A new year is on the horizon! Understandably, there are many individuals who are approaching 2021 with cautious optimism based on the unprecedented events they experienced in 2020. Most of our motivational skills have been put to the test. And for some, motivation reserves have been exhausted due to challenges related or unrelated to pandemic this past year.
So one of the questions hovering in the forefront of most minds is: How can you get your motivation and optimism back on track following one of the most unimaginable years of all time? I wish I could offer a surefire one step, solution, but it does not exist. What I can offer you are practical proven and effective ways to kickstart, rebuild, nurture and secure your motivation amidst challenging times and thereafter. The good news is, challenging times won’t last forever. When we make ongoing efforts to keep ourselves equipped physically and emotionally, we increase ability to tackle difficult experiences, which in turn help to steady our motivation.
Here are some tips that will help you get your motivation on track and keep it there. And the great news is you can apply these tips to most areas of your life including professionally and personally.
1. Do At Least One Thing You Love To Do Each Day
How you approach your day sets tone of it. Think about the healthy activities that bring you the most enjoyment and put forth your best effort to incorporate them into your day. You might even have to schedule them into your day if you find yourself forgetting to take some time out for yourself each day. Your go-to’s might be walking, meditating, reading while you drink your tea, cooking a new recipe or face-timing with a friend over coffee. Building this beneficial reserve, will help you strengthen your resilience and reinforce your motivation levels.
2. Find Your Tribe
Surround yourself, virtually or non-virtually, with people that inspire you. Engaging with likeminded as well as motivational people will help you stay motivated. Many may think this goes without saying, but in actuality it’s easy to find ourselves migrating to people or situations that don’t make us feel our best and often unintentionally or intentionally sabotage our progress. Be mindful of the company you keep. It might also help to remember that quality often supersedes quantity. So if you find yourself engaged with a small circle of amazing friends, supportive mentors and well meaning professional contacts or acquaintances, consider yourself fortunate.
3. Spruce Up Your Surroundings.
Our environment can significantly impact motivation. Organizing your home environment can boost your sense of accomplishment and spark your motivation to get more done.
4. Write Down At Least One Thing You Want To Accomplish For The Day
Making asserted efforts to organize or think out your day, will help provide clarity and increase focus. By giving yourself at least one main objective for the day, you’re providing yourself with a solid reminder and reason to be motivated.
5. Find Ways To Help Or Support Others During Challenging Times
Reaching out to those in need can do wonders for your motivational level. Quite obviously, we shouldn’t give with the intention of getting. Helping others is more meaningful and beneficial when it comes from an organic place. That’s what makes it so invaluable and appreciated. Helping others in some way to navigate through their challenges, can provide an unexpected means of motivation by inciting gratefulness. Empathy inspires motivation.
6. Avoid Getting Boggled Down With Virtual Life
There’s been more of a push than ever to stay connected virtually these days. And, although the virtual world has its advantages, it can also have drawbacks if used in excess. I’m sure you’ve heard expressions along the lines of too much of anything is no good. Well, that applies to our new virtual endeavors as well. Believe it or not, it’s as easy to get boggled down with virtual commitments (zoom meetings, virtual events, group texts) as it would be in person. One of the ways you can avoid becoming overloaded is to exercise mindfulness. Take inventory of how you feel during the day or when you’re preparing for activities. Remind yourself to take timeouts when necessary. Doing so, will help you maintain your motivation or give you essential time to refuel it.
7. Reserve Time For Self-Care
Self-care, alone, can make the difference in how motivated you are or not. The truth is, there’s no way we can expect to do our best work, if we don’t feel our best. This might sound like an obvious option until you take in consideration how most of our collective ideas about success involve the concept of sacrificing our well-being. We live in a society that celebrates achieving success at all cost, which can often involve some degree of burnout.
So by all means, keep striving towards your goals and relish your opportunities, but do your best to keep self-care at the forefront. We often fall short when we make self-care an afterthought versus a forerunner. Keeping wellness at the helm of your work and daily activities, will ensure your progress. Be patient with yourself as you strive to get things done. It’s okay to find yourself in an unmotivated headspace sometimes, in fact that’s not expected during challenging times, you just don’t want to find yourself living there. If you make time to replenish and nurture your physical and emotional reserves, I can assure you this will enhance your motivation and help it thrive.
8. Try To Find The Bright Side
It’s easy to find ourselves in a pessimistic mode with everything we’ve experienced in the past year. Negativity might appear as the easiest and most readily available choice. You might find yourself having to put more effort than usual into seeing the good in situations, no matter how terrible they may seem. Practicing optimism can take you a long way.
Have you noticed any significant changes in your motivation this year? If so, what, if anything, did you try to enhance or reboot your motivation? Are there any tips that stood out for you in today’s post? Please comment below.
