Do you find yourself wanting to achieve but when it comes to it can’t find the motivation?
How many times have you said you want to get fit and healthy and then fallen off the wagon in a matter of weeks, maybe even days?
We all have goals we want to achieve whether they are work related or personal, but it’s easy to lose your motivation!
However, you can achieve your goals and dreams if you’re persistent. You can improve your motivation by improving your mindset.
Here are my top 10 Tips for Boosting Motivation –
- Know your WHY
It’s important to understand WHY you’re doing what you’re doing!
It’s very easy to feel bogged down by a chore or yet another day at work but if you can focus on the bigger picture, your own personal goals, you can boost your motivation for the day to day.
Perhaps you want a particular car or to move to a new home? Maybe you want a promotion or to go on a dream holiday?
Get clear in your mind how completing any given task moves you closer to achieving your personal goals.
If you don’t know what your personal goals are then grab a pen and paper and figure them out!
Understand your WHY and focus on it!
Stick a picture of your dream car on your computer monitor. Save a beautiful beach as your screensaver on your phone. Create a dream board with pictures of your goals and display it at home so that you will see it and be reminded daily.
If you find yourself dragging your feet… simply remind yourself of your WHY!
- Be aware of your language
I need to…
I have to…
I must…
These all come from a heavy place, they make any task feel like a chore and who enjoys doing chores!
Try switching it to –
I WANT to!
Wanting to do something creates much more enthusiasm, it’s more positive and energetic.
It’s simple but effective!
- Break your goals down
Breaking goals down into smaller bite sized chunks reduces overwhelm and makes them easier to achieve.
Sometimes our goals can be vague such as ‘get healthier’ but what does this actually involve?
For example – Eat three meals a day, drink 2 litres of water daily, exercise for 20 minutes three times a week and get 8 hours of sleep.
These are all smaller goals which help you to achieve your overall goals and create a feeling of success along the way.
- Celebrate your successes
It’s important to celebrate your successes no matter how big or small!
Give yourself a pat on the pack to encourage yourself and share your successes with others, thanking them for their support and and enjoying any praise.
You can also reward yourself. Perhaps you gift yourself a 20 minute walk in the sunshine after completing a particular task.
All goals no matter how small count towards the larger goals and it helps to acknowledge our success along the way to keep our motivation high.
- Take regular breaks
Taking a break my seem counterproductive but we become mentally fatigued if we don’t.
Go outside and get some fresh air to re-energise your body and your mind and them come back to your task feeling refreshed.
An effective way to do this is the POMODORO technique.
Set a timer for 25 minutes and then take a 5 minute break. Once again set the timer for 25 minutes and then take a longer break of 10-20 minutes. Then simply start over.
This technique encourages you to take regular breaks and stay focused during the time that you are working.
- Stay mentally alert
Doing anything when you’re tired and mentally foggy is hard work so give yourself the best chance of staying motivated by –
- Staying hydrated – at least 2 litres of water a day
- Getting enough and good quality sleep – 7-9 hours per night for adults
- Eating brain boosting foods – nuts, seeds, blueberries, dark chocolate (in small amounts!) and fish
Look after your body and it will look after you!
- Be mindful
A current buzzword but what does it actually mean? It means being present, in the moment and focussing on the task at hand rather than trying to do a task but thinking about other tasks at the same time.
Do you find yourself trying to remember 100 things at once? This is taking up brain power and distracting you from what you are doing.
Try writing down everything you have to do, this will clear some space in a busy mind and allow you to focus on and complete one thing at a time.
- Have a change of scenery
The research shows that remote workers are more productive, clock more hours and take less sick days!
Why not work from home if you can? If not try sitting at a different desk and surrounding yourself with different people or work from a coffee shop for an hour.
You’ll see different things and people in a change of environment and this can help to boost your energy and creativity.
- Be held accountable
Telling someone we know about our goals seems to increase the likelihood that we will stick at them.
Tell someone that will check in with you and ask for progress updates and if there is little progress will ask why this is.
Because there is always a reason progress hasn’t been made such as poor planning, underestimating what was involved, fear and perfectionism. They will be able to help you become aware of the reason so that you can overcome it.
- Try some Power Poses
And if all else fails try a few power poses!
Adopting a strong and powerful stance can help to positively shift your energy and boost your emotions which can only serve to increase your level of motivation.
And so, there you have my Top 10 Tips, short and sweet.
It doesn’t have to be complicated, a few little tweaks can go a long way!
Click here to download my free eBook – How to Swap Stress and Burnout for Mental Clarity and Physical Wellness
