Five Things To Get You Motivated

Having one of those times where you need a bit of a motivation boost? Me too. And the start of a new month is a good-a-reason as any to make a change or reconsider your goals, or give yourself a little kick up the backside to stop procrastinating. Whatever it is, these are the five things I've been doing lately that have a made a huge improvement to my motivation, and could for you too. 

1. Taken inspiration from friends and family. 
There are so many people you are connected to that are doing some great things, whether they are small victories for themselves, or bigger battles that they're gearing up for, and the fact you're surrounded by such people it's a no brainer you should spend time with them. Just as misery loves company, motivation and positivity are infectious, so have a chat with the people in your life about what they've been up to,  recharge your batteries by sharing, offloading and ask for help or support if you need it. Afterwards, you should feel more prepared to take on whatever you need to (and enjoyed some quality time with your favourite people along the way). 


2. Know what you're trying to achieve
Whether it's a big thing or a small thing, being able to complete or achieve something you set out to, is a success. It makes us happy, and it motivates us in other ways, so know what it is that you're trying to achieve and don't let yourself get sidetracked. If it's small and you can do it in a day, do it and know how positive you'll feel afterwards, if it's bigger and may take weeks or months, then break it down into manageable chunks and recognise success along the way. You need to know what you're trying to achieve though, know what success looks like, if you don't, then how do you expect to have the commitment to get it done? So write a list of everything you can possibly think of that you want to achieve and start ticking it off, big things, little things, give yourself some time frames and begin working towards something.

3. Enjoy the quiet
I've never meditated and I don't do yoga, although I would be open to both of these things, but lately I have just really enjoyed being quiet, or sitting in silence. No noise to get in my head, or to distract me from the task as hand. Not all day obviously, but just sometimes, the power of being in silence and doing what you need to do is great. It allows your mind the freedom to be loud, and to be heard, and in doing so, know in yourself if you're over thinking something, or whether you should be listening to the voice inside you. Music and TV are also big influences, and can have a huge effect on mood, so if what you need is headspace to figure out a problem, or concentrate, do it. 

4. Check out Ted Talks
I'm a HUGE Ted Talks fan, and I have watched so many of them on You Tube, from language based ones, to self discovery ones, the power of silence (refer to my earlier point), the benefit of sleep, exercise and eating well. Pretty much any topic you could think of, I'm watching / listening to them, because I find them motivating. Regardless of how long they are, you come away knowing something you didn't already know, reconsidering something you already knew, or maybe just with a sense of self esteem because it's left you feeling like you're doing something right. Whatever it is, and whatever you're into, they are amazing!

5. Activating Energy - aka Actually Do Something About It
Activation Energy is actually a term from one of the Ted Talks listed above, but it's something that I'd applied without knowing it had a coined term. Activation Energy is the breaking of a habit or an autonomous action to do something new. I'm paraphrasing massively there, but essentially it's about having and applying the energy to do something you don't already do. So for me, it was waking up one morning, thinking 'I really would like to start speaking french, when will I ever find the time though, and where would I start', and then actually researching and acting on that impulse, signing up to a class and spending my Saturday mornings in a classroom. Or wanting to get back into a good gym habit, so switching up my old routine so it works for me now. Whatever it is for you, apply it, it's exhilarating. Get out your own way, stop talking about wanting to do something for yourself and make moves to make it happen. Be the change you're waiting for to kick start your motivation, nobody else can do it for you. 

Hope these help, but for me, I've applied each and every one of these and they work on so many levels, but above it all, I have a desire to make positive changes to improve myself, so none of these actually feels like hard work at all. Instead they feel like the best prescription for helping you get motivated when you need it.