Even the most skilled and accomplished people can need some help finding motivation now and then. Boosting our motivation is a skill we can learn. Everyone procrastinates at times; it’s part of being human. There are various tactics and strategies that can raise our motivation to the level we need to get going again.
Motivate yourself and get more of what you want done:
1. Instead, choose happiness.
- It is much easier to motivate ourselves when we are in a positive mood.
- Begin focusing on the wonderful things in your life that fill you with gratitude.
- Cleaning out the garage will not seem quite so daunting a task.
- Keep your mind on the positive things that have gone on, and continue to evolve in your life.
2. Start finishing.
- A long trail of unfinished projects can dampen anyone’s enthusiasm to begin another.
- Stop quitting before your tasks are 100% completed.
- This will keep your interest piqued as you take on new projects, as you expect to be successful.
- Success breeds success.
3. Mistakes are part of life.
- The only people that don’t make mistakes are those who never do anything.
- Perfection is an illusion.
- The more mistakes you make, the more you will learn.
- Making errors can be very positive. Use them to your advantage.
4. Stay in the present.
- If we spend most of our time worrying about the future or beating ourselves up about the past, it can be very challenging to get anything accomplished in the here and now.
- When you feel your mind drifting to these extremes, and you can feel the anxiety mounting, focus on your breathing for just a few minutes to calm things down.
5. Focus on the end.
- It is extremely difficult to get started on anything when we sit around thinking about all of the work that needs to get done.
- Focus on the final result and you will feel much more motivated.
6. Reward yourself appropriately.
- We go to work every day for many reasons. But, one of the main reasons is that we know that a paycheck is coming our way.
- Learn to give yourself a small, but meaningful, reward when your work is complete.
- Choose the reward before you get started.
- For me, it is playtime. If I get my “homework” done in time, I can spend time creating.
7. Time the activity.
- Decide how long a task should take and see if you are correct.
- Set a kitchen timer or an app on your phone, and see if you can beat the clock.
- A little time pressure helps to keep us focused on our work.
8. Read a few inspirational quotes.
- Reading inspirational quotes by those who have achieved great success can be very motivating.
- Spend a few minutes reading these great quotes and you will be sure to experience an increased level of enthusiasm.
- Consider creating a list of quotes that you can keep nearby in case of emergency.
- I place a motivational quote on my door every morning. My thinking is that I do not only need to motivate myself, but my colleagues as well. That makes me the CMO, chief motivational office for our little group.
9. Get a little exercise.
- If you fell stuck, go for a brisk walk or a short run. I often take a short stroll through the local neighborhood, weather permitting.
- Taking a short break every 60 minutes has been shown to increase productivity. Get up and move about the office. Check in on your teammates without disrupting their work.
- Keep your breaks short so you don’t run completely off the skids.
10. Are you making Progress?
- How will you know if you are moving in the right direction if you do not measure your progress?
- Big goals or projects can takes months, and sometimes years to complete.
- Measuring our progress along the way is a great way to keep our spirits high.
- Set short-term goals to keep you focused for the long haul.
Most of us no longer live with our parents. It is vitally important that we learn to be able to motivate ourselves.
The people who are the most successful are able to harness the power of self-motivation. Check them out at work.
A higher level of motivation will ensure that your work is done well and as efficiently as possible.
Get busy!
Photo Credit: Leo Reynolds via Compfight cc