Tips to motivate yourself
There are countless psychology models and theories on what motivates us to do the things we do, how we respond to incentives, achievement theories, and so on. Motivation can be seen as some sort of excitement.
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Follow these tips to remain motivated in a simple way that works every single day.
Take a break
The only way we can perform at an optimal level is create time for rest.The moment you know you cannot take any time off is usually when you need it most.
So take that long delayed vacation, and return to your business with renewed enthusiasm.
Keep your cards close to your chest
Finally running that marathon? Excited about your new diet? Bursting at the seams over your new project? Good. Keep it to yourself.
Announcing your intent to do these feats will backfire. Resist the urge to reap the barrage of Facebook likes and gushing comments.
The positive feedback you receive from your network will trick your brain into thinking you have already accomplished your goal, sabotaging your once-motivated brain to do said feat.
So keep it to yourself and share the good news once you have already done it.
Confront death, define your legacy
Death is a powerful motivator. We normally get involved in mindless activities which make us feel like we are accomplishing things, when in reality we are just spinning in circles.
Knowing that you have limited time on this planet helps sharpen your focus.
Everything we do is another step in defining our legacy. This may seem like heady posturing, but both can be powerful motivators.
Celebrate the little wins
Little wins may seem like just a little progress. Celebrating these wins can help to create positive habits.
You break the inertia of mediocrity by teaching everyone around you how to win. They get the chance to bask in that emotion.
Slash your to-do list in half.
Slashing your aggressive to-do list in half will allow room for success. Knowing that it is realistic for you to complete the list is empowering.
Be gentle with yourself
Stop comparing the accomplishments in your life with those of your neighbours. The story you create in your head will never be as good and the reality will never be as bad.
There are many people who are smarter than you. The moment you can embrace this notion, you are free. Free to explore, free to follow what excites you, free to ignore what they do or how they do it and focus on you.
Embrace vulnerability
We live in a culture where we horde Instagram followers and Facebook likes. The perception of our lives being anything less than perfect is a daunting notion. The glossy Facebook identification of our lives can create a dangerous facade of success.
Sharing defeats and admitting failure is a powerful cultivator of motivation, allowing you to move past the failure.
Work through the emotion instead of taking it out on someone else. Then move on to something more constructive.
Sharing these vulnerable moments also cultivates deeper connection with peers.
Do what you love
Find what it is you love to do and get proficient at it. Success dwells at the point of passion and excellence. But be careful.
Make sure that you can make a living from your passion. You need to be passionate about a lot of things, analyze them and know that not everything you can make a living at.
Focus
The most important quality item for success today is "Focus". You need to place premium on things that will bring some improvement in your life rather than worrying unnecessarily on what somebody is doing to you.
We are all inundated with texts and emails. These are no longer just work interruptions, because of the mini-computers we carry around in our pockets, the flood of information distracts us wherever we happen to be, 24/7.
So turn off your phone, stop trolling your ex-lover's Facebook page and get to work.
Inc.com