How is your motivation when you are packing your bags for a luxury two-week trip to Hawaii?
I know for myself that if I am heading to Hawaii for vacation, I will be motivated to pack my bags as fast and efficiently as I can!
Now, what is your motivation like when you know you have three days left of work dealing with a client you dislike?
I am thinking that you won’t be highly motivated for this task.
Finding motivation for tasks that we don’t exactly find enjoyable, can be extremely challenging at times. How do you generate motivation to do things we dislike doing?
That is the question I have asked myself for many years. But lately, after lots of reading the countless amount of self-improvement books, I came up with my plan of attack to tackle the things I hate doing.
If you find yourself in these situations where it is hard to find the motivation to do anything, here are my 7 ways to ignite your motivation to help keep you going.
7 Best Ways to Ignite Your Motivation When Things Are Tough
Keep Your Eye On The Prize
This technique is important to me in maintaining my motivation for any task I undertake.
The reason why is, many of us always get overwhelmed on a large project with many steps involved to complete. By keeping your eye on the prize, you are more focused on the result, and not the stumbling blocks in front of you.
For example, when I make a short film, there are three stages of production to deal with to complete a film.
Each stage has its own tasks to complete before moving to the next phase.
By always knowing that each step is part of the process to complete the goal, it’s easier to manage.
Related Article: 15 Baby Steps You Can Make To Encourage Personal Development In Your Life
Take Scheduled Breaks
Life is stressful. No matter if it’s your job or your personal life, there will be moments in your daily routines where you need to take a break from it all.
I know for myself that the minute I wake up, I won’t stop until my head hits the pillow at the end of the day.
How do you stay motivated maintaining 100% focus and determination? I use scheduled breaks throughout the day to clear my mind and reset.
Just knowing you can take a break in 60 minutes can free up your mind enough to focus intently for an hour.
Reward Yourself
“Treat Yourself!” This is something that my wife always talks about when she hits a certain milestone. I started doing this myself and it works.
Find a few self-indulgences that you consider motivating. Like a quick walk outside, a latte from Starbucks, anything that will help motivate you in achieving a certain goal.
Break your work or daily life into reasonable chunks and give yourself a small reward as the milestones are met.
Related Article: 15 Baby Steps You Can Make To Encourage Personal Development In Your Life
Get The Ball Rolling No Matter What
If you are looking at a task that is going to be tough to complete, do whatever you can to start the project.
For example, you want to get into shape, and you take up running to get you on the right path.
But, after a week of running every day, you don’t want to do it anymore. If you are lacking the motivation to get a run in during your busy day, start by putting on your running shoes.
This will help motivate you towards the next part of hitting the streets.
Whether it’s writing one sentence, making one phone call, or doing one pushup, do whatever it takes to get the ball rolling.
Find Motivation Through A Song Or Video
Do you have a favorite song that the minute it starts, you feel the energy pumping through your body? Mine is Helter Skelter by the Beatles. (I know it’s a strange psych up song, but it works.)
What about an inspiring video off of Youtube that will help you get motivated? Do you know that youtube is loaded with several inspirational video clips that get the help you in a moment of need?
I have two inspirational videos(see below) that I watch monthly when I need a healthy dose of motivation to get me towards the goals I am working on.
Just spending a few minutes out of your day by watching or listening to something that motivates you is extremely important in completing the tasks out there that need attention.
Don’t get lost in your day by watching or listening to the entire clips or songs. All you need is just five minutes throughout your day to keep you motivated.
Avoid getting distracted and wasting hours. Five minutes is enough!
Set Alarms or Use A timer
Using a timer or an alarm can be very useful in keeping you focused on getting stuff done.
Committing yourself to a certain amount of time for each project, helps you stay motivated by knowing that you are giving yourself 100% for the time period.
I know for me that when I am blogging or on a film set, allocating a certain amount of time for each task, and then timing it, keeps the pressure on me to complete it.
Now, I want to use a reasonable time frame for each task, don’t set yourself up for failure.
Just by keeping time via a timer reduces the number of questions of figuring out how much to do or when to stop and take a break. You stop when the timer ends.
Related Article: 10 Simple Things You Are Doing That Kills Your Productivity
Make List Of Advantages To Completing
This is something I love doing, and that is making lists of the benefits I receive by completing certain tasks.
For example, If I run today and eat healthy throughout the day, I will lose weight and fit into the pair of jeans I haven’t worn in a year. Or, if I work really hard on this project, I will use the bonus I will take a trip to Hawaii.
It’s almost like vision boarding. If you are unsure what vision boarding is here’s an explanation:
“Vision boards provide you with a daily visual reminder of your dreams and goals. The reason that vision boards work so great is that you visually see them every day. Visualization is one of the most popular and effective mind workouts that you can do.” – aconsciousrethink.com
Make sure you have your list near you at all times and look at it when you need that extra motivation throughout the day.
Summary
When it comes to motivation, always looking for ways in developing the ability to motivate yourself is the key to your success.
Self-motivation is a powerful tool for creating a successful life.
Just remember that whenever you are being challenged always think about these steps to ignite your motivation, and you will always move forward.
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