Get Motivated Stay Motivated

While there are many great and even simple techniques that can empower you to live with the motivation of a champion, when it comes down to it, staying motivated can be much simpler than you`ve ever guessed.

Take a look at highly driven yet happy people – what do they have in common? How do they manage to keep going in the face of one problem after another and still enjoy the challenge? So many of them are happy and clearly enjoying themselves. Can we all copy whatever it is they are doing?

Yes, we can copy one essential outlook that happily driven people share. In a nutshell we simply need to decide what is the important positive difference we make in the world. There is tremendous power in dedicating ourselves to a purpose that is meaningful for us. It gives us a good feeling about getting up in the morning, it keeps us on track all day long and at the end of each day we can enjoy the satisfaction of knowing we made a difference for others and for ourself during the day.

Purpose is all about how you live your life and it goes far beyond achieving goals. It goes beyond your occupation. There will always be more goals to aim for and there will always be activities and events to prepare for and deal with. Purpose is the theme song for your life. Its what really matters deeply to you. Its the playing field on which the games of work and play take place.

Let`s look at a few examples of meaningful purpose in specific situations…

- telephone engineer: keeping people in touch with each other

- convenience store employee: saving people time and aggravation

- friendly neighbour: the glue that keeps the community together

How to discover your purpose in life

Take a piece of paper and just write as quickly as you can the answer to the question – what is the purpose of my life? Then put your scribbled thoughts away. The next day read what you wrote and you`ll notice a few ideas really stand out for you. Some ideas move you emotionally. Look for a common theme e.g. justice, teaching, leading, supporting. Then, notice which quality describes what you have been about so far in your life. If nothing stands out right away keep asking the question: what is my purpose? Do so again and again over the next few days when you have time to reflect. The answer will pop up if you persist.

You`ll already be living your purpose in life but may not have noticed it. Pay attention to those strong feelings about what really matters and you will see that whatever has been a dominant theme in your life is in fact your purpose.

Your purpose gives you energy and inspiration. It matters deeply to you and gives you a very important reason to make your life count. Once you become consciously aware of this purpose you`ll see how it is behind everything you do, everything you say and its intrinsic to your true nature.

What`s great about knowing your purpose is that you can now turnaround all those activities you are unmotivated to do. All you do is decide to make being in alignment with your purpose more important than any dislike you have for a particular activity.

Let`s say you hate your job but your purpose is being a great parent. Keep your focus on how that job facilitates your purpose and you`ll be more energetic and positive about work because it enables your purpose to be fulfilled. This will completely change your attitude about work so it will never again be such a source of dissatisfaction for you. And, in time, your new more positive attitude could lead to better career opportunities.

Consider another routine chore you dislike doing and procrastinate on until the job gets bigger and more daunting. Let`s say you always put off the yard work until the grass is so high you don`t know where the dog is! Again, put your attention on your purpose for a moment. Let`s say your purpose is to create a happy and relaxed family life. Well, feeling why that matters so much to you is enough to get you started on clearing the yard and clearing the air when it comes to completing the chores you agreed to finish.

You can have a purpose in life and also a purpose at work, a purpose at home and so on. Your purpose in life is the big one that covers every aspect of your life. If you find it useful go ahead and get clear about your purpose in specific parts of your life but be careful about making this more complicated than it needs to be.

Lasting motivation is simple when you stay in touch with what matters most to you in life.

Simple tips anyone can use to exercise and stay fit even if you live a busy life.

In the process of reaching for your goals, a lot of things may happen. Not only difficulties, excitements or failures but boredom as well.  There may be a time when you feel that the things you do has become a routine.  This might lose your interest in achieving your goals.  You might even think of quitting since you may feel like nothing good is happening.  But actually, it is just part of achieving your goals.  Everyone goes passes on a different roads to success and only those who continue to move their feet forward can reach their destination.  If you keep on turning roads, you will never reach your goals, instead you’ll be on that same level at different roads.

