Motivation

Get Motivated & Fight Procrastination.

staff2

There are times when we know we want to make a change in our lives but taking that first step toward those changes feels like an enormous leap into the unknown. With most people, it’s not that we don’t know what to do to get started, it’s just getting started at all, that’s the issue. Here are some ideas to help you get past the ’stand-still’ and become motivated to be or do whatever it is you desire in your life.

1. List the Positives. Make a list of all the great things that could come from doing whatever it is you want to do. Try not to limit your imagination when doing this. The more creative you get when listing things that could arise from your actions, the more motivated you will become to get started right now. Also, try to think outside the square when doing this exercise – it could be very likely that by doing whatever it is that you want to do, that in itself could lead to other roads which could take you to places you have only dared to dream about.

2. List the Negatives. Perhaps you are one of those people who benefit from ‘tough love’. It may help if you make a list of all the things that could happen if you don’t do what you want to do. If you’re currently unhappy in your situation, think about how you will feel in 3,6 or 12 months time if you still haven’t done what you want to do. Write it all down. If you get emotional during this exercise that ’s a good sign, because perhaps it will help spring you into action to avoid the miserable fate that could arise from your inaction.

3. Get Inspired. For most careers, jobs, activities, hobbies and desires there is media available to inspire us. Use whatever media is appropriate for your desire to inspire yourself. Some ideas are Books, Websites, Movies, Music, Magazines, Videos or Mentors. Utilize these tools to get your juices flowing and to give yourself the boost to succeed.

4. Research. Whatever it is you desire or are aiming towards, it is very likely that you are not the first person to have ever done or wanted this. Do some research on your desire and see if you can find people, companies or resources of previous success stories. It is almost guaranteed that when you see another person, thing or idea that has succeeded in doing what you want to do, this will boost your confidence and in turn give you that boost of motivation you need.

5. Step Away. Sometimes the best motivation is to step away from the project and do something completely different for a little while. Take a walk, go and have a coffee at a local cafe, or go shopping. It’s possible that by doing something completely different, you open up your mind and new ideas will flow to you. It’s also possible that guilt may start to seep in and you will feel bad for walking away from you project – and can’t wait to get back to it as soon as possible.

6. Create an Inspiration Board. Have a spare notice board, wall in your office or a clean computer desktop? Cram it full of your favourite images, textures, quotes and colours. Spend as much or as little time creating your inspiration board so that it is truly something that ignites a fire in your belly when you look at it and gets those creative juices flowing. If you need to remind yourself of the potential outcomes of your completed project, cram it full of images of the things you would buy or have in your life. If you need to get motivated to write or create something, incorporate your favourite colours, places, people and textures to inspire new ideas. Just make sure whatever you do, it is yours and it inspires and motivates YOU.

7. Just Do It. We have Nike to thank for this short and simple slogan. Sometimes it is as simple as those three words. Stop thinking about it, going too and fro, wallowing, worrying, and stressing about it and JUST DO IT. You might be surprised how fast you can get your momentum going when you stop pussyfooting around and just get started already.

8. Meditate. Sometimes the reason we’re not motivated to do something we know or think we want to is because we’re not entirely clear of our goals or of the potential road we’re on. Returning to stillness and putting our inner voice to rest momentarily is a great tool and can really help us to get back on track and re-discover what it is we really want. Meditation does not have to be something that takes up lots of our time. 10-15 minutes of quiet time is all it takes to centre yourself, breathe and relax. You will feel energised when you’re done and most likely ready to tackle your desires head-on.

9. Exercise. Physical activity, as we all know is very beneficial for our health, however it is also a great way to stimulate your blood flow and circulation which in turn boosts your energy levels. 20 minutes of exercise will most likely give you a physical energy boost which in turn will help you feel as though you’re ready to tackle anything. It will also give you 20 solid minutes before-hand to think about your desires/project and work out exactly what aspect of it you want to tackle first.

10. Do something you hate. We all have those menial jobs we hate. For some it’s doing the dishes, for others it’s doing laundry. The point is, if you force yourself to do something you hate, chances are that you will be promising yourself in your head that you will do anything to get out of what you’re doing now. When it’s done, you’ll be so relieved that you will happily motivated to continue with your desire or project.