Its been a while since I wrote a blog (more about that in a future blog about habits!) but I thought I would get my creative juices flowing again on a topic close to all our hearts, whether at work or at home. Its a topic that frequently crops up in my workshops and in leader discussions - how do I motivate my team/ how do I maintain my own motivation?
Motivation is one of the most important driving forces in our lives. It’s the fuel that pushes us forward, helps us overcome obstacles, and achieve our goals. But, motivation can also be elusive and often we find ourselves struggling to stay motivated.
We are all different, but I tend to find it easier to unlock the motivation to start a project - and it's driven by hope and fear. For example, I'll get super excited about planning a holiday, reading every review and article to become tourist
guide standard by the time I finally arrive at the destination (absolutely driving my travelling companions mad with all my "helpful" comments and plans)! My "hope" of a great holiday motivates me to plan for it. But my motivation to start a diet the
week after said holiday is driven by fear! Fear that I am on the road to ruin and my entire wardrobe is not going to fit me - as a yoyo dieter, this fear is real! But regardless of why I start, it can be very hard to maintain forward momentum!
There are many factors that contribute to our motivation levels. Some of the common ones include fear of failure, lack of confidence, lack of direction, stress, and setback. Or we just lose track of why we started in the first place, then let ourselves off the hook! Fortunately, there are many ways to boost motivation levels and keep them high.
Here are some simple tips that can help us stay motivated:
Set Clear Goals: It is important to set achievable and realistic goals . This will help us stay focused on what we want to achieve and help track progress. Make sure to break down the goals into smaller, achievable steps. What do you need to do each week to get to the end result? How will you track this and hold yourself to account?
Surround Yourself with Positive People: Surrounding ourselves with people who support and encourage us can help us stay motivated. Seek out peers, friends, mentors or coaches who have a positive attitude and can help you stay focused on your goals. Find your "tribe" - it could be an online forum, a face book group, or a project group at work - but being part of the "tribe" who are focusing on achieving similar results can foster group accountability.
Celebrate Your Success's: Celebrating our progress, no matter how small can help boost our morale and keep us motivated. Taking time to appreciate what we have accomplished can help us stay energized and motivated.
Maintain a Positive Outlook: Maintaining a positive outlook can help us stay motivated. Focus on what is going well in your life and project a positive attitude. Negative self-talk and dwelling on failures can drain your motivation. Believe that we can, and we more likely will!
Stay Active and Engage in Self-Care: Staying active and taking care of ourselves physically can help boost our motivation levels. Exercise, a healthy diet, and sleep can help us stay energized and focused.
Never lose sight of your "why". Why is the goal important to you? What will be great if you achieve it? How will you feel? What will be the consequence of not achieving the goal?
In conclusion, motivation is a critical element to achieving success in any element of our life. By setting clear goals, surrounding ourselves with positive people, celebrating our success, maintaining a positive outlook, staying active, and engaging in self-care, we can stay motivated and reach our goals. Remember, motivation takes practice and effort, but the results are worth it. What would a liberal sprinkling of motivation help you to achieve this week, and this year?! Where do you need some rocket fuel in your life?! Me....I'm back on my Nutracheck App tracking all food after my recent All Inclusive Holiday in Lanzarote!
Comments