One of the secrets to Goal Setting and Success is enthusiasm.  It is something infectious that the people around you will get infected and the enthusiasm will spread around you.  The sense of passion will be among you.  Being enthusiastic and having enthusiasm differ entirely.  It is good to be enthusiastic but having enthusiasm is better.  To love what you’re doing will be easier if you put enthusiasm on it. We know how important it is to love what we do in order for us to succeed in our goals or dreams in life.  But as explained above, a lot of things may happen.  To bring back your interest for your goals, have enthusiasm on what you do.

Enthusiasm, when properly applied, can get you to success or achievement of your goals.  Enthusiasm can keep you motivated with your work and continue walking to the path of your goals.  What we need sometimes is a little push to keep ourselves going. If we put enthusiasm on it, and somehow influence those around us, we’ll be more eager to do our jobs.

As a leader of an organization or company, you are somehow bound to motivate your people. A motivated person works harder and puts dedication and love towards his work.  Motivating them will also help in building a strong relationship with them.  It is a fact that having a good relationship with them helps in improving your company’s performance and success. Motivating your workforce will result to a more productive and successful team.  So how do you motivate your team?  Here are some helpful guide on how to motivate them:

• Most people feel motivated when they know that they are making a contribution in the progress and success of the company.
• Being heard is one of the things that is most important for a person.  Effective communication means listening to them – to their ideas, opinions, needs, etc.
• Acknowledging you people and the things that they have done for the company will help them feel important and most especially a part of the company.
• Helping them develop their skills will surely be appreciated by them.  Developing their skill will help them improve themselves and be motivated to work and use these new skills.

If your people are not motivated to work, it is a loss to the company. It will result to low production rate, a not-so-good atmosphere, and a negative energy within the company.  Some mistakes that leaders make is to assume what their people needs or overlook some important thing such as motivating them.  People or the workforce is a company’s most treasured assets.  They can either help the company succeed or they can destroy it. True motivation is not an occasional matter but is part of our life.

During the American Civil War, President Lincoln had trouble with General McClellan. He was a great organizer, but indecisive. Fear of making the wrong decision can lead you to make no decisions.

Or, as a wise old saying says: he (or she) who deliberates fully before taking a step, will spend all their life on one foot.

Here are some steps to help you deal with worries about making mistakes:

1. Accepting failure

One of the old movie moguls was once asked the secret of his success. He replied:

‘I was right fifty percent of the time’.

The message is simple: no-one is perfect, so don’t worry about making mistakes; you’re going to make them.

2. Be prepared

That’s the motto of the Boy Scouts and it applies in nearly every aspect of your life. The better prepared you are in whatever field of endeavor you are embarking, the less chance of a mistake.

So, if you’re building a swing set, read the instructions and get all the necessary tools. If you’re going on a job interview, get directions to the location, and leave early enough to get there on time.

3. Plan ahead

This has to do with scheduling. Whether you are painting a house, writing a report about the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan or taking your daughter to fencing class you have to set things up ahead of time.

How much time do you need to adequately complete the task? You can’t write a fifteen page report in a few hours. If you try to do so, you’ll fail.

Do you need some special equipment or materials to complete the job? Can you get it easily, or do you have to order it? Failure to plan ahead can lead to failure as surely as self-doubt.

4. Relative importance

As stated above, you will make mistakes in your life: they’re impossible to avoid. So, you have to learn to ask yourself just how important the issue is.

Often, the easy thing to ask is: in twenty years, will I look back and remember this issue? If not, then don’t let the fear of mistake rule your decision-making process.

5. Limitations

This is a delicate balancing act. On the one hand, you need to know your limitations and not try to take on more than you can handle. That will most certainly lead to failure.

Yet, on the other hand, unless you try to move beyond the realm of the possible into the impossible, you will never know what you can achieve.

This can mean dealing with failure, but that can also be a step forward; as the next point illustrates.

6. Take a tip from Thomas Edison

This is the man credited with creating much of the 20th century technology . Yet, he dealt with failure constantly.

