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Tired of Losing Motivation? Try This.

by Ron Sherbert in Motivation/Inspiration

Most of us are not as motivated as we want to be, and when motivation strikes, we push ourselves to the limit. This sometimes can result in leaving us feeling overwhelmed, incomplete and burned out. Finding motivation is just the first step; sustaining the motivation you have is another thing.

If you’ve ever experienced any of these feelings, then you have come to the right place. Here’s the secret: you don’t actually need to wait for that motivation to kick in before you start moving. We have four steps that can help you not just achieve motivation, but keep it in as well.

Bear in mind that with all life changing tips they are easier said than done. However, if you follow these tips, you too can be on that journey on getting and staying motivated in no time.

1. Find that reason.

In everything that you do, always start with asking yourself: Why am I doing this? Why is this important to me?

Countless entrepreneurs have been where you are today and by following this method they too were able to regain their motivation. Knowing your “why” helps a lot in giving you motivation to do and finish the task at hand by simply knowing its purpose. Whenever you feel unmotivated, you can always go back to that one reason why you are doing it.

In his bestselling book “Start with Why,” Simon Sinek says it’s important to know your “why.” Why do you do things? Why do you want to be successful? Is it for money? Is it for freedom or is it for your family?

Quitting smoking is said to be one of the most difficult goals to achieve, especially if the individual started the habit at a young age. According to sources, people that put a photo of their loved ones in their cigarettes packs are much more likely to quit smoking than people who don’t. This stems from the fact that they are reminded on a regular basis why they need to break that bad habit in the first place. Knowing your “why” will give you reasons to be more determined and focused, making you value whatever task is at hand even more.

Here is a link to Simon Sinek’s Ted Talk in September 2009 on how great leaders inspire action that has over 35 million views

2. Visualize the finish line.

It is said that even elite athletes use this method: they visualize their performance ahead of time, starting from their first step into the race, getting ahead of their competition, and even up until that gush of wind as they cross the finish line.

This step is critical and is often overlooked. Don’t make that common mistake. Imagining the end results will fuel your desire to reach for and attain your goals. Set your goal first and then visualize every little detail of your success once you achieve it. Getting a feel of the fulfillment and being accomplished gives that extra push you need to get you there.

In his bestselling book “Getting Things Done” David Allen calls this Outcome Visioning. He says you must have a clear picture in your mind of what completion or success of what you’re doing is, so think of this step as the encouragement you need to get started. Reflect on it regularly as well to continuously give you the drive to get things done.

3. Know how to handle limitations and setbacks.

More frequent those other things our limitations and setbacks are presented upon us in the toughest of times. Even with knowing that the unexpected happens to all of us, it can become very difficult to handle. While none of us have the power to prevent undesirable things from happening, we do have something far more powerful: the power on how we react.

It is undeniable that confidence and motivation are linked to each other in a cyclical kind of way: when you are motivated to do something, you feel more confident to achieve it. On the other hand, when you are more confident that you can succeed, motivation comes in abundance. So if we react in confidence that we can surpass any challenge, then feeling motivated shouldn’t be a problem. Identifying our limiting belief and bringing them to the surface has proven to help in sustaining motivation.

As Charles R. Swindoll says “Life is 10% of what happens to us and 90% how we react to it.”

So, confront. Find out what’s keeping you stuck and work on it to help you move forward. Talk to family, peers or colleagues who you know are supportive of you. Here’s a secret tool that many successful entrepreneurs use to sustain motivation: start with creating a list of ten things that has contributed to your setbacks. Once that list is completed, create a second list of three ways you will handle each item that has been listed as a possible setback. By completing this exercise and keeping a mental note of this, you are then able to take on difficult situations with a more positive frame of mind.

4. Make a list.

Many studies have shown that when you write things down, they tend to stick to memory. This has something to do with the fact that the information stuck in your brain is no longer just thoughts, but ideas with a visual representation. These visual representations (a.k.a. your notes) reinforce the importance of the primary thoughts you already have stored on your mind, thus making it easier for you to remember them when needed.

In a world where we are constantly faced with busy schedules (daily meetings, calls and projects), we tend to feel behind and overwhelmed. We often feel that everything and everyone needs our time and attention. We spend our days playing catch up and chasing our tails because we are being pulled in different directions. This constant way of working often leave us with the if I had-s: If I had more time, I would have accomplished this by now; if I had the time, I could have finished this task better. It has been proven that these if I had-s cause stress to be at an all-time high and motivation to be at an all-time low.

Jot down a list of tasks you need accomplished on a daily basis for you to stay laser focused. Create a list the night before with a few tasks that are not only urgent but are also important and significant to your main goal.

This will help you stay focused and on track. Once tasks have been completed, cross it off your list, and embrace that feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction. Give yourself a pat on the back and use this as your fuel to do more until you finish so many lists, you wouldn’t have noticed you’ve already reached your full potential…or even beyond.

How do you get motivated? Leave a comment below and don’t forget to share it and spread your positivity with the world.

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