10 Ways to Stay Motivated

You had a great idea or discovered an amazing new passion project and dove head first into this exciting new project. You were so jazzed in the beginning, but as it got harder, or you hit a roadblock, your motivation came to a grinding halt. Sound familiar? It happens to the best of us. Without motivation, it becomes virtually impossible to move forward. The trick is to stay motivated even when you aren’t feelin’ it.

Here are 10 tips to help you stay motivated.

Tip #1: Visualize Success

I know, I know, when you’re stuck it may seem silly to imagine yourself completing the project. But, science says {and you can’t argue with science} that thoughts produce the same mental instructions as actions. The more detailed your visualization, the better. A positive visualization of success tells your subconscious that you can succeed. And sometimes that’s all you need to get your mojo back.

Tip #2: Ditch Distractions

You were in beast mode, showing that blog post/client proposal/marketing plan/brilliant strategy document who’s boss, when, suddenly, *ping* you received a notification. Oooohhhhh, shiny, let me go see what Karen said…

Or, you were writing a blog post on 10 tips to stay motivated and you noticed one of your plugins needed to be updated… #truestory

And everything came to a grinding halt.

We live in an amazing time where we have constant access to information and people. It is so easy to be lured away from the task at hand by the siren song of kitten videos.

Ditching distractions isn’t just a task management best practice, it’s a motivational best practice. Those distractions make it easier to stop, easier to forget what you were working on, and infinitely harder to get back to the task at hand, yo.

To stay motivated, intentionally eliminate distractions. Turn off the notifications, close those distracting apps {I’m looking at you Tw-Insta-Pin-Book-In!}, leave your phone in the other room. If there is noise that distracts you, put on the headphones or isolate yourself. Go ahead and put yourself in a time-out until you get your momentum back.

Tip #3: Be Chunky

Having elephant-sized goals is good. Trying to shove an entire elephant in your mouth is bad. You might be losing motivation because you are overwhelmed by the enormity of the goal.

You eat an elephant one bite at a time.

And you achieve goals one step at a time.

You might be losing motivation because you’re too overwhelmed by big goals. Break your goals down to bite-sized chunks and tackle those small chunks as individual tasks. Then tackle those tasks one at a time.

And listen, bestie, be mindful that your tasks are actually tasks. Create a website is not a task, it’s a goal. You want to set yourself up for success – not failure to stay motivated.

Tip #4: Stop Procrastinating

*Steps on soapbox* If you are procrastinating about something, you’ve already stopped working. And when you stop working, your motivation dips to dangerous levels. When this happens, you need to get yourself back on track ASAP. Check out these ways to overcome procrastination.

Tip #5: Exercise

WAIT, hear me out! I’m not saying you need to commit to daily boot camps {although, if that’s your thing, rock on with your bad self, sister!}. But, nothing stimulates your brain the same way physical movement does. Take a brisk walk around your block, have a dance party in your kitchen, do 20 jumping jacks. Get your heart pumping and your brain producing endorphins to jump you back into high gear.

Tip #6: Change of Scenery

When we’re stuck with a problem, it can help to change our perspective, figuratively and literally. If you’ve been sitting at your desk for hours, you are growing stagnant, and a change of scenery can do wonders.

Take a walk. Go for a drive. Take your laptop to your favorite coffee shop. Or simply work in a different room of your house.

Tip #7: Meditate

Instead of speeding up, intentionally choose to pause. Close your eyes. Breathe deeply. Find your center and your calm. Relax and let go of what’s going on around you.

Tip #8: Listen to Music

Play music that puts a bounce in your step and a smile in your soul. The genre doesn’t matter. Whatever makes you feel alive is what matters.

Once your motivation has returned, you may need to turn the volume down or turn it off completely if it becomes a distraction.

Tip #9: Stop Worrying

I come from a long line of worriers, so I know this is easier said than done. But worrying about an outcome has never once changed the outcome.

Let go of the things you cannot change, so you can keep moving forward on the things you impact.

Tip #10: Find a Motivator

Nothing is more motivating than other people achieving their goals and sharing their wisdom. The best part is all successful people have failures in their past and they are willing to share them to help you avoid the same pitfalls.

Working with a mentor or coach, a mastermind group, or even reading a biography of someone who you find motivating can spur you back into action. Just make sure you make time to take time. Joining the group or buying the book won’t do squat for you if you don’t do squat with it.

I hope these 10 tips to stay motivated are helpful for you. We’re all different, so if one of these tips doesn’t work for you, try a different one. Only you know what you need to succeed.

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