When asked how he could do that and still find the strength and determination to go on, Edison just smiled.

The incandescent light bulb took hundreds of experiments to perfect. His attitude about each failure? Each experiment was merely one more he didn’t have to do again.

This is reflected in the Billy Joel song, ‘Second Wind’. In it, Joel says that you learn more from your mistakes than anything else in your life.

7. Avoiding risk

Making mistakes is one thing, taking genuine chances with personal safety – whether yours or someone else’s is quite another thing. Always be mindful of any risks connected with what you do.

Skydiving can be exciting and fun, but review the above points and be sure you’re ready to take such a chance.

Some people say that a hero is nothing more than a person who does what he knows is right, in spite of his/her own fears and self-doubts.

Be striving to make use of the tips outlined here, you can be the hero of your own endeavors.

So many times we are pestered by a lack of confidence in the things that we can do, hindering us from moving forward and accomplishing our goals.

Those feelings may come from things like losing your job, settling into your routine or simply boredom.

Other times, distractions and just a general feeling of complacency pushes us into a place of laziness, keeping us from doing our best and performing at our most effective.

Never fear! There are ways of countering that lull in energy and lack of confidence. Some of them may be easy to do while others may seem like they are a little bit more difficult to achieve. But they’re worth a shot, especially when you’re stuck in a rut.

1. Get out of bed, or the couch, or the house….you get the picture!

When we are unmotivated, it’s very easy to just stay home, under the covers, or on the couch…you name it. All the more reason, then, to get off your behind and move.

Go for a walk.

Get in your car and go for a drive.

Go visit friends, or buy some flowers, or go pay some bills.

Anything to get you out of the house and absorbing some sunshine.

2. Run errands

Face it: the electric bill isn’t going to pay itself. The packages you need to mail won’t hop to the post office on command. Your groceries won’t magically arrive at your doorstep.

Running some errands will not only get you moving, but it will inject in you a real sense of urgency and need.

If you don’t get these things done now, you’ll have to do them eventually. So why not do them now, when you need some motivation anyway?

3. Keep a positive things journal

Create a journal in which every day, you make a list of ten things that you are good at, things that inspire you (people, places or things: anything that inspires you), things that you see yourself doing in ten years, ten months, ten days, ten hours, even ten minutes!

The idea is to create a positive flow of thoughts and feelings that keep your confidence up.

4. Post a bulletin board in your house or your office with things that inspire you

I have one in my home office that has everything from phrases and headlines from magazines, to poems, to articles about inspirational people, to comic strips and even notes and drawings given to me by friends.

I look at it every day and add to it when I see something worthy. These things remind me that I have reasons to remain confident and they keep me from gravitating towards laziness.

5. Listen to some music

Find something that will keep you energized and ready for anything. Listen to feel-good, catchy songs. Cheesy pop music, as much as you may hate it, is great for revving up some much-needed energy!

Don’t worry. Go ahead and dance your butt off. You’re at home; no-one’s looking.

6. Drink LOTS of water

Why? This may not seem obvious, but the way we feel mentally often is affected by the way our bodies react to stress. Keeping yourself well hydrated will keep you energized and awake and will give your body some much-needed fuel.

Caffeine, while a quick energy boost, will ultimately dehydrate you, which will not only not help you, but it may also give you more issues like headaches and sudden drop in energy.

7. Surround yourself with motivating people

When I lose confidence in myself or get a little lazy, I have a list of about 10 people that I can call that will make me feel instantly better.

Some of them are gentle pushers; others are the ‘get-off -your-butt-and-do-something-already!’ sort of folks.

Regardless of their methods, sometimes family and friends know exactly what to say to get you going. Let them.

When life hits us with abrupt changes, or even when it just teases us with quirky little annoyances, it can be easier for us to fall victims to our own self-doubt and laziness.

The key is to have a plan of action so that we don’t succumb to those self-defeating vices.

