HOW TO GET THE SPIRIT OF MOTIVATION

Let's see if any of this sounds familiar!

You beautifully scribbled down resolutions, and this time you were even careful to keep them practical, you wrote down detailed plans, and then even tried to stick to them as the year proceeded. Buts oops! just halfway through January, you realize things are falling apart. 

So, what went wrong? You had the perfect start, practical goals and a carefully architected plan, therefore, what may be lacking is motivation. And here on earth, it is the motivation that moves you, that puts you on the direct route to your goals.

But there’s a not so tiny problem.

The Motivation Problem

The most widely held notion about motivation is that it must come to you, and consequently propel you to make the next move.

I call this the motivation problem and regard it furthest away from the truth.

The truth which might sound bitter to you right now is that motivation is a result of a move you make. Always remember, motivation is a by-product of a given move and not the actual force.

The mere fact that you are searching for motivation doesn’t give you an upper hand. You are going to need two things to attain the motivation you so badly need.

1.      Effort

2.      A personal goal

 

Until and unless you feel the benefit of an action, I don’t expect you to be personally or accurately motivated. You may have heard this before, but let me reiterate this, scrolling through social media and comparing yourself or your journey to others on Instagram will never give you that boost of motivation.

Of course, you should feel happy for those people and appreciate how far they have come in their journeys- but what’s going to push YOU to feel happy for YOURSELF, and take on a personal journey?

Put what everyone is thinking aside, it is not your business. Take the first baby step, then the next, and then the next – hold your tea and watch your motivation grow stronger with each step you take, no matter how small or insignificant they seem.

Small Steps Set in Motion Big Results

From personal experience and study, I have come to the conclusion that motivation is weirdly seasonal, and don’t get me wrong, that’s absolutely okay. Of late, I am in a low-motivation season, as compared to the mid-range or high-motivation flows that keep me right on track. All I have done to face this reality is adjust to these lower levels of motivation.  

I am proud to say, that’s okay.

As long as you take that baby steps every day to enhance the quality of the next day, you will see the benefits, and as long as the benefits are there, your motivation should stay.

You’ll begin to notice that the levels of your motivation are actually rising, and the low-motivation streak will be over before you can say, “Oh look, I am back on track”. What more can we expect of motivation, when even life itself comes in seasons, and you have to adjust to the flows if you don’t want to be left far behind?

Here are the steps I take when I feel my motivation taking a downward spiral;

1.      Put my phone away for a while

2.      Take a social media hiatus

3.      Meditate/yoga/exercise

4.      Change my diet

5.      Get 8+ hours of sleep

 

These may feel like they are very small if not insignificant, but in reality, they break the monotony and force your brain to take a detour. These have been my go-to’s whenever I need to get back in the game.

Now, let me ask you the million-dollar question

What Will You Do to Motivate Yourself?

I cannot emphasize enough the irrelevance of where you are with regard to your goals – perhaps you have managed to make some progress, maybe you are staggering and on the verge of letting it all go down the pipe, or maybe, you have done nothing at all – in either case – it’s okay.

The more you beat yourself about not being motivated enough, the less motivated you are going to be.

You have to be that person who pushes you forward, believe it or not, no one can do that for you. You’ve got to pick up the pieces yourself, and then guide yourself to the path you seek. While you have to resort to yourself to begin with, YOU are your only hope and are the only one that can in the true sense of it all motivate yourself.

I am a believer in the efficacy of small steps. I am a believer in the change that stems from believing in yourself, and consequently taking the needed action. The only question that remains is – DO YOU?

While we are at it, remember YOU;

Are incredibly awesome

Can be successful

Are your own solution

Can start today