Finding Motivation

One of the most commonly asked questions I’ve received is how do I stay motivated. Well, allow me to let you in on a little secret…

I am not always motivated. Motivation comes and goes. If you only work towards your goals, get tasks done or start your day when you’re feeling motivated then you’d only have 1-2 productive days out of 7 days a week.

Here’s a quote from one of my favorite books:

“I don’t know when we all bought into the idea that in order to change you must “feel” eager or “feel” motivated to act. It’s complete garbage. The moment it’s time to assert yourself, you will not feel motivated. In fact, you won’t feel like doing anything at all. If you want to improve your life, you’ll need to get off your rear end and kick your own butt.”
The 5 Second Rule by Mel Robbins

I’m going to share with you 5 tips on how to “get off your rear end and kick your own butt,” as my friend Mel said. Let’s find motivation when we don’t feel it.

1. Be organized

How many times have you said Okay, tomorrow I get my life together ?

Back in January, I was offered a full time internship at Lucasfilm. This was a great opportunity! So, I took the job even though I was also a full time student.

Handling two things at once can be tiring, stressful and if not handled correctly, can burn you out. Knowing this was going to be a lot to handle, I started planning out my days the night before. Organizing my weekdays made tackling school and work a piece of cake.

Every night, before I go to bed, I will open my google calendar, take a look at my schedule for the next day and plan it out in my hourly planner. Doing this has helped me have a clear vision of to-dos, simplify my day and not only focus on school and work but make sure that I add in time for myself and my personal goals.

Being organized helps you go about your days accordingly – no more rushed mornings, no more procrastination and no more missed deadlines. The feeling of “having your life together” is motivating enough to start your days on the right side of the bed and have a productive day!

2. Set quarterly goals

When was the last time you took the time to write down your goals?

What I really love about the planner I use (not advertised, it’s just from target, ❤️ target!) is that it has quarterly goals. Every 3 months, it reminds me to review my goals and set new ones.

Back in January, when I first bought this planner, I wrote down personal, career, financial and big idea goals. Now that April has begin, the planner not only reminded me to write new goals but to review the ones I wrote 3 months ago. This was great because I would’ve completely forgotten about those goals! After looking over them, I realized I accomplished most of them and not only was it a great feeling but it was incredibly motivating. Click here to see the planner I use!

Writing down your goals is the easy part. Checking in, reviewing them and writing new ones is easily forgotten. Being organized with your goals will help you notice small accomplishments, focus on growth and become aware of your progress but most importantly motivate you.

3. Create a vision board

If you don’t have a vision board, you need to create one like… today.

Vision boards are a daily visual reminder of your dreams and goals. Taking a look at it daily will inspire you to make your dreams a reality and work towards them every single day. Vision boards are known to create an emotional connection that motivates you. It is the first step to bring your dreams to life.

I was having a conversation with my best friend a few weeks ago and she was asking me how to find motivation. I advised her to create a vision board and she loved the idea.

She now has her goals and dreams next to her workstation to look at every day.

Create your vision board, personalize it, add in your wildest dreams and most desired goals. Look at it every day and remind yourself of the life you’re working towards. Every day is one step closer to the life you envision.

4. Set the tone around you

What does your work station look like?

An organized and comfortable work environment is important to having a productive day, not only does it help you keep focus but it motivates you to get to work. Research has shown that less clutter reduces stress and an organized desk helps you remember important tasks. Your workstation should be an area that you look forward to go to. It should be an area that motivates you to get to work and that begins with having a neat, organized and goal oriented environment.

Once you create your vision board, add it to your workstation to see daily. Make it as comfortable as possible. This will help you improve mental stability, increase productivity, improve focus, reduce stress and feel motivated to get to work.

5. Reward yourself for even the smallest successes

The best part about noticing even the smallest accomplishments is that you can reward yourself for them! Rewarding yourself in small ways for your successes can go a long way. We tend to only notice the big accomplishments like graduating and getting that job but what about every small accomplishment in between? We need to celebrate those too!

We work hard every day towards our goals and we need to notice those successes and reward ourselves for them. Doing so will only motivate us to continue down the path towards our long term goals.