Five Easy Steps to Stay Motivated

Motivating yourself to excel at your career or to be an example to your children, should not be something you do only when the spirit moves you.  It’s an ongoing process that should include every facet of your life. This means your mental attitude, physical well-being and appearance (yes appearance, if you look good, you feel good), work atmosphere, your interaction with others (clients and family alike), and your off-the-job environment.

Motivational experts get paid big bucks to tell professionals, striving for success, that they must constantly examine these factors.  How do you do that?  Abide by the five tips that follow, and watch the changes.

1. Maintain a Positive Attitude – Let’s realize that life is only about 25% of what happens to us and 75% how we react to it.  We’re responsible for our own actions and attitudes, and changing them when appropriate.  When you’re around people/things that are uplifting and positive, you feel that way.  You have more confidence in yourself, and know you can change whatever needs changing. If you can make your workspace such a place, you’ll be happier and more productive. You might even find you look forward to coming to work!
2. Leave Personal Troubles Behind During the Work Day – Everyone has problems, but they don’t belong at work. Turn your attention and energy entirely to your on-the-job tasks.  This will actually be good for you because you’ll get a mental break from your troubles.
3. Create Positive Affirmations -  The reason for writing goals for your business is the same as creating positive affirmations on paper.  What your eyes see and ears hear, your mind will believe.  Try it!  After you’ve written them down, read them aloud to yourself – and do it every morning when you start work.  You’ll be amazed at what happens.  Come up with a set of new ones every month.  Statements such as, “I’m an important and valuable person,” or “I know I’ll make good use of my time today.”  Repeating them out loud everyday at a set time will help reinforce positive actions.
4. Make Sure Break Times Are Really Break Times – This is an area where most entrepreneurs fall down.  You become so intense about the project or situation you’re working on that you don’t ease up.  Thinking that it’ll be solved in the next few seconds, and then you’ll get a cup of coffee can lead you right up to quitting time.  Regularly adhering to a specified break schedule, even if you are the whole company, releases the tension.  If you work on a computer this is even a greater problem because before you realize it – you’ve been working in that same position for hours.  The best answer to this is to set yourself a reminder on your appointment calendar for every 2 hours, and let the computer reminder chime send you the alert to move around.
5. Exercise, Exercise, Exercise – I know that lately it seems that “exercise” is the cure-all to every physical ailment or your love life, but there is a lot of truth to that ugly word.  By “exercise” I don’t mean that you should go out and join a gym and spend 5-days-a-week there working out.  What is really beneficial and workable is that at those chiming alerts from your computer, get up and walk around your office or home.  Maybe go outside and get the mail and enjoy the sunlight or just get up and do a few stretches.  Concentrated, tense thinking – typing – plotting plans – or whatever the work, makes all those muscles tighten and knot up.  Then when we move we “ooh” and “ouch” because we’ve knotted up into a ball of tension. Periodic stretching, even at your desk, or just getting up and walking over to the window and getting a different view can help, momentarily transporting your mind out of work and into another place does wonders.

It only takes a little concentrated effort on your part to keep motivated and productive, which leads to success.