Today’s business world is competitive, and it can get overwhelming. Instead of feeling like quitting before even getting started, it’s time to tap into feeling motivated. We get it, staying motivated is sometimes easier said than done, especially when there’s so much to do. That why it’s essential to apply methods that’ll lead to a more productive workday. During our free webinar training, we often discuss techniques that help new business owners get out a slump and stay motivated not just short term, but long term too. Start today but figuring out the best ways to stay motivated are. Here are 5 unheard ways to stay motivated and even though they’re unheard of they most definitely work!
1. Change your desktop
What do you spend most of your day staring at? Your desktop! Location Rebel says you can keep yourself motivated by putting something motivational on your desktop, such as a picture of a destination you’d like to go to or something you’d like to save up and buy. Think outside the box — use whatever will keep you motivated to continue to follow your dreams!
If you’re like me, you sit and stare at your computer for hours on end, day after day. Why not use that to your advantage?
Choose a photo that you’re working towards.
During the last days at my job I had a photo of a hut on the beach in Thailand. It was only 30 bucks a night to stay there, so it was just a matter of hopping on a plane (and subsequent train, and boat).
What worked here was the fact it was attainable. I didn’t put a photo of a Ferrari there, because that didn’t necessarily motivate me at that moment. Sure I’d love a Ferrari one day, but the hut was more immediately attainable.
Another idea would be to come up with your personal mission statement or mantra, and put it on top of the motivational image.
Looking at these everyday will force you to think about where you want to be, not where you are.
For me at the moment is a photo of the 16th hole at Cypress Point. If I could play any golf hole in the world, this would be it. The more I work on the golf business, the closer I get to access.
2. Harnessing your internal drivers of success
Success isn’t just success; Bustle reminds us that it’s within our power to harness the will to succeed by looking inside ourselves. They call your internal motivation your intrinsic motivation, which is when you pursue what you’d like to achieve, such as having a successful online business or making a better living for your family.
Extrinsic motivation is so last century. According to best-selling author Daniel H. Pink, external rewards and punishments, or “carrots and sticks,” are not only ineffective at motivating quality work but also harmful. “Science is revealing,” Pink says, “that carrots and sticks can promote bad behavior, create addiction, and encourage short-term thinking at the expense of the long-view.”
So what's the alternative? Harnessing your internal drivers of success, your intrinsic motivation. To do this, suspend the idea for a moment that you are engaged in a creative pursuit to eventually earn gobs of money, fame, praise, and appreciation. Sure, it's great to strive for these, and you obviously need to garner enough success to support yourself, but the best way to create truly excellent work is to find intrinsic motivators. Here's how:
Infuse your creative work with more meaning, a greater purpose, which will help guide you through the challenging times.
When appropriate, fight for autonomy (by which I mean choice, not necessarily independence) in what you do, when you do it, how you do it, and who you do it with.
Make mastery a primary focus. What's more rewarding than seeing yourself improve in your craft?
In support of Bustle, Inc. states that it’s up to you to follow through with your goals. Here’s how:
Choose to be successful, then stick to your choice and see it through to a conclusion. By creating a mental picture of yourself successfully completing a job, you can increase your chances of success.
3. Set the mood
Sometimes to stay motivated, you need to set the mood, which is why Bustle recommends figuring out when your creative juices are flowing. Simple things like drinking your favorite tea or booking a time to hang out with a friend later that day are great ways to motivate yourself to work hard.
The best time to be creative might not be when you think. If you're a morning person, it's likely late at night, when you're unfocused, calm, and in a positive mood. For night owls, the same is true in the early morning. So when you need to get the creative juices flowing, avoid waiting until you're in a hurry on a project and then downing some coffee to jolt you into gear. In fact, the research shows that a beer might be more helpful in igniting creative thinking, while the coffee is more helpful in executing your ideas.
Also consider painting your workspace a cool, calming color, like blue or green. Research conducted by the University of British Columbia showed that “blue enhances performance on a creative task.”
