It can be really hard to stay focused sometimes and stay motivated. It sucks when you want to finish something, but you can’t seem to find the motivation to get it done.

I guess, you can say that is why I created this post: it is going to share with you 10 ways you can stay motivated and push through the hard times.

1. Give Yourself a Reward
Hard work is excellent, but you will run out of energy. That is why I find it crucial to give yourself rewards in order to be successful.

All work and no play makes for a dull day. (ha, that rhymed) Go and give yourself a day off and relax, or maybe go get dinner at that amazing restaurant you have been wanting to go to.

Or just give yourself a day at the spa.  Either way, pick something you can reward yourself with, and then do it.

2. Spend Time with Friends and Family
If you are constantly working and you feel demotivated to do anything, it might be because you haven’t seen your family or friends in awhile.

I know for me and many others that just being around friends and having a good time, can really give you a much needed break and help you have a little fun on top of all of that work.

3. Try Something New
Ever felt like you are doing the same thing, just on a different day? I have. It sucks, because life is about being spontaneous and trying new things out.

Sometimes often more than not we get caught up in the routine of life. That is why I find it vital to try something new in order to revive your motivation.

It could be going on a new hiking trail, going scuba diving, maybe taking a cooking class that you have been wanting to take: moral of the story? Try something new!

4. Get Excited
How cliche. But I think most people don’t realize that maybe you have to try and be excited about a goal in order to get out of your slump. Sometimes it takes a little inspiration to get excited (which you can read at #5) but it’s not impossible and you would be surprised at how much motivation you will have if you are excited about your goals.

I find that when I talk to others about my goals and read more success stories that I tend to be more excited about the goal.

Think about it, if more people know about what you are doing, and you accomplish that goal, then you have more people to share your success with.

5. Find Inspiration
For me, inspiration comes in many forms. For instance, I get inspired by reading other people’s success stories, but I also find inspiration when I read a new book.

Success stories show you that it isn’t impossible to be a success, and books can open the door to imagination and allow you to be creative.

Here are a few things that might just inspire you…

1. A family member (my grandma always inspired me to be a better person and to strive for excellence)
2. Charity or volunteering (I recently went to a food harvesting charity where my group and I were able to package up 10,000 pounds of food to send out to family who are in need, this inspired me to give back to my community and to others who are in need)
3. Teachers (I feel bad for some of my teachers who helped me, but they inspired me to get more out of life)
4. Superman or other super heroes (I know it may sound silly, but sometimes when you look towards others who can do anything it might just inspire you to get off your rump and get things done)

6. Stick with It
I know how it feels to be tired and drained and not want to do something. But I find that my motivation peaks when I push through the hard times because I have proven to myself that I can do it.

Commit to yourself that you will work on accomplishing your goal(s) every day. Speaking of commitment…

7. Commit Publicly
You will have a much more harder time dropping a goal if you commit to it publicly. Now, this doesn’t mean that you have to have a giant speaking event to commit to your goal, but it could be as easy as putting it on Facebook, or sharing it with family and friends.

Trust me, none of us like to look bad in front of others. This method will keep you accountable and will hopefully motivate you to stick with your goal because you don’t want to fail in front of others.

8. Don’t be Afraid to Ask for Help
Everybody’s motivation will drop, but it’s not a matter of when, rather it’s a matter of allowing yourself to ask for help so that you can refuel your motivation.

It can be as easy as emailing someone who will listen and inspire you (you can even email me if you want!), or joining an online forum, or posting to Facebook asking for guidance.

Don’t be afraid to ask for advice, just do it.

9. Replace Negative Thoughts with Positive Thoughts
Negativity doesn’t help anyone. However optimism can help. It is important to take note of your daily thoughts and how you think of yourself and your ability to accomplish a goal.

If you are consistently saying that you are dumb or that you aren’t smart enough, then you are only fooling yourself and holding yourself back.

Instead of saying “I’m dumb,” just say “if this dumbie Kevin can do it, then I can too!” It may seem silly at first, but it will work.

10. Write a Thank You Note to Someone
I love writing thank you notes to others because it makes me feel happier, and typically if you are feeling happier then you will have more energy to be motivated.

