Six Strategies to Stay Motivated

One of the top questions I get asked is “how do I stay motivated?” We all know what it feels like to be motivated, it inspires us to take action on something we really want to do. Motivation makes it easier (even enjoyable) to follow through on challenging tasks. The problem is that feeling of motivation is always temporary. When motivation leaves us too often we stop taking action. That’s why I always set my client’s expectations by telling them not to rely on motivation for the journey they are about to embark upon, instead we rely on following out process. Your process is the plan you made outlining the steps you will need to complete to reach your goal.

When you are feeling motivated then ride the wave until the wheels fall off by taking massive action, but when that motivation wanes (and it will), expect it and just keep moving anyway. 

That being said, motivation is a wonderfully amazing feeling and there are ways that you can maintain that motivation momentum. Below are 6 strategies to milk motivation for all it’s worth.

1. Acknowledgement. When you are feeling great acknowledge it, be aware of what motivation feels like to you physically and mentally. Taking a moment to be in the present moment and to make an imprint of what those good feelings are to you will make it easier to recall those feelings when you need to give yourself a boost through creative visualization. The acknowledgement may also amplify the feelings of motivation in the moment as well.
2. Take action. So many people wait to feel motivated before doing something. The energy required to go to the gym is not the same energy required for sitting around so to think you will spontaneously become motivated to go train after prolonged sitting and prolonged negative thoughts is unlikely. So start. Do something. Even for 5 minutes. Usually that 5 minutes will be enough to motivate you to work a little longer.
3. Choose your content. If there is something that you want to make a part of your life then watch more content on the subject, it will help to get you motivated to act. If you want to be a better cook then check out cooking shows, cooking magazines, try out new recipes that you find. If you want to incorporate more movement into your life than watch videos on YouTube about the type of movement that interests you. Consume as much content as you can on whatever it is that interests you.
4. Choose your friends. Stay away from people who are toxic and who may demotivate you from working on your goals. Equally as important is to find a tribe that has the same interests as you, who you can rely on for support and to help keep you motivated.
5. Celebrate the Wins. Celebrate no matter how small the win may seem to you, its worthy of recognition and acknowledgement. Creating a reward system can keep you motivated but just be sure not to use counterproductive rewards such as eating an entire pizza because you followed through with going to the gym.
6. Stay away from demotivators. If you want to be/stay motivated then stray way from the people/things that suck your motivation away. The demotivators I am talking about may be bad habits in your life that you are having a hard time letting go of despite being aware they are sabotaging your efforts to be a better you. You will not change these bad habits overnight so don’t be too hard on yourself. The first step is being aware of when you do these things because you can’t change what you are not aware of. Be aware that when you decide to indulge in one of the habits that unmotivates you from working on the things that are important to you that it has REAL WORLD CONSEQUENCES. Here are a few habits/demotivators that can suck your motivation for doing the things you WANT to make room for in your life.

Social Media

Dating apps

Shopping

TV

Overeating

Overworking

Drugs/alcohol

Negative content

None of these strategies are guaranteed to keep you motivated 24/7 but they increase your chances of feeling motivated more often and for longer periods of time.

If you feel that bad habits are keeping you stuck from moving forward with your goals then reach out to me and I can get you on the path of getting unstuck!