Ah, feeling motivated. It seems to come and it go. It ebbs and flows. I’m a firm believer in the idea that motivation is not something that burns in the lucky few of us.
Motivation is better viewed as an attitude.
Those people that seem more motivated, more consistently, are not special. They have simply chosen better habits to allow real motivation to rise up, even when they aren’t initially feeling it.
Motivation starts and ends with a decision, not a feeling.
The following are eleven such decisions that when acted on with consistency, will contribute to a motivated life, but also provide a boost, this very instant…
1. Have Fun
Decide to have fun right now, with whatever you are doing.
Make a game out of it, even if you aren’t in the mood to start with.
What could be enjoyable about what you need to do next?
What’s funny about the place you’re in?
What makes you smile about what you hate to do?
The only reason things are serious is because you choose to make them so.
Choose to be a rebel, and have fun.
2. Act Your Character
How you act today, is who you become.
If you want to be a world class [insert dream job here], what do people like this do every day? How do they act?
You can live the life you want right now, by acting like the person who has that vision. There is no later. Today is the future.
Don’t try, just BE the person you want to be this very moment.
3. Sit With Yourself
Do nothing, sit, breathe and watch yourself as an observer for a while.
Let yourself do nothing for at least twenty minutes. It’s ok because I told you so.
Let your shoulders drop. Watch your thoughts go by and let them dissolve into thin air.
Watch the feelings you feel. See how in doing this, you aren’t your emotions or your thoughts. You are an observer who can see the gap between your true self, and your emotional, ‘wrapped in thought’ self.
See how emotions are just hints to guide your true, deeper self.
An observer is calm, clear, aware and in control.
4. Clean Up
Tidy up and de-clutter your surroundings.
Go full minimal!
Avoid and delete the things that distract you the most. Turn off your phone.
Your environment has a huge influence on your state of mind and your motivation.
The less distracting and dirty it is, the better you will feel.
5. Use Your Imagination
What we see in our mind’s eye is real. Our bodies cannot tell the difference.
Make the most of your power to visualise a motivated life, and your motivation will follow.
6. Lose Face
Give yourself permission right now to not care about what others think of you. That’s all it needs. Your own permission to be immune to the judgements of others.
Instead of putting energy into trying not to care, shift your attention to making others feel good about themselves.
How can you improve someone else’s life today in a small way?
Your life can — and will change by turning your focus to helping others.
7. Ask Yourself What’s Good?
Asking ourselves simple questions awakens the mind.
Ask yourself the simple question: ‘What’s good in my life today?’
No answers are beneath you.
Build a list and savour that list for a while.
Being conscious of the good things makes us feel good right now. Sometimes all it takes are reminders to snap us out of our worries.
This awareness also provides a launchpad for bringing in more good things into our lives.
8. Reframe Your Biggest Problems
Write a list of your biggest concerns niggling at you right now.
For each perceived ‘problem’ work out how that problem is actually an opportunity.
All problems are simply opportunities in disguise for making your projects and your life infinitely better. We just rarely spend the time to reframe them as such, and you can do that today.
9. Take Baby Steps
Break down your tasks into little steps. Make the first step tiny, like laughably small.
Walking is easier once you’ve started.
10. Brainstorm
Get out a pen, and write down a goal, or a change you want in your life. Write this at the top of the page, and create a numbered list of 1–20. Write out 20 ideas for attaining that goal or different ways to solve that problem.
Doing this will show you that you actually know most of the answers to everything you want. Instant motivation.
The only thing for you to do now is take this renewed energy and take the first step.
11. Do Something Badly
Don’t wait until you are perfect to take on a challenge big or tiny. Laugh at how bad you are at something, enjoy it and see how your attitude changes.
By: Alex Mathers Illustrator, Writing on How to Build a Strong Mindset and Growing Your Creative Business, at Red Lemon Club: http://redlemonclub.com
One thought
Hi, this is a comment.
To get started with moderating, editing, and deleting comments, please visit the Comments screen in the dashboard.
Commenter avatars come from Gravatar.
Comments are closed.