Listen, sending a thank you note doesn’t have to be a huge letter or long drawn out story. It could be something like this…

“Dear (insert name),

I wanted to say thank you for helping me with (whatever it is they helped you with), it inspired me or helped me become a better person (writer, singer, etc.) and I appreciate you for that.

You are amazing and thank you so, very much.

Sincerely,

(Your name)”

and boom! You now have a thank you note that you can send out to someone who has helped you out.

Trust me, it can do wonders for boosting your motivation.

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“If you make friends with yourself, you will never be alone” ~ Maxwell Maltz

Being alone is boring and lonely. Or is it? There are definitely some of us that simply don’t like to be alone. Period. We need to be around people all the time. With the emergence of social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. we now can enjoy the company of others 24 hours a day 7 days a week, in the comforts of our own home. A party all day every day. The thought of logging off can cause some of us a great deal of anxiety.
Shutting down has its benefits too though. We get so wrapped up in tweeting, updating and hanging out with our friends that we tend to forget who we are. So, who are you, really? Can you enjoy your own company? The answer might surprise you. Here are 9 reasons why you should try hanging out with yourself for a change.

9 Reasons We Should Learn To Enjoy Our Own Company

1.Your creative side.

When you are alone, you will have the time to nurture and grow your creative side. Maybe you like to do oil painting, read, play piano, write but haven’t had the chance, or time, to do so because you’re never alone. Take time to delve into the artistic side of you. It just may turn out that you are better at it than you think.

2.Quiet your mind.

In this hustle and bustle world, it is easy to pick up the nervous energy and stress from others around us. When you take time to be by yourself, you will have the chance to do a brain dump. Get rid of the toxins from the day and just be with you and your thoughts. A freeing of the mind so to speak.

3.Shopping alone is fun, really.

I get that it’s fun to go shopping with your friends and hang out but when was the last time you tried shopping alone and enjoying you? For Christmas I always ask for Waterstones vouchers from my family, so once a year, usually in January, I set aside one full day to spend in Waterstones bookshop and get to spend £150, without feeling guilty, on books.  You can take your time, you’ll have no distractions and you just might like shopping alone.

4.Have a dinner date night.

This isn’t easy for everybody to do, going out to dinner alone, but try it. While you’re out, take the time to look around and observe others. By doing so, you can learn a lot about the behaviours of others and yourself. Do you see yourself in any of these people? Do you want to?

5.Road trip anyone?

When was the last time you took a road trip by yourself? Windows rolled down, music blaring, singing to the steering wheel, GPS in off mode. It’s extremely liberating. You can make little pit stops along the way and feed your adventurous side. You may even make new friends along the way.

6.Respect, admiration, adoration.

Is it just me or do people who can enjoy their own company gain more respect from others? An admiration, if you will. We are in awe of them because they are truly happy in their own skin, and being with their own company is something they clearly enjoy. Something that so many of us strive for. They exude self-confidence and self-respect. Who wouldn’t want more of that?

7.Say aaah please.

Aaaaah as in relaxing. Turn off the phones, turn off the computer, TV and put some relaxing music on and just chill out.  Take this time to meditate, journal or read a book. This is your time with you. Embrace you and enjoy it.

8.Face fears head on.

This may seem rather odd, but yes, you can face your fears better when you are alone and learn to appreciate and enjoy you because of it. Many of us need a friend or partner to help us face any sort of fear, but when we are forced to do it alone, we realize how brave and courageous we really are. Just knowing that you were able to do this by yourself is good enough reason to start trusting yourself more.

9.I kinda like this person called me.

Yes, I’m not so bad after all. As a matter of fact, I’m really kind of fantastic. Take time to get to know who you are. We never give ourselves enough time in a day to have a relationship with ourselves and because of that, many of us don’t even know who we are. Our personalities are often overshadowed by the people we spend the most amount of time with, be it co workers, your spouse, your friends, whoever. But who are you really. Spend some time with yourself and you’ll find out soon enough. I’m gonna bet, you just might like you.
If life and work demands get in the way of your alone time, try scheduling it on the calendar like you would a doctor’s appointment and stick to it. You are as equally important as your loved ones. Love yourself first.

 

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