Installing Success Habits and Staying Motivated

I often encounter many ups and downs with confidence and drive to complete anything or value what I am doing. I lose sight of my goals, things become blurry and I lose motivation. Having the terrible duo of depression and anxiety really doesn't help when these natural feelings occur. However, it's important to remember that EVERYONE runs into a dead end here and there and most people don't know EXACTLY what they're doing. There are things you can do to improve and untangle this knot in your progress towards your goals and I'm sharing a very helpful article that inspired me to get into better success habits to be more efficient in working towards my goals.

I took this article and wrote my own condensed version, cut them up and scattered them around my office space as little reminders. Alongside this, I have been challenging myself to stick to a more structured schedule than a free-flowing, whatever comes to mind, kind of schedule. I've been writing task lists for little things such as getting up to eat breakfast at a designated time and sitting down to rewrite the article and cut it into pieces. On top of these habits, I highly recommend making a vision board. You can learn a lot from yourself and really solidify your goals and plans. I truly believe in the Law of Attraction as I've seen and witnessed very successful examples with it.

This article is a fantastic piece of information and perspective.

http://www.thedistilledman.com/no-motivation-to-do-anything/

And here's a written, condensed version that I did for myself and cut up of the same article (Easier and quicker to read):

21 Ways to Thrive When You Have No Motivation

Use Action to Create Motivation (Not the other way around)

Many people wait to feel inspired. Don’t wait for the lightning to strike. Inspiration comes AFTER you take action.

Relish the Process, Not the Outcome

Try to find pleasure in the actions you’re taking, without worrying about the long-term goal or what you’re trying to “accomplish”.

Shift Your Attention to Benefiting Others

Seeing how you can add value to other people’s lives with such small effort can build your confidence. It gets you out of your “me” rut, and reminds you that you can solve other people’s problems, you never have to wait to be picked.

Focus on Little Wins

One day at a time, one step at a time. Create smaller milestones for yourself, and do everything you can to celebrate each one as an accomplishment in its own right.

Game-ify Your Approach

When you start looking at a goal or project as a game, it suddenly takes the pressure off. It also helps you focus on the little wins. Except instead of feeling the pressure to accomplish something, it becomes a fun challenge.

Use Artificial Constraints to Stimulate Your Creativity

Constraints help you focus. They relieve stress or worry about how you’re going to attack something. Ex: Social gathering, talking only to people you haven’t met.

See Life as a Series of 2-3 Week Experiments

This helps break a large goal into smaller chunks. However, you are now analyzing like a scientist, absorbing and collecting data and info to progress in future processes.

Truly Understand Your “Why”

Rediscover and understand the ultimate benefit of why you’re on this path. Ex: Think of “The Story of the 3 Bricklayers ” that were building a church. When asked what they’re doing, they respond in three different ways. The first responds “I’m laying bricks”, the second one responds “I’m putting up a wall” and the third one responds “I’m building the most beautiful cathedral in the world”. Appreciate the big picture of what you’re doing.

Imagine Future Regret to Clarify Your Priorities

The more priorities we have, the more diluted our focus. Imagine what you’d truly regret not accomplishing. This clarifies what you truly value and prioritize.

Lower Your Expectations

Often it is the idea of the problem bothering us and not the problem itself. Get out of your head for a little while and just “be” without judging yourself. Your expectations are too high. Free yourself of your own judgement.

Embrace Shitty First Drafts

Shovel sand into a sandbox and make the sand castle later. Don’t wait until everything is perfect to take action, just do it and polish it as you go.

Regularly Refuel With Inspiration

Find the people and things that inspire you-the ones that literally breathe life into you and help you recharge. Make a habit of getting your daily or weekly dose of inspiration.

Organize Your Space

Your environment is important to your focus. Organize your work area with sections for specific actions and projects. Like a Kindergarten classroom.

Build in Accountability to Raise the Stakes

Make the stakes clear. Find people who are on a similar journey as you. Find someone to hold you accountable to your goals.

Don’t Just Small-ify Your Goals, Weird-ify Them

Set unique and bizarre goals that are parallel to your core goals. Ex: Shaun White on top of wanting to win the Olympics, also wanted to wear american flag pants on the cover of The Rolling Stones and see how many free cars he could win during Olympic marketing.

Use Journaling to Break Through Mental Cobwebs

Journaling helps mental clarity and can restock your motivation. It helps you see the subconscious things that are eating at you when you can’t see them and realize what’s important and what’s just taking up space in your head.

Visualize Your Progress (and Your Plan)

Create and develop a sense of progress. Create a habit of recording your progress Ex: Calendar symbols, checking off things on task lists etc.

Recognize Opportunities to “Up-Cycle”

Acknowledge the “scraps” you will pick up as you go forth on your journey and see the opportunity to re-use them for future projects.

Fake it: Pretend to Be a More Motivated Person

Pretend you are a motivated and confident person and eventually you will feel it sincerely. “Fake it ‘til you become it” Think of what a motivated person would act and do, and go through the motions.

Just Get Your Body Moving

Go for a brisk walk, get the blood flowing. No need to bench press a monster truck tire, or run 20 miles. Get the blood flowing, clear your head and approach your project.

Get Out of the Building

Don’t think about one thing for too long and exhaust your idea. Get out, talk to people, gain new perspective. Making this a habit can serve as a “pattern-interrupt” for your spiraling thoughts.

Remember

Don’t beat yourself up for being unmotivated. Everyone gets into a rut. Realize that A) You’ll survive and get through it, and B) There are things you can do to improve your situation.

Alright, graduation is in like 2 weeks, time to CRUNCH.