Motivation
12 Daily Hacks To Stay Motivated During Challenging Times
Success never comes easy. No matter what your goal is, you can expect to face challenges as you pursue it.
It takes motivation to keep going when things get tough. This is why those who are the most motivated often become the most successful.
Here are 12 steps you can do daily to help you stay motivated when things get tough:
1. Display your goals on your wall
Put your goals in writing, and put them on a wall where you will see them often. On a whiteboard in your home or office (or both) is ideal. Review your goals every morning and every night, and glance at them as often as you can throughout the day. If you’re a visual person, you may find it effective to use pictures. For example, a picture of your dream car or a vacation destination you want to go to on. Remember, if your goals don’t excite you and challenge you, they probably aren’t big enough. It may be time to create some new ones.
2. Write down your priorities for the day first thing in the morning
One of the first things you should do every morning is sit down and make a list of the important activities you need to complete for the day. List them in order of priority, and then get started on the most important one first (especially if it’s the most difficult one). A huge mistake most people make is not managing their time and prioritizing their activities for the day. Instead, they spend the day responding to everything that is thrown at them. Instead of being proactive about what they need to accomplish, they become reactive to the needs of everyone else.
3. Listen to inspiring audio content
Throughout the day there are plenty of opportunities to listen to something positive. You can listen to something when you’re cooking, cleaning the house, driving your car, exercising at the gym, or jogging around your neighborhood, just to name a few. Download the audio version of some of your favorite books, or subscribe to a few podcasts about your favorite subjects. Listening to 30-60 minutes per day of educational or inspiring audio content will have a tremendous impact on your life and productivity in the long run.
“People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily.” – Zig Ziglar
4. Read before you go to sleep
A great way to unwind at the end of a long day is to read a few pages of something positive and educational before you go to sleep. Doing this also helps to take your mind off of any problems or challenges you encountered during the day. After you’ve read a few pages, take a few minutes to reflect on what you just learned, and think of at least one action step you can take immediately to better handle any issues or challenges you are currently dealing with.
5. Do not allow yourself to complain
At any given moment, you can have a positive attitude or a negative attitude. There isn’t much of a grey area in between the two. Refusing to allow yourself to complain will pretty much eliminate you ever having a negative attitude. This simple trick basically forces you to remain positive and optimistic. Whenever you catch yourself about to complain about something, stop yourself and think of something you’re grateful for instead.
6. Get an accountability partner
A daily or even a weekly call with a close friend or associate has proven to be an effective way to stay on track for many people. Keep it brief. The purpose of these calls is to check in and confirm that your partner is staying focused and is still on track to achieving whatever their goals are at the time. Whether it’s exercising regularly, prospecting for new business, working on a specific project, the purpose of the call is to hold them accountable to their commitments. You do it for them, and they do it for you. It works both ways.
7. Don’t sweat the small stuff
Want to know some of the secrets to happiness? Here they are: Don’t worry about things you can’t control. Don’t major in minor things. Choose your battles wisely. Don’t argue over small things. If something is truly important to you, give it your attention. If it’s not, let it go. Sometimes it’s more important to be happy than to be right.
8. Spend more time with positive people (and less time with negative ones)
Pay more attention to who you allow to be around you. Spend your time with people who are positive, and who encourage your success. Minimize the amount of time you spend with people who are constantly complaining or being negative. You can’t change negative people, but they will change you if you hang around them long enough.
“Accept the challenges so that you can feel the exhilaration of victory.” – George S. Patton
9. Recite positive affirmations
Positive affirmations are statements that you recite aloud. Create a list of positive statements that reflect the values, ideals, and beliefs you want to develop and/or uphold. Whenever you’re feeling frustrated or lacking confidence, take a moment to recite your affirmations. It may seem corny, but it works. Think of it as conditioning your mind for success.
10. Reward yourself for making progress
Never forget to reward yourself for making progress. Break your large goals into smaller milestones, and each time you accomplish one of those milestones, celebrate. It doesn’t have to be a big celebration, just make sure you do something. Every success (yes, even a small one) is worth celebrating. It is often a series of small successes that pave the way for the big ones. If you only celebrate the big ones, you may go prolonged periods of time without celebrating anything, and this can have a negative impact on your motivation. Incremental progress is still progress. Give yourself the recognition you deserve.
11. Look for the opportunity in every problem
Practice being the person who can find the hidden advantage in every seemingly negative situation. While everyone else focuses on the problem, stay focused on finding a solution. As Napoleon Hill once said: “Every failure, every adversity, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit.” Always look for the benefit.
“Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough.” – Og Mandino
12. Know what you’re fighting for
The last hack for staying motivated through challenging times is to always know what you’re fighting for. Whenever you are faced with a challenge, your mind will demand a reason for your suffering. You better have a crystal clear response, because if you don’t, your mind will convince you to quit. We all have 2 voices in our head. One voice says “This is too hard. This is uncomfortable. I should quit.” The other says “Yes this is challenging, but it will be worth it. Keep going.” You need to give that second voice a reason to speak up. Why are you doing what you’re doing? Make a list of your reasons and never forget them.