And, of course, make sure you're getting enough exercise, which will not only improve your physical health but also boost your sleep, reduce stress, enhance your mood and overall well being, and lead to growth in all other areas of your life, including your creative practice.
4. Have fun
Don’t forget to have fun! As Lifehack tells us, work doesn’t have to be boring. Try spicing it up by creating a work playlist (more on that below) and staying positive. There are many ways to make a repetitive task more enjoyable.
When it comes to motivation, attitude is everything. Different people may have completely opposite feelings towards the same task: some will hate it, others will love it. Why do you think this happens? It’s simple: some of us find ways to make any task interesting and fun to do!
Take sports for example. Visiting your local gym daily for a half-an-hour workout sounds rather boring to many of us. Yet many others love the idea!
They like exercising not only because they recognize the good reasons behind it, but simply because it’s fun! At certain time of their daily schedule, they find going to gym to be the best thing to do, simply because nothing else will fit their time and lifestyle so perfectly.
Depending on how you look at it, you can have fun doing just about anything! Just look for ways of having fun, and you’ll find them!
A simple approach is to start working on any task from asking yourself a few questions:
How can I enjoy this task?
What can I do to make this task fun for myself and possibly for others?
How can I make this work the best part of my day?
The answers will pop up momentarily, as long as you learn to have the definite expectation of any task being potentially enjoyable.
Some of you will probably think of a thing or two which are valid exceptions from this statement, like something you always hate doing, no matter how hard you try making it fun. I don’t want to argue – you’re probably right, and that’s why I don’t claim everything to be fun.
However, most tasks have a great potential of being enjoyable, and so looking for ways to have fun while working is definitely a good habit to acquire.
Location Rebel reveals that a fun playlist may be precisely what you need to get ramped up and stay productive. Think of some of your favorite tunes and then add them to a playlist! If music distracts you, we wouldn’t recommend this, but there are alternative ways to keep yourself motivated.
Have you ever had a song come on, that just makes you start to nod your head and get pumped up about doing big things in the world?
Of course you have.
Create a playlist of all of those songs. For me, I’ve found lately that the music that gets me into that zone is not what I’d normally listen to. No, lately my motivation playlist consists of what I could only refer to college frat rap. Aer, Hoodie Allen, Chiddy Bang etc.
I think it has something to do with the fact most of the music is fun, from young independent guys doing what they love in life – it motivates me to do the same.
Will it be winning Grammys anytime soon? Probably not, but throw that on during a run, and I can’t wait to get back to my desk to get stuff done.
5. Tackle procrastination
Inc. reminds us how easy it is to procrastinate, which is why you need to tackle it head on! Do not allow procrastination to take hold, or you may find yourself in big trouble.
Tackle procrastination head on. Don't make excuses or waste time rationalizing why you haven't already started. Instead, try to uncover the real reason for the delay and get to work immediately. The best way to begin something is just to begin.
Similarly, Bustle admits that it’s easier said than done not to procrastinate, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t ways to overcome it. Visualize positive ways to stay on task and get work done on time.
Easier said than done, right? Well, understanding the science of procrastination may help you overcome it. Psychologists believe that procrastination has everything to do with mood—we delay starting a task to avoid the negative feelings of anxiety or worry associated with the challenge. The solution is to focus on repairing your mood in more productive ways:
Time Travel: Visualize how good you'll feel when you complete your task.
Just Get Started: Tell yourself you only have to do the first one or two steps.
Forgive Yourself: Stop feeling guilty about your procrastination. Everyone's done it, at least once…
Easy Things First: Build momentum by starting with the steps you feel most like doing.
Motivation plays a huge part in whether your business will succeed or fail. Since you want it to succeed, it’s up to you to follow through and make your dreams come true. Want more motivation? Check out our free webinar training for additional ways to stay motivated and create a business that brings in a substantial income.
Sources: Location Rebel, Bustle, Inc., Lifehack
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