We have all experienced the familiar sting of burnout: the feeling of being mentally and physically exhausted, the fear that any moment now, you will drop down and not be able to get back up.

You’ve been going a hundred miles a minute and now that shifty, unpredictable rollercoaster is catching up to you.

You feel like you have to keep going but you don’t know if you can, and the crashing and burning is imminent.

It doesn’t have to be that way.

Nine time out of ten, we have complete control of that burnout.

We know that it’s coming, we know that it can and will happen and yet we do nothing to make it better. We do nothing do stop the train from crashing into that brick wall.

We can stop ourselves from becoming burned out and remain motivated to do our jobs while doing so.

1. First: stop and breathe deeply

Deep breaths are not only good for the mind; they’re good for the body. Your body feels more energized when it takes in oxygen, and you force yourself to focus and…

2. Regroup

Sometimes we’re so concentrated on doing what we can to finish what we started that when something goes wrong, we’re thrown off and we get stressed out.

That’s when you know you’re getting burned out.

Before you get to that point, regroup and refocus. Take some time to step back and look at everything, and decide what you’re doing and how.

3. Ask for help

Don’t be afraid to ask family, friends, or co-workers to help you through rough patches. Ask for their advice, seek their guidance, listen to their thoughts and opinions.

They will be just as eager to help you through your crisis as you are to get out of it.

4. Take a break!

You’ve been working hard, so much so that you can’t think about anything else. Sounds familiar? It should, if you’re prone to burning yourself out.

It’s OK to take a break.

Take a walk, get some air, call a friend, go to the gym, buy a purse: whatever you have to do to get your mind off the task at hand, do it.

But when you come back…

5. Remain calm, focused and steady

There is no joy in doing something if you are neither motivated nor focused.

When questions arise, remain clear headed and organized. If you find that things are getting too out of control and you can’t seem to focus no matter how much you try…

6. Just go home

Seriously. You will be no good to anyone if you can’t keep yourself from breaking down under the pressure of burnout.

When you start to feel overwhelmed, the best thing to do is just to stop where you are, gather your things and go home.

If you are home, then turn off the computer, turn off the phone and just chill.

7. Showers are wonderful things

A lot of people swear by baths, but I am a shower fan.

Feeling the warmth of the water hit the nape of your neck, it is by far one of the most relaxing feelings on earth.

Always keep a special aromatic soap at home, something organic or natural that you can use on days like these, when you’re stressed out and ready to break, when you’re not motivated at all and you just feel completely burned out.

Eucalyptus, sandalwood, lavender and chamomile are always nice. Enjoy the alone time and just relax.

When that is done…

8. Get a good, natural, full night’s sleep

Slip into your most comfy pj’s, grab your favorite comforter, get your room nice and cool so you can snuggle under the covers, and get a good night’s sleep.

That means more than the four hours you usually get. A good night’s sleep is about 8 hours of uninterrupted, deep sleep. Your body will need the release and will thank you for the rest.

A lot of times we burn out because we have not given our body the proper amount of time out.

What a difference a good night’s slumber makes!

9. Put your well-being before the tasks at hand

Remember that you can’t do a good job if you’re not taking care of yourself.

Be proactive in keeping your mental, emotional, and physical state so that you can counter any feelings of getting burned out by whatever you’re trying to accomplish.

These are just some of the things that you can do to make yourself less susceptible to burnout and get back your motivation. The more you put these things into practice, the more you’ll be able to remain calm and focused in the face of stress.

I met a very unusual multi-millionaire earlier this year.
He´s a guy with a radical outlook on success. And I was
shocked by some of the things he said.

Is he brilliant or just crazy?

Most people will think he´s from a different planet when
they hear what he has to say. Still, I want to make
sure you get a chance to decide for yourself.

That´s why I made an online video to tell you about
the night Larry was ready to jump off the penthouse
roof.

(I did warn you. He´s an unusual guy)

Anyway, check out the short video over at:

http://howtotalkwithconfidence.com/Larry/Larry.html

(Only share this video with your open minded friends.
You´ll know what I mean after you watch it.)

