5 Easy Ways to Stay Motivated Starting Today

Let me guess …

 

You’re a successful person.

 

You’ve accomplished great things.

 

You love the feeling of starting a project. And you love the feeling of pride and accomplishment when you see it through.

 

Sometimes, though, you find it difficult to finish.

 

You start with a bang and your energy is electric. You shoot forward like a locomotive, full-steam ahead, for 2-3 weeks. An Army tank couldn’t stop your focus and drive.

 

But then … something happens.

 

Something comes up – you get a flat tire, someone criticizes what you’re doing or a loved one gets sick. Before you know it, your project takes a backseat.

 

By the time you realize it, your momentum is gone. You question what you were doing in the first place.

 

Has this ever happened to you?

 

If you’re an ambitious person or a go-getter, I suspect it has.

 

Here are 5 easy ways to stay motivated starting today:

 

• ‘Find your why’. In his 5-day e-course, Your Best Year Ever, NYT-bestselling author- and former Thompson/Nielson CEO-Michael Hyatt says one of the most essential aspects of goal setting is finding your why – or the reason you chose to go for the goal in the first place. I strongly agree. Say you want to lose 20 pounds. Before you start, write down 5-7 reasons why. Be as specific as possible. For example, in the losing 20 pounds example, maybe you want to breathe easier, or feel better about yourself when you look in the mirror. Or maybe losing weight is a matter of life and death for you. Whatever the reasons, they must be personal and important to you. Then, whenever the urge to abandon your plan comes up, take out the piece of paper and reconnect with your why. It’ll get you back in touch with your original passion and fire. There are times for me personally, when I’m tired and may not have the energy to write. When those feelings come up, I reconnect with my main why – part of my life’s purpose is to educate and inspire people to enjoy their lives more. Often, just thinking about this is enough to motivate me to keep going.

• Use the A-B-D method. A-B-D stands for Affirm, Believe, Do. Start out with affirmations about yourself and motivation. Before you even do this, though, examine your beliefs about yourself and how motivated or unmotivated you think you are. Do you believe you have difficulty staying motivated? Then you will. Do you really believe you can lose that 20 pounds? Or, deep-down, do you think it’s a long-shot for you? Before you can achieve anything in your life, you need to believe it first; that starts with your thinking. Your thoughts are incredibly powerful and each one carries its own energy. The good thing is, you can change your thinking. Let me repeat: you can change your thinking. And since beliefs are only thoughts you continue to think, you can change those, too. Personally, I’ve changed my thinking in numerous areas of my life – shyness, public speaking, confidence, relationships, self worth and more – and I’ve witnessed dozens of people do the same. And I know you can, too. Affirmations are perfect for this. In the case of personal motivation, start with a few affirmations and say them 2-3 times a day. Here are a few to try:

 

“Motivation comes naturally to me.”

 

“It’s easy for me to get and stay motivated.”

 

“Obstacles never derail me. I adopt new habits with ease.”

 

• Stop expecting perfection. Lifestyle changes don’t always come easy or happen overnight. If they did, we’d all exhibit positive, healthy behaviors all the time. Here’s a tip: don’t set sky-high expectations for yourself. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither are brand-new habits. It takes practice and persistence to master things; don’t give up at the first stumble. Get back up there and try again.

• Buddy up. Instead of changing something alone, recruit a friend or family member and do it together. Nine months after giving birth to my first daughter, my husband and I went to Florida. We both wanted to lose 10 pounds before the trip, and we made it a goal to do so. Working toward a shared goal was much more fun than doing it alone. And we had a friendly little competition. We also do this every morning when we wake up. We have a little game that whichever one of gets up last is responsible for making the bed that day. I can’t tell you how many days that motivates me to get up early 🙂

• Expose yourself to motivation. One of the main ways people decide to change in the first place is by listening to or reading something motivating. There’s something about hearing other people talk about their triumphs that inspires us to do it, too. When you find that feeling fading, take that as a cue that your motivation meter is running low and it’s time to fill up. Throw on some Tony Robbins, Zig Ziglar or Jack Canfield and you’ll be inspired and motivated again in no time. Sometimes just putting on some upbeat music can completely change your mood.

 

There you have it; 5 easy ways to stay motivated starting today. What are your favorite ways to stay motivated? Leave me a comment below. I love hearing from you!

 

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