewed along the way – should be respected. You can prioritize tasks to coincide with your high-energy points. Mine is in the morning. Take a five-minute walk around the property where you work to get some fresh air and shake the cobwebs out. Your energy will renew itself. Late afternoons are a great time to put this into place.
Maximizing your time and your processes motivates and allows you to keep taking those steps forward, regardless of their size.