When faced with a task to perform, many people often find getting started the hardest part of the entire job. But, as Benjamin Franklin said,

“Well begun is half done”.

Getting properly organized, working up a plan of attack, and finding a way to make the job something you can enjoy are key to getting it done right, and getting it done well.

Let’s look at some of those points.

1. First and foremost, work on something you truly love

That single step will help to awaken your passion and enthusiasm. If you’re a writer, and you love stamp collecting, write a story about that. It doesn’t matter if you think it’s not a subject others will find interesting.

If you’re passionate about it, and put that passion into your writing, others will love your story.

2. Look to make the job something you can relate to

Again, look at the example of writing. If you’re given the job of writing a war story and that’s not really your favorite subject, look for a way to turn it into something you do like.

Do you enjoy romance stories? Then try writing a love story set during a war; make the war the backdrop for your story, not its focal point.

3. Working environment

Some people need silence to work; others find the lack of noise positively deafening. Does the sound of rock music get your heart pumping and your mind racing with ideas? Then get yourself a stereo or iPod and crank it up!

4. Manageable chunks of work

Often, people will look at a large task and throw up their hands in defeat. How in the world can they possibly overcome something so huge? Split the task up into smaller ones that you can handle.

An example: you’re going to set up a stand at a conference.

OK, break it down.

Find out what you have to do to be part of the conference.

Make a list of the things you’re going to need in order to operate your stand.

Obtain the items you need, get them ready and so on.

The point is, make each task something small and easy for you to handle.

That leads to the next point:

5. Make a list

Trying to remember everything you have to do is nearly impossible; make a list!

This will help you to focus and organize your thoughts.

Also, as you complete a task, you can check it off of the list. This will give you a feeling of accomplishment and further stimulate you to keep at it.

6.Take small steps first

This goes along with point 4.

When faced with a difficult task, and one that requires great creativity, many people find it hard to get from point A to point Z, especially on one step!

So, don’t do it.

As an example, when trying to write a story, start with something simple and build on it.

Do you think the novel trilogy ‘Lord of the Rings’ sprang fully finished from the author’s mind? This also goes hand-in-hand with point 5, in a different sort of way.

You start with a very basic premise as item one, maybe even something generic like ‘Once upon a time’ or ‘The boy walked down the street’.

Then start to add things to the story, change them and so forth. As each point becomes more and more complex, you gradually build a full-fledged story.

The same principle can be applied to any creative endeavor.

When looking to tackle a task, you want to excited and driven to get it done and get it done well. The key to that is finding the things that work best for you to do just that.

Not everyone is the same, so don’t feel you have to use these items in the exact order or method outlined. Use them as a starting point and modify them as needed to help you find the best means to tapping into your creative streak.

Do that and every job will be a joy.

I recently heard from a friend who had been laid off at the newspaper she worked at because of the faltering economy. She didn’t have many job leads and her motivation was at an all-time low.  She felt that there was nothing more frightening than being a writer in an uncertain job market.  Panic and fear quickly took over; where would she go from go from there?

How would she pay her bills?

How would she cope with uncertainty?

Her mind was plagued with self-doubting, self-defeating thoughts and she began to spiral out of control, right into a dangerous state of anxiety that threatened to paralyze her into stagnant ground forever.

As she began to realize what a toll her predicament was leaving her in, it became clear to her that she needed to take action and do something to get herself out of the hole she was in.

Once she sat down and began to reflect on things, working through the paralyzing fear and the negativity that came along with the devastation of losing her dream job and having to start over from the beginning, everything started to make sense and she was on a roll!

Sometimes it takes a moment of crisis to help us refocus our thoughts and energies into what we want our professional and personal goals to be and what we need to accomplish.

The following points will help you focus and concentrate on the positive rather than dwell on the negative, motivating you to move forward into action rather than leaving you stuck in a rut.

