Some days we wake up feeling ready to take on the day. We feel driven and motivated to complete anything we have for the day ahead. While other days we can feel a lack of inner drive. We write to-do lists, we make goals, but, somehow, we still don’t feel fully motivated to try accomplishing those things we planned. Sometimes despite our best efforts to get through our to-do list, accomplish our goals, and complete all the necessary tasks, we still fall short of our own expectations. At that point, we might start to feel like our passion isn’t enough, and we’re just missing an important factor of being successful. However, that isn’t true. During those times of feeling like our passion and drive just isn’t enough to accomplish our goals, we need motivation. Motivation is the key to accomplishing whatever we have planned. Check out these highly effective ways to motivate yourself.
- Start Small
If large tasks seem daunting and you just never feel motivated to start doing them, try starting small. For example, if one item on your to-do list is to clean your house, try cleaning your kitchen first and then going from there. Often times, large tasks seem overwhelming to us, so we never even start them. Then the constant procrastinating leads us to feel even more overwhelmed. So, next time you keep procrastinating some tasks, try starting small and soon you’ll realize that you can get those tasks done.
- Have A Positive Outlook
Many studies indicate that optimistic people are much more successful in their personal and professional lives. Remaining optimistic throughout the trials and tribulations that happen in life isn’t easy, but it will make all the difference in our life. Throughout our daily lives we need to try to remain optimistic. It is often the little things in life that lead us to have a negative outlook towards life instead of a positive one. Next time you find yourself in a less than ideal situation, stop and think about one potential positive of the situation, what you’re grateful for in your life, or something good that might come from the seemingly negative situation. Having a positive outlook will not only help you feel better mentally, but it’ll also improve your physical health since you won’t be stressing all the time.
- Don’t Compare Yourself To Others
At one point or another, we’ve all compared ourselves to someone else. But, that is a slippery slope to feeling bad about ourselves and should be avoided at all costs. When we feel like we are comparing ourself to other people, we need to stop and remind ourselves of how far we’ve gotten and everything we’ve accomplished along the way. Everyone’s journey in life is different and there is no right or wrong way to live. Don’t belittle your accomplishments by comparing yourself to someone else. As long as you’re working hard to better yourself and you’re doing what you want to be doing in life, that is what is important. Don’t go down the rabbit hole of comparing yourself to others, just simply shine like the incredibly amazing person that you are.
- Be Kind To Yourself
We often have a tendency to be immensely unkind to ourselves. Our inner critic tells us things that we wouldn’t dare think or say about anyone else. Can you imagine how much better off we’d be if we treated ourselves kindly? Criticizing ourselves does more harm than good. If you feel like you’ve made a mistake or you’ve somehow lost sight of your goal along the way, don’t chastise yourself because of it. Instead, gently remind yourself that mistakes are okay, and try to get back on the path you want to take.
- Reward Yourself
Rewarding yourself after doing a task you dread is very helpful. A common misconception is that you can only reward yourself when you do something very big. But that just isn’t true! For example, if you dread going to the grocery store and you finally go and get it all done, reward yourself. Even if you’ve only done a seemingly small thing, reward yourself. Now, the reward shouldn’t be something huge or very expensive. Rather, it should be something small, yet encouraging. For example, getting a latte, baking your favorite cookies, or picking up some food at your favorite restaurant.
- Take Breaks
If you’re doing something difficult, such as a work project, take breaks to avoid feeling exhausted and experiencing burnout. While you should be focused on the task at hand, working too long without taking breaks will actually do more harm then good. Next time you’re doing a long and difficult task, consider taking a few breaks throughout the day to re-energize your body and mind. For example, take a ten minute break every couple of hours to stretch, eat a snack, use the bathroom, or just walk around a bit.
- Create A Routine
A routine is crucial for staying motivated. Creating a day-to-day routine that will help you stay on the right track will ensure that you do all the things you need to do. A consistent routine will help you avoid procrastination and troubles that come along with it. Your daily routine ultimately depends on your own personal schedule, but you should aim to figure out what time of day works best for you. Everyone is different, so depending on whether you’re an early bird or a night owl, your schedule will differ. A routine helps you stay on track, and staying on track is the best way to remain motivated to accomplish your goals.
Simply Shine Living 