Have you ever looked at other people who are living successful lives and wondered what you are doing wrong? It could be in any aspect of their lives, health, parenting, finances, that they seem to have it all together, while you are struggling just to survive? No matter what part of your life you wish you could change, it all comes down to one thing — MOTIVATION.
The dictionary defines motivation as “the reason or reasons one has for acting or behaving in a particular way” or “the general desire or willingness to do something” (google.com).
When we think that there is no way we can ever do something, whether it is exercising regularly, not living paycheck to paycheck, or even just getting groceries on a busy day, it is really a lack of motivation that is stopping us. Of course there are things that are out of our control that might actually hold us back from getting a better job or a better living situation, we all have “stuff” going on in our lives that might not be ideal, but in many circumstances, our lack of motivation is what is getting in our way.
How do you get motivated?
Step One: Take a good hard look at yourself and be real with how you are holding yourself back. If you use the excuse that you are tired all the time, so you can’t accomplish even small tasks, then you need to focus on why you are tired all the time. Is it your lifestyle (learn about TIME MANAGEMENT here)? Is it your diet or a vitamin deficiency (Read more about VITAMINS here)? Are you getting enough sleep (Read the BENEFITS OF SLEEP here)? Are you in a depression? Are you just unsure where to start? Are you just scared to try something new? Analyzing your own deficiencies and habits is the first step into moving beyond that behavior and into a new one.
Step Two: Decide what it is you want to change. Look at the big picture, not just the small details and you might start to realize that getting motivated in one aspect of your life could help you in others as well. If you start a good bedtime routine because you are trying to get more sleep and not be as tired throughout the day (Read more about ROUTINES here), for example, you will find more motivation to start other routines, as well, which will lead to greater successes in all parts of your life.
Step Three: Research. Start looking online at Google or Pinterest for ideas on what it is your are trying to accomplish. If you are looking at trying to fix your financial situation, there are so many good YouTube channels that can help you (I personally love The Organized Money…Alaina Fingal does a great job with personal finance). Make yourself do the work. Nothing comes easy. If you want to make changes in anything, you can’t just be passive and sit around hoping something will change. It won’t. Read books and blogs about motivation or about the particular things you need help with (I have a post about TIME MANAGEMENT you can read here, for example).
Step Four: Change your mindset. Stop thinking you cannot do something. YOU CAN! Anyone can do anything they put their mind to if they put in the work. Start believing in yourself and become your biggest cheerleader. This can be hard (trust me, I know). BUT, no matter how many people you may have in your corner cheering you on, YOU have to believe that you can accomplish your goals. Start looking at motivational quotes on Instagram or just Google “motivational quotes about…” and you will find quotes for any occasion. Find your favorite and make it your screensaver on your phone or print it out and put it on your mirror. It might sound cheesy, but say affirmations and keep telling yourself that even when it is hard, it is worth it…YOU are worth it!
Step Five: STAY MOTIVATED! This is the hard part. Think about New Years Resolutions. We make them, get super excited about staying on track and then a month later, we give up. This is because we don’t keep ourselves motivated. We don’t keep our goals right in front of us, where we can remind ourselves what we are working toward. Things get hard. Challenges arise. We get pushed down. Successful people know that this is inevitable…but they meet those challenges and keep going. I, personally, keep myself motivated in my planner. I look at it every day and I keep a list of what my goals are, what I can do to reach those goals, and I add motivational quotes to keep me going (Read more about GOAL SETTING HERE). I remind myself that what I am working toward is just as important as what other people deserve, so why shouldn’t I go for it? I also surround myself with people who are encouraging and motivating in a healthy way. Those who I trust, know my goals and know my motivation, so when I feel like giving up, I hope that they will be there to encourage me to keep going.
Changing something about yourself is never easy. It is a tough road to success. Even if that success is just making enough time in your day to work, go to school, and play with your kids, it is manageable if you do the work. Becoming an active participant in our own lives is a crucial step in creating change. Finding motivation is the only way that you can ever become that active participant who finds success.
Please like and comment down below what you find motivating in your life. Follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook and don’t forget to follow Being-Grown-up.com. XOXO
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