The Secret to Getting Motivated

The Secret to Getting Motivated

photo (5)Do you ever wonder how some people get so much done?  They create oodles of content on a regular basis, are out and about connecting with people, building their business, and still make it to the gym and spend quality time with their family and friends.

Highly productive people fascinate me.  I love learning what gets them up in the morning and ultimately motivates them to go out and fiercely pursue their dreams and make big things happen.  I recently read an article in Fast Company magazine featuring 11 Expert Tips to Help You Be More Productive in 2014.  It’s a good read so check it out and get your productivity on.

One tip shared was to put your brain on autopilot for the small stuff.  I laughed when I read that Prerna Gupta, Chief Product Officer of social music app Smule says she’s able to tackle big picture problems by eating the exact same thing for breakfast and lunch every day.  I used to think I was boring for eating the same breakfast most mornings, but now I’ll chalk it up to improving my productivity.  Love that.

Lots of people are trying to make changes in their life.  Whether it’s to find a new job, start a business, get more fit or create a movement in their community, we all have a passion and desire to do something great with our lives and we aren’t shy about talking about them.  The only problem is that most of the time that’s all we are willing to do; talk.  As they say, talk is cheap and doesn’t generate results.

When I ask people what they are doing to move forward with their dreams, I often get replies like, “I need to feel inspired.” or “I am waiting for motivation to strike.”

If you are sitting around drinking lattes waiting for a motivational fairy to fly over you and sprinkle you with magic dust to get you up and working on your project, not happening my friend.  It’s time for a new plan.

What’s the secret to getting (and staying) motivated?

Ready?  Here it is: ACTION!

When you take that first step, no matter how small, your mind and body change.  You begin to think differently, speak differently and ultimately motivate yourself into starting to do the small things necessary to move forward.

The worst thing you can do is sit around feeling convinced that at some point you will be motivated to get up and start.  You need to start doing the one thing that will get you excited to keep going.

I usually hit the gym early in the morning.  When my alarm  goes off, I don’t love getting out of my nice, cozy bed, but I do.  I get up, throw on my workout gear, head out the door and by the time I get into my car my body barely knows what’s going on.  What motivates me is thinking about the end result.  When I am finished with my workout I know I am going to feel better, have a burst of energy and a clearer head which helps me be more productive.  If I waited for motivation to strike, my mornings would look a lot different.

When starting a new project it can be overwhelming to take that first step, but do it.

Starting something can be scary.  You may not even know where to begin, but chances are you have a better idea of the first step to take.  Find someone doing what you want to do and check out the things they have going on.  Start a Facebook page for your community, choose a wordpress theme  to start your blog and write your first post, put together an action plan including steps you need to do daily, weekly, monthly/etc.

Will everything go as planned?  No!  Sometimes they will turn out even better than expected.  Other times they will go worse than you thought, but that experience will lead you to another opportunity you would have never even dreamed up on your own.

What can you start doing today to get you excited to pursue that one thing you keep talking about?  Don’t complicate it.  Start.