Without inspiration the best powers of the mind remain dormant.
There is a fuel in us which needs to be ignited with sparks.
Everyone wants to do better; well, most people do. But staying motivated takes more that merely saying you favorite affirmations over and over, you must believe them. It means putting in the work and doing your due diligence, but you must also find ways to keep your motivation turned on, fired up, tuned into what you want to achieve. You have to help your mind want to stay motivated. Here are a few suggestions on how to do that:
1. Make it and life fun
When you are working on projects, either in your personal life or at work, you need to find some fun in the processes. Making things fun can help motivate yourself and others who may be having a tough time making it through. If you can find ways to make your work not feel like drudgery all the time, you will begin to enjoy it so much more. If you are the “boss” or the leader, and your employees or teammates are lacking in motivation, then it is up to you to help turn things into a more positive environment. This will help alleviate mounting issues of frustration that eventually lead to problems with hostility.
2. Communicate
Communication is an important way to remain motivated and to motivate other people. You need to be sure that all of the lines of communication are open and that there is never a disconnect. If there are potential brewing, make sure that people are keeping you and others apprised. The more aware and attuned you are to potential problems, the less severe the fallout will usually be. Awareness can also help you prevent some things from occurring also.
3. Stimulate
Stimulation is important. Be sure that you participate in something every day that is stimulating for you. Stimulation is good for the brain and body. If you do the same thing day in and day out, you will eventually become bored with it. This will ultimately make it difficult to concentrate on reaching your goal. Be sure you create a stimulating environment for yourself, even if it means just mixing things up a bit. Change some small things. This can help you become enthusiastic about what you are doing, and may present opportunities to change your perspective about the “big picture” of your life too.
4. Continual improvement, not perfection
Improvements are important. One of the things that you need to keep in your motivational toolkit is to expect some improvements as you go along. As you practice your motivational techniques you will need to find ways to improve your attitude and the way you do the things you do. If you are paying attention, you will be able to find specific areas where you can make small changes to make things better. As you notice these areas, you can create a focal point and set new goals too. This will help you keep motivated to work toward your larger and longer term goals.
Expecting improvement is an excellent way to avoid stagnation. When people improve or you improve, don’t be afraid to raise the bar a bit. This helps people excel even further beyond what you or others might have thought was possible.
5. Create
Feed your creativity muscle. When you work on your motivational techniques everyday be sure you are creative. Never be afraid to use your creative side. It is healthy to be creative. Encourage creativity in others as well. Many of the people you encounter every day have a lot that they can teach you when you show them you are interested in seeing them and their creative side.
Motivation takes some work. You must make conscious and conscientious efforts to keep yourself and those around you focused and on track. But remember, all work and no play makes you very dull… even to yourself. Have some fun. Mix things up a bit. Let your creativity flag fly every now and then
Thoughts?
Photo Credit: sirwiseowl via Compfight cc
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