Whoever said it, said it right – “Motivation isn’t going to strike you like lightning.” So, how do you stay motivated if you don’t feel like doing anything?
Well, here’s a secret from Stephen King, the famous American author:
Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work.
While motivation, inspiration, and enthusiasm may look like something of luck, they’re not.
Jack Ma conceptualized Alibaba and kept working towards making it a success when not many knew how the Internet worked.
Successful people don’t wait for the right time; they just do it. And you can too.
Let’s find how?
Here are 8 motivation hacks to help you be your productive self daily:
1- Set Realistic Expectations
Skyler Grey, an American singer, says,
Expectations are an evil thing.
And that’s indeed true.
Although being ambitious is good, setting goals high enough to be out of reach can be demotivating.
Instead, keep your eyes on your target and set goals that you can see yourself achieving.
If you don’t run every day, you can’t start running 5km on the first day itself.
Be honest with yourself, know your limits and set achievable micro-goals as per your potential.
2- Set Time Out for Yourself
If you look at the lives of some of the successful people, you will find they don’t work the whole time. They know that the “ME” time is crucial to reach their goals.
When you can’t find enough time for yourself, you won’t be able to stay supercharged.
The trick here is to schedule things, and you’ll find enough gaps to fit in time for yourself. Work, exercise, work, relax, work, eat, work, sleep and repeat.
So, structure your day and set some time out from your busy schedule.
3- Make Your Work Fun
According to the British philosopher, Alan Watts,
The secret to be motivated at what you do is to think of it as play.
In the pursuit to reach your target, having small fun moments will keep your enthusiasm alive.
Finding small pieces of happiness in everyday things can go a long way in keeping you energized. And who knows a small wobbly toy can put some fuel too.
4- Track Your Progress
When you record your micro-goals (and the ultimate goal) and keep track of your progress, you will feel motivated to do better.
Also, writing down or sharing your progress with friends can help you visualize the success path better and follow it.
Your friends may even chip in with helpful resources or discussion to motivate you further. That’s an additional benefit of sharing with someone you know and tracking your progress.
5- Network with Motivating People
Networking is a great way to increase sales and updating your knowledge base. There’s absolutely no doubt about that.
But do you know that the people you surround yourself with, also affect your success?
So, don’t go to an event thinking that it is just a party. Go there to find fellow dreamers and other people who have a positive attitude.
When surrounded by successful and hard-working personalities, you too will be motivated to be your best self.
Have your goals in mind and foster relationships with motivational people.
6- Read Motivational Quotes
Ken Venturi, an American golfer, once said,
I don’t believe you have to be better than everybody else. I believe you have to be better than you ever thought you could be.
And yes, a few words of motivation daily can push you towards your aim. Having inspirational quotes when you need them the most will help you see the positive side always.
Compile a list of quotes and keep them in places – desk, refrigerator, mobile wallpaper – or wherever you can see them.
7- Celebrate Your Achievements
Getting rewarded for successfully completing a task is one of the best ways to stay fueled. A day off after signing that business deal or a new t-shirt for losing some weight can increase your desire to work better.
Celebrating your achievements can take off some stress and make you ready for the next battles. But, of course, don’t get into a feeding frenzy after a weeklong effort of dieting. You can get a small ice-cream though, to celebrate that feat.
8- Show Up Every Day
And if it happens that you don’t know where to start. Start with whatever the first step you can think of. Taking the first step itself is one hell of a motivation. It doesn’t matter if you aren’t able to visualize what you want to. Just don’t stop.
Even when you feel like you’re failing and the world is conspiring against you, wake up, put on a smile and show up.
Becky Sauerbrunn said,
I enjoy the pressure of showing up every single day, being focused, putting forth my best effort, getting the best out of my teammates, and enjoying the journey.
And that’s how you do it!
Staying supercharged even when you feel nothing is an attitude that you need to cultivate. Prepare yourself to follow these motivation hacks to get back on the track.