Which hack keeps you motivated? Please leave your thoughts in the comment section below!
Motivation
Why You’re Failing to Achieve Your Goals and How to Fix It Now
Understanding motivation is crucial because it’s the cornerstone of success
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Motivation
Here’s How Self Motivation Can Be the Bridge Between Your Dreams and Realities
Self-motivation is the ability to motivate yourself without the influence of others
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Motivation
8 Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Be More Decisive
Tackling Procrastination and Indecisiveness
Hi, Joel Brown here. As the person behind Addicted to Success and Mind Strong, I’m often asked about tackling procrastination and making swift, effective decisions. It’s a common struggle in today’s world, where distractions are endless.
Procrastination often creeps in when we’re bombarded with social media notifications, breaking news, and the hustle of daily life. This leads to a fear-driven indecision, where we’re paralyzed by the thought of failure or judgment.
Here’s a video breakdown of how to stop procrastinating and be more decisive if you are more of a visual person:
Embracing Speed and Momentum to Stop Procrastination
One of the most impactful lessons in my journey is understanding the role of speed in overcoming procrastination. A mentor of mine, a highly successful individual, always emphasized:
“Success loves speed, and money loves momentum.”
This principle is crucial in combating procrastination. It’s about seizing opportunities quickly, not just for financial gain, but for the invaluable experiences and connections they bring.
Understanding Analysis Paralysis: A Key to Overcoming Procrastination
A major hurdle in decision-making is what’s commonly known as analysis paralysis, a significant form of procrastination. It happens when our decision-making process, governed by the prefrontal cortex, gets overwhelmed. To break free from this form of procrastination, try calming techniques like deep breathing. It’s surprising how such simple steps can clear a cluttered mind and help you move past procrastination.
The Long-Term Effects of Procrastination and Indecision
Procrastination isn’t just about putting off decisions; it can lead to a reduced sense of life satisfaction over time.
In a conversation I had with Tony Robbins, we discussed how the quality of our lives hinges on the quality of our decisions.
Therefore, overcoming procrastination and indecision is vital for a fulfilling life.
My Top Strategies for Beating Procrastination
- Seek Guidance from the Experienced: To combat procrastination, connect with people who’ve achieved the goals you’re aiming for. Their experience can be a guiding light when you’re stuck in indecision.
- Use Deadlines as Anti-Procrastination Tools: Setting deadlines is a powerful way to break the cycle of procrastination. They create a sense of urgency that pushes you into action.
- Accept Imperfection to Move Past Procrastination: Understand that no one is perfect, and that includes you. Accepting this can alleviate the pressure that often leads to procrastination.
Identify Your Procrastination Type to Find Solutions
Procrastination manifests in various forms. I’ve developed a quiz (find it at mindstrongacademy.com/quiz) to help you identify your specific type of procrastination. Understanding your personal procrastination style is a crucial step in addressing it effectively.
Additional Tips on Making Quality Decisions and Beating Procrastination
When it comes to decision-making, it’s important to not get too bogged down in analyzing pros and cons. While analysis is important, excessive scrutiny can lead to procrastination. Trusting your intuition often plays a crucial role in breaking free from procrastination.
Handling Major Life Choices Without Procrastination
For significant decisions in life, whether in your career or personal relationships, procrastination can be particularly challenging.
To address this, break down these big decisions into smaller steps. Assess the potential outcomes realistically to understand that often, the fear of a negative outcome is more intimidating than the actual consequences.
Conclusion: Your Journey Away from Procrastination Begins Now
To wrap up, remember that overcoming procrastination and indecision is about understanding your own patterns, seeking wise counsel, setting deadlines, and embracing your imperfections. It’s time to start making those impactful decisions and enjoying the journey of life.
Whether it’s through the Mind Strong Academy or my procrastination quiz, I’m here to guide you on your path to decisive action.
I believe in your ability to conquer procrastination and live a life of purposeful decisions.
Change Your Mindset
Unlocking Success: Subconscious Reprogramming, Mindset, and Transformative Strategies for Improved Wellbeing and Business Performance
What if I told you that the negative thoughts or self-limiting beliefs that you may have, are not actually yours?
In this article, I will discuss subconscious programming and how it can be reprogrammed in a way that allows you to reach your greatest potential. I will also provide tips on how you can integrate this information as a leader within the workplace.
The subconscious mind is shaped before we begin forming our own conscious thoughts, and these conscious thoughts are influenced by the subconscious mind. This means that even the thoughts that you’re consciously having, are merely an extension of that pre-existing conditioning.
When something becomes deeply ingrained within your mind through repetition, and there are other supporting thoughts that reinforce it, you will identify this information as your truth. These repeated thoughts become beliefs, and your actions will align to support and validate these beliefs.
