Okay, so I realize it’s typically Motivation Tuesday, but I post my blog on Wednesday and let’s face it – we could use some motivation every day! And especially with the change in weather, some of us are struggling a little bit more than others with our motivation. We’d rather be out doing fun summer stuff!
At times we all struggle with motivation. We have great intentions, but at times we need a little boost. Where do we get our motivation from? Maybe it’s from attending a conference, reading an article, or seeing something on TV but that motivation quickly fades, and we are back to our old habits.
So how do we stay motivated? Look at the list of fun ways to stay motivated below.
Create goals and post them. I am a goal setter and I love to write down my goals in notebooks or on sticky notes and post them. They may be business goals, income goals, fitness goals, home goals, travel goals… you get the picture. I not only like to post my goals where I can see them I like to post photos of what I’m working towards as well. You could tack up a photo of your dream home, dream vacation, dream office, dream life … whatever you dream, post it where you can see it daily. Create a reward system. I’ll be honest – my reward system is quite hilarious because even though it does force me to work harder I don’t always reward myself with what I intended. For instance, years ago I created some income goals, and once I reached them my reward was to hire a cleaning lady. I decided when I reached my goal, I should probably make even more money before I hire a cleaning lady, so I did it again. It’s been 10 years and I’ve reached 5 major income goals yet have never hired a cleaning lady. Somehow this bizarre reward I never give myself is still working for me! I do sprinkle in a booked massage or facial every quarter, but my goal of hiring a cleaning lady … I’ve just never pulled the trigger. Maybe this year will be the year!
Have fun! Stay motivated by scheduling some fun each day – I guess you can view this as a reward for working hard but when you have something to look forward to it does make a person more productive. Schedule lunch with a friend, schedule a massage, stop by DQ for your favorite cool treat, listen to your favorite podcast – whatever it is – do it! Don’t get stuck in a cycle of wake, work, eat, sleep, repeat. Schedule some fun every day, even if it's only 5 minutes of fun – it’ll be worth it.
Get an accountability partner. If you can’t stay motivated on your own no matter what you try, find someone who will motivate you. Depending on where you live it may be difficult to find like-minded people, or someone interested in trading motivational banter, so you may need to network to find just the right person. If you can find someone to talk to and bounce ideas off of to stay motivated it can go a long way.
Join a group. You may find a local group or online group that helps motivate you and keep you on your toes. There are a lot of very ambitious people out there willing to help others. They often meet monthly or weekly and sometimes meetings include a meal. Whatever it is – research the group and make sure it’s a good fit for you.
Hire a business or life coach. If you are super serious about achieving all the goals in your life and know you need more help than what’s listed above – consider hiring a business coach or life coach. There are many great ones out there that love helping people achieve their dreams. Ask a friend, a lot of people use business or life coaches and many have had incredible results.
Whatever you decide to do, just do it! A great friend of mine and I were talking the other day and she was talking about going back to school for a new career. Of course, we discussed the fact that once you are married, have kids, and are nearing 40 – going back to school isn’t exactly ideal. But she made a comment that has really stuck with me. She said, “The time is going to pass anyway.”
That is such a great way to look at it! You can do what you want today and in two years be exactly where you wanted to be OR you can sit back, do nothing, and in two years be in the exact same situation you are today. The time is going to pass anyway. Ultimately the choice is yours! How do you want to live your life?
- Danae
Danae Branson is the Founder of Elite Scheduling Services. Elite specializes in appointment-setting services for financial and real estate professionals.