Let’s be real here for a minute.
Motivation ebbs and flows… it’s like a river. And that’s ok.
I honestly believe that you can’t be 100% motivated all of the time… we just don’t function that way.
You’ll have times when you are kicking some serious arse, smashing through your to-do list, and making everything look easy.
And then you’ll have times when it takes all of your strength to drag yourself away from Netflix, just to get the first task on your list done.
And that’s normal. You’re not the only one.
But what happens when your motivation has been missing for too long?
Or when you have a tight deadline, so you really need to find it today whether you like it or not?
Here are my 4 surprising places to find your motivation.
In a kitchen timer
Or any kind of timer for that point.
When I’m really struggling, I set myself a super short time limit and see how much I can get done before the buzzer goes.
It’s hard to get motivated to start work on a huge project, especially when you don’t know where to start.
The thought of hours worth of work ahead is hard to get excited over.
But challenge yourself.
Rather than thinking about the big picture, simply set a timer for 10 min and make yourself start somewhere.
Or set a timer for 20min and see if you can smash out a blog post for the week.
The race against time can be great motivation.
Anywhere but your desk
Sometimes, no matter how long I sit and stare at the screen, nothing comes out. The blank word document and blinking cursor just seem to taunt me… waiting for me to make the first move.
Or, Facebook calls my name, and I lose half the day to countless hours of scrolling.
When this happens, the best bet is to get away for a bit (maybe you’ll find your motivation while putting on a load of washing… fun, I know…)
Get away from your desk, and do something else for a bit.
Go outside and get some sunshine.
Go for a quick walk.
Go and get a coffee.
What you do is up to you, but simply step away and take a break.
At the bottom of a glass of wine
I’m not advocating alcoholism – but I do find that sometimes the words flow more freely after a glass of wine .
All jokes aside though, do a little something to get you in the mood.
Maybe you like to sit down with a nice cup of coffee, or tea.
Maybe you have a favourite candle, with a great smell.
Maybe there is song you love that fills you full of drive and motivation
It’s hard to get motivated if you come rushing in from something else, and don’t have a great space. So take a second, make yourself a drink, settle yourself down, and then get working.
In external accountability
Sometimes we all just need a little external push – and that’s ok too.
If you are still struggling to get going, share the one task you need to get done somewhere public, so that others can hold you accountable.
You might tell your mastermind group what you are going to get done for the day.
You might tell your email list that you will have a product or service out to them by a set date
… or you might just announce it to the world on your public profile.
How “public” you decide to be might depend on the task you are trying to get done. But the moral of the story is, tell someone else what you will have done and by when, and make sure they follow up with you.
What motivates you?
When you are having one of those days when it’s hard to get started, what is your go to?
Share your best tips in the comments below for us.