Staying motivated and focused on work and work tasks can be challenging, especially during this unusual and unpredictable time. Try a few of these quick tips to master motivation and keep moving forward.
Schedule Regular Breaks
It’s not possible to keep the same level of motivation and energy throughout the day when you’re working non-stop. When you put together your plan for the day, be sure to set aside time to take breaks. Fill the break time with activities that recharge your energy to master motivation.
Get Ready for Tomorrow
Before you wrap up for the day, generate your to-do list for the following morning. That way you don’t feel like you’re climbing a mountain when you start the next day. Instead, you’ll feel excited to get started on your list. And excitement is what keeps you motivated to stay at it.
Pump Your Playlist
Playing your favorite music is a great way to block out distractions and reduce stress. Better yet, it helps you feel motivated and ready to get on with your tasks. So, if you’re having trouble getting started or your energy is fading, pump up your playlist and give your motivation a big boost.
Celebrate Twice
Another tip to master motivation … celebrate special occasions with family, friends or colleagues, even if virtually … always a positive motivator, especially these days. Then, take time after the first celebration to celebrate a recent win or the successful completion of an important task. That way you’ll be celebrating twice and celebration is one of the best ways to supercharge your motivation.
Run Your Race
Sometimes it can be challenging to stay motivated, especially if you’re comparing your achievements and results to others. Although it may appear others are accomplishing more and racing ahead, they’re likely experiencing and dealing with their own challenges. They just aren’t sharing them on Facebook or Instagram. Staying motivated means running your own race and leaving others to run theirs.
Pause Perfection
It’s tough to master motivation if you’re holding yourself to an unrealistic standard … stress and procrastination can creep in. What you’re working on doesn’t always have to be perfect. Try making only the necessary improvements in it. Seeing improvement and progress minimizes any stress you’re feeling and – at the same time – fires up your motivation.
Go for Gratitude
Going for gratitude means remembering all the people we are thankful to have in our life … all those who have helped, supported and guided us on our journey. Connecting with them now lets them know how much we appreciate all they’ve done. That personal connection makes them feel good. The added benefit … it puts us in a positive frame of mind, feeling motivated to keep moving forward.
Keep It Simple
It’s hard to master motivation when your mind is cluttered with too many tasks. Look for areas in your life you can simplify to reduce the clutter … prioritizing your to-do list, focusing your energy on important activities first, delegating tasks to others where possible, de-cluttering your workspace, avoiding getting involved in too many activities. When you do, you’ll feel less overwhelmed and find yourself becoming more excited and motivated to attack your day.
Set a Schedule
Try to carve out separate blocks of time for work tasks, family time and leisure activities. Scheduling separate blocks for each of them avoids mixing them together or letting them interfere with one another. Making your schedule visual helps motivate you to complete your work tasks because you can actually see a reward coming … time for that new video or heading outside for a run.
Learn Something New
Putting your brain to work on learning something completely new is a great way to turbocharge your motivation. Whether you’re tackling something big, like learning all about SEO, or something as simple as how to cook a healthy dinner, the process of learning something new is stimulating. You’ll feel a surge of motivation that gets you excited about acting on important to-do tasks.’
Keep It Positive
Your positive thoughts lead to positive actions that help you stay motivated. Staying in the positive zone consistently keeps you motivated. Try to be aware and in control of your thinking to keep it on a positive track. Repeating the word “cancel” to yourself each time a negative thought creeps into your mind is quick and easy … and it works.
Crush Your Obstacles
The best way we can stop obstacles from depleting energy and enthusiasm is to meet them head on. Try writing down all the things you think could possibly get in the way. Once you see the possible obstacles clearly, they won’t have the same impact on you and your actions. You can then start to develop strategies or approaches around what you would do if one does occur. Having strategies to crush your obstacles gets you past them and back on track, boosting your motivation when you do.
Work Your Routine
Try starting your day with a daily habit. It clears your head and puts you in the right frame of mind … an early morning workout, reading inspiring content, watching helpful videos or listening to your favorite music. Figure out what works best for you and build it consistently into each day. Starting your day your way automatically boosts your motivation.
So …
Give these tips a try whenever you need to master your motivation. Once you discover ones that work best for you, you can make them a part of each day. Once you do, you’ll find it easier to master your motivation and stay focused on what you need to get done.