When you feel motivated and inspired you have no trouble getting things accomplished, being in a good mood, or working on your goals. You want to keep those feelings going as much as possible. But, you will have times when you just don't feel it, here are a few ideas you can try to keep your motivation up and keep pushing forward.
Zig Ziglar is quoted as saying, "They say motivation doesn't last. Neither does bathing, that's why we recommend it daily."
Keeping yourself motivated is something you should work at daily. Even coaches have to keep themselves motivated.
Keep inspiring pictures and messages around you, especially in places you see often; around your desk if you work from home, on the bathroom mirror, on the fridge, and even on your cabinet doors in the kitchen.
The trick to using this method is to change things up on a regular basis. You get used to seeing the same things all the time and begin to ignore them. When you rearrange things your mind pays attention because it's different. Once you realize your mind has gotten used to it, it's time to rearrange again.
Use positive affirmations every day. You can choose one or two that you repeat to yourself over a period of time, or you can choose a new one each day. Like with the pictures, you may want to change this up to keep from getting bored. Your mind does need repetition so it will grasp the concept or idea you're trying to impose on it, but it can also grow tired of the same message if used too much and too often.
One good way to keep things fresh and fun is to pick a new themed affirmation each week. This gives you time to use the repetitious phrase, but not so much time that it becomes a dull..
Give yourself daily reminders of why you want to be motivated. Is it because you feel better, you're in a better mood or because you're working on some goals that are important to you? Whatever the reason, keep it in mind with daily reminders. Working towards goals can get overwhelming at times, but if you remind yourself of why you're doing it, it's much easier to stay motivated and keep working towards it.
While it may seem obvious, knowing your reasoning and passion behind anything you pursue is critical. When you first set out on a goal or achievement, your “why” for doing so typically starts out pretty clear. However, somewhere in the grind of working towards this goal, this foundation can quickly become obscured.
Make no mistake; any time you are tirelessly working towards something worthwhile, no matter how important, there WILL be days in which you feel less motivated than others. Remaining conscientious of why you started in this first place serves as your second (or third, or fourth) wind to get back up and keep pushing.
Write down your expectations. This is similar to having a why, but with this method you write down what you plan to achieve by staying positive and motivated. It could be to feel better, have more energy, make better choices, be happier, exercise daily, or it could be to be a nicer person all around. Whatever you're trying to accomplish, be sure to write it down and create a very vivid image of it in your mind. Remind yourself of this often and visualize it often as well.
Talk to yourself in the mirror. Many people have success with giving themselves a pep talk in the mirror each morning. They do admit it seemed silly in the beginning and they felt awkward doing it, but over time it becomes natural. Sometimes you are your own best cheerleader. Daily pep talks can set the mood for your day and make it more positive. You can also do this throughout the day if you start to feel a low moment coming on or things don't seem to be going well.
Get a motivation partner. If you struggle to keep yourself motivated and in a positive mood, find someone who will inspire you. This could be an upbeat friend who seems to always be in a good mood, but it doesn't have to be. Perhaps you have a friend who wants to be in a better mood more often, but is also struggling with it. You can team up and send each other daily positive messages to keep each other motivated.
Even though this person doesn't have to be the most upbeat person, you definitely want to steer clear of a negative person as a partner. Although they may mean well and want to work at it, more often than not their negativity will creep in and bring you down. You may very well want to help this person out, but in these situations it's best to cheer them on weekly and not as a daily motivation partner.
No matter how much (or little) motivation you have towards a goal, failing to enjoy small successes in pursuit of the finish line is a sure fire way to run out of gas before you get there.
While resting on your laurels and settling for less than what you want must be avoided, depriving yourself of fulfillment along the way is also detrimental. In pursuit of your goals, take some time to reward yourself when you accomplish one of the (often many) small steps to get there.
Keep in mind that your goals are YOUR goals. Letting other people’s pursuits dictate what you strive for is a slippery slope. After all, you will never find the motivation required to achieve anything great without a personal conviction to do so. Whatever it is you want, the only comparison to be made is to the person you were the day before.
It's hard to stay constantly motivated, but if you use some of the tips mentioned above on a regular basis, you'll find that you can stay motivated far longer and accomplish what you set out to do. Any change takes time and work. Stick to it and before you know it, motivation will be like second nature.
