You need to understand that motivation is a state. This means that one minute you can be motivated and the next minute you may not be motivated. So you need to work on your motivation consistently and in this chapter, we will share some great tips to give you a quick motivational boost whenever you need it.
Distractions can easily knock you out of your motivated state and so can feelings of overwhelm. It is a times like this that it is very easy to procrastinate, so to avoid this use the tips below to get back on that motivational track.
1. Use Visualization
If you’re feeling your motivation levels waning then take a few minutes to visualize achieving your goal. Using visualization can help you to change your emotional state to one of motivation. If you have never used visualization before then it can take a bit of practice, but it is a really effective technique for a quick motivational burst.
When you are visualizing be sure to experience the strong feelings of excitement and joy that you will get once you have achieved your goal. This will inspire you to take action and rekindle your motivation.
2. Use Affirmations
It is very important how you talk to yourself. If you are constantly bombarding your mind with negative thoughts then your motivation is going to take a nose dive. Positive affirmations are a great way to prevent this.
You can get out your list of positive affirmations anytime you feel your motivation levels dropping. When you are speaking your affirmations make sure that you feel the words and that they inspire you. Don’t just speak your affirmations in a monotone way because this will not help you at all.
It is essential that you inject emotion into your affirmations. By reading your affirmations out loud with a strong emotion you will boost your energy and your motivation levels. Keep practicing this until it works for you.
3. Listen to some Uplifting Music
We all have some fast-paced music that really uplifts us. So if you are feeling that your motivation levels are down put on that uplifting music to give you a boost. Don’t be tempted to listen to slow and sad music as this will put you in the wrong state. This kind of music can make you feel down and depressed.
Only you will know what kind of music is uplifting for you. If you have a smartphone you can add your uplifting music to it so that you can access it wherever you are. When you are in a crowded place use earphones so that you don’t disturb others. Uplifting music really works so make sure that you have some available at all times.
4. Get your Body Moving
When you’re in motion you create emotion. If you’re feeling demotivated get out of your chair and start moving around. Do whatever you need to do to get motivated. For example, you can jump around and punch the air! This can make you feel energized, refreshed, and raring to go.
Moving around like this will increase the flow of blood and oxygen to your brain. This is a great way to increase your motivation levels. Practice moving around in different ways until you find the right set of movements that will drive up your motivation levels. It really works so do it now!
5. Take Power Naps
If you take power naps you will quickly restore your alertness and feel really refreshed. after a power nap it is likely that you’re sensory perception will be heightened and you will feel more creative and
motivated.
A number of successful people from the past have taken power naps. Thomas Edison, Albert Einstein and Leonardo da Vinci were all supporters and practitioners of the power nap. If it was good enough for them to raise their motivation levels then it is good enough for you! Sometimes you’re going to feel a little tired and this will make your motivation levels low so take a short power nap.
6. Create a Motivational Anchor
This is really easy to do and really effective. What you have to do here is find a time when you are really feeling motivated and then create a physical anchor by doing something with your body. This can be something like squeezing your thumb and forefinger together.
For this to work effectively the feelings of motivation must be really strong. Once you have set the anchor test it out and see if you feel motivated again. When you have an anchor that works you can use it for an instant motivational boost. This is a really simple and effective technique so set your motivational boost anchor today.
7. Make Changes to your Environment
There has been a lot of research that proves your environment can severely affect your mood. If you need to sit in a chair for several hours each day and your chair is not comfortable, this can really drive down your motivational levels.
So the simple solution here is to get a more comfortable chair. There are other things that you can do as well to make your environment more inspiring. For example, you can put up motivational posters all around your workspace. Change up your environment to make you feel more motivated.
8. Watch a Motivational Video
You will find lots of motivational videos on YouTube and other video-sharing websites. Some of these motivational videos can be quite long so we recommend that you find a shorter video that will really inspire you.
The only danger with this technique is that YouTube is very addictive and if you are not disciplined you can find yourself watching a load of other videos and wasting a ton of time. So find one or two videos that are not too long which will give you a motivational boost and after you have watched them get straight back to working on your goals.
9. Ask yourself Questions for Motivation
This is an additional very simple and powerful method to increase your motivation levels. For this to work you must ask the right questions of yourself. Most people ask themselves the totally wrong questions if they are feeling demotivated.
Stay clear of these sort of questions at any costs:
– Why is this work so boring?
– Why can’t I get this completed?
– What happens if I fail with my goals?
– What happens if I’m not good enough to achieve my goals?
These type of questions will leave you in a demotivated state. You really need to ask empowering questions like these listed below:
– What are my latest achievements that make me feel proud?
– What can I do now to move nearer to my goal?
– How will I feel when I achieve my goals?
– What do I need to do to get rid of any roadblocks to accomplishing my goal?
Can you see the difference here? These questions are empowering and will certainly give you a speedy motivational boost.
10. Complete an Easy Task
If you have a number of tasks on your daily to-do list then we recommend you start off by completing an easy one first. The reason for doing this is that you will get a sense of accomplishment from completing the task.
A lot of so-called “experts” will tell you to tackle the difficult tasks first, but the problem with this is it if you get stuck and find it difficult to complete the task this can lead to your motivation levels decreasing rapidly. By completing an easy task your motivation levels will rise and you’ll be keen to move on to the next task
