In the words of Nelson Mandela: "It always seems impossible until it's done." Accomplishing big things can be daunting. Whether it’s completing a degree program, climbing a mountain, losing fifty pounds, writing a novel, or learning a new career skill, it can feel overwhelming to take on such a big project. Staying motivated is essential to getting it done. If you don’t believe you can do something, the odds are very good you won’t finish it. If you need a mental kick in the pants to stay motivated, try a few of these tips to help you stay locked in so you don’t fall behind as you work toward achieving your dreams.
Know The Warning Signs
Think back to moments in your life when you lost your motivation. Those times where you no longer felt any enthusiasm or interest in what you were doing. What were the warning signs? Did you find yourself getting easily distracted? Did you start coming up with excuses to avoid doing your work? Or did you find yourself saying yes to too many things, taking on too much responsibility, and crumbling beneath the weight of all those tasks?
When you understand how you act when you feel unmotivated, you can also start to understand what makes you unmotivated. Is it because you feel like you don’t have the resources or knowledge needed to finish what you started? Is it because you don’t feel supported? Is it a time management issue?
Every situation is different but there can be common patterns that emerge over the years. Take an honest look at yourself and see if there’s any patterns there for you to pay attention to. Knowing where the rakes are in your path will help keep you from stepping on them.
Create A Supportive Environment
If you want to stay motivated, it helps to surround yourself with things that motivate you. What helps you stay focused? What tools do you need close at hand? Organize your work or study space to make it easy to navigate. You’d be amazed at how much time you can waste looking for basic items like keys or pens that you need right away.
A supportive environment is also one that minimizes distractions. Keep any recreational objects or screens out of sight (and thus out of mind). Work in a space that doesn’t get a lot of noise or foot traffic in it so you don’t get pulled away by random conversation or to investigate a loud sound.
Don’t Be Afraid To Switch It Up
If you’re losing motivation, it may be because you’re bored. It’s good to be disciplined and have a routine, but sometimes that routine can become mind-numbing. This is something that neuroscience confirms: our brains grow, forming new cells and neural connections, when we push ourselves to learn and do new things. Novelty can expand our sense of self.
It can be helpful to reexamine what you’re doing to achieve your goals when you start to feel disengaged. Can you take a different approach? Is there a new tactic you can try? Even something as simple as working during a different time of the day or at a new location could be just what you need to make things feel fresh and engaging again. Don’t be afraid to change things if you’re already getting results with a tired yet true method: you may be just as successful (or more so!) doing it in a new way.
Visualize Your Future Success
It helps to have a positive vision of the future if you want to stay motivated. Look at your goals and project yourself at their endpoint. Imagine completing all those goals. How do you think you’ll feel? What will your life look like? Some goals are easier to visualize than others (like losing weight or moving to a new home), but any goal can be visualized with a little bit of creativity.
One way to make this more concrete is to create a vision board. It could be a Pinterest board or a physical collage you make with magazine clippings and glue sticks. Keep this visual representation of your goals in a place where you’ll see it on a daily basis. On days where you feel overwhelmed or off-track, meditate on this vision board. Remind yourself of how good you’ll feel when you’ve attained these goals. Remember what you’re working for.
You’re Not Alone
Nobody can achieve your dreams for you, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get some help along the way. If you’re feeling down or need some direction, don’t hesitate to reach out. Talk to friends and family, activate your network, or bend a mentor’s ear. It may feel embarrassing or strange to ask for people to pump you up and encourage you, but sometimes you need a cheer team to get you to the finish line. Spending quality time with people is a proven stress reliever, and few things can de-motivate you and cloud your judgment like being weighed down with too much stress.
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Article by Austin Brietta