How to Motivate Yourself

                                      Not even a rocky environment can stop progress

Some readers have asked me on Facebook and through email “Where do I find my motivation?” “You make it sound easy! How can I find what helps motivates me?”

The first one I can answer easy enough.

…actually that’s not 100% correct. I had to think about that because there’s many things that motivate me, but I’ll try to pinpoint the major ones.

What motivates me?

My children! Straight up. I’ve always been the type of mum that will encourage, inspire and motivate my kids to be true to themselves and pursue whatever endeavor they’re passionate about. One of my sons’ an artist, (and a fine one, I might add) and although through his teen years he was discouraged from it a lot, he never listened to the negativity behind it and kept going strong with it. I often wished that I had his courage to continue and pursue what I loved. He gave me that motivation to pursue my creative side, even if I did keep it hidden for a few more years.

What keeps my motivation and focus in check? Staying motivated and focused isn’t always an easy feat. Some days I do wake up and think “Stuff it, I couldn’t be bothered writing today”, then I’ll open my emails and read how I’m motivating others to get out and write. I read the feedback/comments on my blog and social media pages and the encouraging words are what keep me doing what I’m doing.

What motivates you?

I’d love to be able to give you an easy solution! It's an answer you have to find out for yourself. There are so many things that can make you feel motivated, but to choose just one of them may be the hardest part.

Get negative people out of your life for starters Criticism is always going to happen. Constructive criticism is a good thing and helps growth, but negative criticism isn’t beneficial. I found that when I was being told that my writing wasn’t all that good (on a regular basis) I started to believe it myself. Remove yourself from negative environments and surround yourself with positive people. Smile amply and think happy thoughts.

Ask yourself questions like-

•  What goals do I want to achieve?
•  Why am I doing this?
•  How soon do I want to see these goals reached?

Have visual goals. Make whatever you’re working towards a visual. Maybe it’s something material like a car, or a vacation you have been looking forward to for the longest time. Take or cut out a picture of it and post it in your environment where you will see it most often. When you feel discouraged, this will remind you of your goal.

I’ve got my visuals set up in my bedroom and my dining room. They seem to be the two rooms I spend the most time. My goal is to not only motivate others into pursuing what they love, to show others that if I can do it, then you can too, but to also gain income to be able get the 4WD that I want and travel Australia’s outback again. I have visual goals like pictures of the dream car, pictures of the Simpson Desert in my dining room and on my bedroom wall, just near my bedroom door I’ve got positive statements. It’s the first thing I read when I get up each day, and the last thing I read when I close my door of a night. These work best for me, especially on the mornings when I really don’t feel like doing anything but becoming a lazy lump on the lounge with my box of Malt Stix, coffee and the TV remote.

Make a contract with yourself. Motivational researches have shown that people who write down to-do-lists tend to achieve their intended goals more than those people who just keep mental lists. Break down the apparently unattainable activity to small doable steps. Not only does it become less overwhelming, but seeing the "in the meantime" results will further your confidence that it can indeed be done

Read inspirational books and literature. These will help you improve your attitude and heal your mind. A book of success stories also proves to be encouraging. You will not only learn from others' experiences and derive confidence boosting insights from them but the story will be instrumental in motivating you to go for your goal and move ahead with your plans

Mutual support is motivating. Join forums, communities that are in your field of interest, and talk to others…they all started off exactly the same and can offer some great advice and ideas that’ll give you that kick up the bum to keep going. Sharing ideas, expertise and experience is an invaluable aspect of motivation.

Lack of motivation happens to us all, but if you do not encourage yourself to accept opportunities and be challenged, no one else will. It is most important to keep your eye on the goal, find ways to keep going, and in no time, you shall see the benefits. If at the beginning you were just doing it for the material reward, you will also learn to realize that the fulfillment, satisfaction and self-achievement you gain from reaching your goal is a much enjoyable high

MAKE THINGS HAPPEN! Keep on aiming high and go for it!

Writing this has now given me the idea of creating another eBook. I have thought of so many different motivational tips but I have tried to shorten this down so you wouldn’t have to be sitting here scrolling through half the morning (afternoon, evening – whatever time zone you’re reading this in). With all these tips I thought why not turn them into an eBook?

I originally started this post to help motivate you, and found that it has actually motivated me to write the book. I hope this has helped motivate you and inspired you to start thinking beyond your "limits."

So now I’m off to create another creation. Hopefully I will be posting soon that the new eBook has that lovely “Live” status.

‘Til next time stay safe, stay smiling J