Life throws us many unsettling circumstances that can truly exhaust our motivation. However, you can recover and even prevent them from deflating your drive.
It’s easy to lose momentum when personal and professional issues build up. Here are some proven ways to legitimately drive self-motivation back into your heart and mind.
1. Determine what you want
If you want money, what do you want to do with it once you earn it? If you want autonomy, ask yourself – why? Take the time to write down what you’re actually pursuing and crystallize your vision. Follow this formula: Purpose – Vision – Goals – Objectives – Tasks
2. Track your progress
Milestones make the journey easier by enabling you to track your progress and realize your dreams in successive steps. You can course correct as necessary. That makes the journey manageable and you get to enjoy it along the way. Isn’t that what life really is – the journey?
3. Celebrate your successes
Don’t wait for someone else to congratulate you. Do it yourself! When you get a win, a big sale, or a promotion – invite your friends or family to go out and celebrate. You drive your self-motivation when you see your dreams materialize each step of the way.
4. Invest in your career
Historian Thomas Carlyle said, “History is the essence of innumerable biographies.” Is your biography filled with continuous learning? The world is filled with a lot of smart, experienced and successful people to learn from. Today, the world’s wisdom is yours at merely a click of a button. Remember, you paid to go to college, but your employer is paying you to learn.
5. Build your support network
Difficult times require the encouragement of others. That means being an encourager to others. When you bless those around you, you develop emotional capital that pays dividends when you need it most. Invest in your inner circle of relationships – especially your spouse. Don’t allow work, children or pressures erode your marriage. Make date night a priority.
6. Say “No” and stick to it
People with the most boundaries are the healthiest and happiest in society. Those who do not have clearly defined boundaries are the most miserable. Developing healthy physical and emotional boundaries removes demotivating commitments from ever appearing on your schedule. Matthew the Apostle said: But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’
7. Invest in others
The longer you are on this earth, the more you have to offer others. It is invigorating to see others benefit from your experiences and make good choices in life. Take the time to mentor others. It holds you to a higher level of accountability and fuels your motivation to serve.
Take hold of your personal drive for success. Implement these seven strategies and you’ll find that motivation is rarely elusive. In fact, it’s right where you need it most – a wellspring overflowing from within.