I think of motivation as the desire I have or actions I take to obtain a goal. We all hear people say they wish they had the motivation to be able to finish a project. Is it motivation that they're looking for, or could it be they just need a good reason to finish the project?
Motivation can be tricky! Finding the energy can be tricky, too! Life will always throw things at us, but we don't have to let that get in the way of accomplishing the things we want to. Often, those who are looking for the missing motivation just feel overwhelmed.
1. Becoming inspired.
Let's take time each day to do the things we love to do. This doesn't mean to take all day and manage to accomplish nothing else. Enjoy reading? Even 30 minutes of reading a favorite book will help us relax and become more peaceful.As a home buff, my favorite thing to do when taking a break is to look at the beautiful projects that are posted on Pinterest. I love seeing the ideas and trying them. The problem arises when I take on one of those projects that's a little too much for me to handle. Once the project is underway, I begin to get tired, and then things just don't fall into line the way they should have. As the project goes on, I am asking myself why I had started in the first place. Of course, as this project is happening, I begin to fall behind on the other obligations I have. Then what happens? I end up stressing out over something that should have been fun.
2. Do not jump in feet-first.
Having a project to help calm and relax ourselves is perfectly fine and healthy. But taking on a project where we feel completely overwhelmed is not a good thing. There are ways to be able to complete a project without driving ourselves nuts.Start small.
Let's take on the smaller projects that we know we have time for. For a first effort, don't pick something like building a dining room table! Um, yes, I am guilty here, and I learned a big lesson from this one. If we start small and accomplish the project, we feel great. If we start too big and end up stressing, we want to give up.
Make time.
We all need to do things that we enjoy. It's so easy for us to get caught up in life and lose sight of what relaxation is. We shouldn't wait until the end of the day when we feel completely exhausted to begin something we want to do. For some reason, many of us tend to put everyone else's needs before our own, and then we feel depleted. Feeling depleted is one sure-fire way to lose any motivation we may have had.
Even the smallest of goals obtained can make us feel good. That one small project that we started is now finished. Stand back and look at it and be proud! We're one step further than we were yesterday, or even an hour ago!
Stick with the project.
If the project is small and we know deep inside we can do it, we shouldn't give up! Even if we feel like we aren't motivated at the moment, the motivation will come back. Just do a little work on the project daily, or when there's time.
Set obtainable goals.
Setting goals where we don't have to jump through hoops is a great way to begin. But setting goals that are hard to accomplish will only make us feel defeated before even getting halfway through our project. Setting small reachable goals will also allow us to spend more time on the project and "get ahead".
Keep accountable.
We don't have to promise anyone but ourselves that we'll be successfully finishing a project. If we want more accountability, we can go public with the goal. Let's just not overwhelm ourselves by announcing our projects and then having to stress about them!
Think about all the benefits.
It's easy to tell ourselves all about the things we can't seem to manage. When working on a project, be aware of all the positives. We're relaxing, accomplishing a project, and feeling pretty darn good about it.
Read about projects.
When in a slump, read about the project we're doing and those we would like to attempt in the future. Just sitting and reading a book, post, or blog can lift our spirits and give us a little burst of energy.
Surround ourselves with motivated people.
This doesn't mean that we have to have a crowd around us when doing the project. If we have highly motivated friends, let's spend time with them! There are even forums online that are filled with people just like us who are looking to be around motivated people.
Drop the negative talk.
This means negative self-talk and negative talk from others. Rule of thumb: if we wouldn't say something negative about another person's goal, why would we say it to ourselves? There will always be someone in the crowd that has to have some sort of negative comment. Disregard the comments. I repeat, disregard the comments! Those with negative comments are probably unhappy about something in their own lives or little circle. We don't need everyone's affirmation to let us know we had the motivation and completed a project. Let's fill our minds with positive thoughts!
Believe in ourselves.
Oh, there are days when we just have no energy. Even the best of motivational speakers have days when they feel tired and don't have the motivation they teach about. Why is that? Because we're all human, and motivation, like all things in life, will ebb and flow.
Reassess goals.
If we start to think that we bit off too much this time, let's not be afraid to be internally honest and step back to rethink things. Look at the richest business people. Even they had times when they bit off too much. These millionaires had to stop and rethink their plans of action.
3. Motivation and energy levels.
It's hard for any of us to stay motivated when our energy is depleted. For some of us, our energy has been zapped due to illness. Taking the time to get the adequate rest we need will pay off in the long run. Giving ourselves breaks for rest isn't a bad thing. Currently, there are just times when we need to slow down to get our bodies and minds back on course. The best thing to do is to take great care of ourselves. Human bodies are amazing! What a well-tuned body and mind can accomplish can really surprise us!What's next?
Are you ready to dive into a new project? What's the project, and what motivated you? What do you do when you feel you're experiencing a motivational "slump"? Tell us in the comments, and we'll help each other!
Zebra Stone helps you to find your balance in life. Its energy is very motivating, mood lifting and energetic. This Tree of Life Healing 108 Zebra Jasper Mala Beads carries within it a reminder to the bearer that it is impossible to lose all of one’s energy and love by giving it away.