Reading through them should help you gain some perspective into your particular situation:

1. Allow yourself to be upset and grieve if things have gone wrong

Sometimes you suffer from start-up inertia because you’re having to make a new start and you’re stubbornly holding on to the way things were.

It is perfectly normal to feel panicked, upset, angry, sad, even outraged; you wouldn’t be human if you didn’t feel that way.  Take some time to get in touch with those feelings.

The night my friend got laid off she drove home, fell into bed and literally could not move for 45 minutes.

Then she called me.

I got her to get up, take a long shower, change into some comfortable clothes, and then she spent some time sat in front of the television watching ‘Friends’.

Give your mind and body time to settle into the initial shock of change, whatever it may be. But focus primarily on how you feel and let those feelings out.

2. Take a DEEP BREATH!

Your mind deserves it, your body deserves it, your lungs deserve it.

Taking deep breaths improves circulation, calms anxiety and helps you focus.

Once you’re done moping, take a deep breath and start to move.

3. Organize your home, organize your life

Is your house a mess? What about your room or your home office? Can you not see yourself going through the piles of papers on top of your desk? Have you looked at your bills lately and seen what you have?

If you haven’t done any of these things, now is the time to do it.

There is nothing more stressful when we are in a state of panic than a living space that has no room for us to live in it.

So tackle the mess; wash those clothes, clean out that pantry, throw out the clutter, get those bills out of the way.

You’ll be surprised how much more motivated you will be when you surround yourself with cleanliness and order.

4. Surround yourself with positive people

Now would be a good time to reconnect with friends that you haven’t spoken to in a while, or even with the friends that you talked to just yesterday, those friends that always have an encouraging word, who are helpful and positive.

Do yourself a favor and avoid people who are always down in the dumps, or who always have something negative to say.

However:

5. Don’t confuse negativity with constructive criticism

Some friends may seem like they’re helping but they’re just feeding the cynicism. Conversely, friends that may appear to be negative are actually offering ways to help by sharing your experiences and showing you a better way to focus.

Listen to the people that are there for you, take what you can use, and dismiss those things that you don’t want to use or  hat you can’t use. Don’t allow yourself to be brought down by it.

Take charge of your life again.

6. Have someone objective to talk to

When possible, sometimes having an objective third party to talk to and run ideas by can be tremendously helpful.

In some cases, a therapist can be of vital importance in your growth process towards finding yourself and focusing on your career and life goals. They can provide you with a perspective that is sound, rational and unbiased, while still keeping your best interests in mind.

7. Keep a journal of your progress

Write your ideas and your thoughts down and read over them the day after. You will gain some valuable perspective and insight into your own growth and where you are at.

8. Get out of the house!

Take your laptop or notebook to the local coffee shop or park, somewhere with some interaction and get out into the world! This will give you a chance to get out of the house and possibly meet some people, network and create some opportunities towards accomplishing your goals.

9. Actively look for opportunities to do the things that you love most and turn them into opportunities for you

Do you enjoy attending art shows? Love doing volunteer work? Do you like fishing with friends or going to the library or attending meetings for local organizations?

These are all things that would not only satisfy the craving for you to do something that you enjoy, but it would also present you with opportunities to network, meet people that could help you get ahead, and spend time taking care of yourself and your mental and emotional health.

10. Finally, SMILE and BELIEVE!

Easier said than done, I know. Believe me, nothing about my friend’s situation warranted a smile and some faith. But had she not kept herself smiling, it would have been so much harder to be positive and pull out of that state of anxiety.

Believe in yourself and the things that you have accomplished and remember that you are capable of achieving anything you set your mind to do.

So get your coat, get your shoes, get your smile and go out into the world!

Taking heed of these valuable insights will help you create and maintain a positive energy source in your life and keep inertia at bay. You will feel better, be more motivated and definitely more at peace.

All it takes is for you to make that first move. Don’t let panic paralyze you into inertia. Anything is possible; it’s up to you to make it happen!