The Importance of Observing Your Thoughts
If you continuously tell yourself that you aren’t capable or good enough, how likely are you to put in the effort to challenge this narrative? If you’ve always been a procrastinator and tell yourself that you always will be, you’re going to continue procrastinating. If you run into an obstacle and don’t believe you can overcome it, you’re not going to look for solutions or try your best to resolve it.
It’s extremely important for you to become an observer of your thoughts and understand the impacts of how those thoughts can impact your life, relationships, and overall outlook on life.
Here are some questions to help guide you:
– What are your recurring negative thoughts, and how are they impacting your performance and relationships?
– How have these thoughts held you back from achieving your goals and living the life that you’ve always dreamed of?
– What have these thoughts already cost you and what else will they cost you if they don’t change?
Societal conditioning, influenced by a lower level of collective consciousness, has made the experience of debilitating thoughts highly prevalent. It’s not your fault that you have them, but it is your responsibility to change them and choose better ones.
The Subconscious Must Be Reprogrammed
Reprogramming the subconscious involves positive affirmations, visualization, and consistent repetition to replace negative beliefs with positive ones. You have to become aware of the thoughts that make you feel bad and do not serve your best interest.
What are the growth-oriented thoughts that would you rather have instead? Any time that a debilitating thought crosses your mind, always correct it with new thought that uplifts, encourages and empowers you. Be consistent, be patient and understand that your logical mind will not make this process easy for you at first.
Being Delusional vs. Consciously Creating a Better Reality for Yourself
By definition, the term delusional means “holding false beliefs or judgments about external reality that are held despite incontrovertible evidence to the contrary”. When you have held onto debilitating beliefs for so long and your previous actions have served as evidence to confirm their truth, it is inevitable that your logical mind will deem your new thoughts as delusional. This is where embracing change tends to become most challenging, as it involves confronting this resistance with unwavering commitment.
What you have to understand is that your former beliefs and former actions do not dictate your future, unless they remain the same. As the old beliefs become obsolete and new beliefs take their place, there will also be new aligned actions that produce different results, and this will serve as evidence to support your new truth. That being said, the most delusional thing that anyone can do is elect to keep an unfavorable mindset that was programmed for them by external factors and willingly relinquish their own personal power as a result of it.
Success is Fundamentally Rooted in the Mindset
How we show up for ourselves and others, communicate with employees, and perform in business are deeply connected to our mindset and everything that has shaped it. Let’s delve into these interconnected aspects and explore five transformative tips that will catalyze positive change in the workplace.
A growth-oriented mindset encourages resilience, adaptability, and a willingness to embrace challenges. On the other hand, a fixed mindset hinders progress and limits potential.
Tip 1: Embrace a Growth Mindset
- Establish the belief that abilities can be developed.
- View challenges as opportunities for learning and improvement.
- Cultivate a positive attitude toward continuous growth and development.
Unpacking Trauma and Navigating the Impact
Unresolved trauma can cast a long shadow over our personal and professional lives. It shapes our reactions, influences decision-making, and impacts our interactions with others. Acknowledging and addressing trauma is essential for creating a healthier, more productive work environment.
Tip 2: Prioritize Trauma-Informed Leadership
- Cultivate empathy and understanding for individual experiences.
- Provide a safe space for open communication about trauma.
- Implement support systems and resources for employees dealing with trauma.
Elevate Relationships and Sales Performance
To enhance relationships, communication, and sales performance, a holistic approach that intertwines mindset and trauma-informed practices is key.
Tip 3: Implement Empathy-Driven Communication
- Train teams in active listening and empathetic communication.
- Create an environment where open dialogue is encouraged.
- Recognize and validate diverse perspectives, creating a culture of inclusivity.
Tip 4: Invest in Professional Development
- Offer continuous learning opportunities for employees.
- Develop leadership skills to enhance communication and relationship-building.
- Prioritize sales training programs that align with evolving market dynamics.
Tip 5: Maintain a Positive Work Culture
- Create a workplace where employees feel valued and appreciated.
- Implement recognition programs to celebrate achievements.
- Encourage a balance between professional and personal well-being.
By embracing a growth mindset, acknowledging and addressing trauma, and implementing empathetic, integrated strategies, individuals and organizations can create a transformative ripple effect. In this interconnected web of personal and professional growth, how we show up truly matters, influencing the outcomes we achieve and the impact we leave on those around us.
Enjoy the Journey
As you embark on the empowering journey of subconscious reprogramming, remember that change takes time, and self-compassion is your greatest ally. Surround yourself with positive influences, whether it be supportive friends, inspirational books, or mindfulness practices. Seek guidance from mentors who have walked a similar path and found success in reshaping their mindset. Embrace the discomfort that may arise during this process, for it signifies the shedding of old layers to make way for the new. Reflect on your progress regularly, celebrating even the smallest victories, and be patient with yourself as you navigate the intricacies of transformation.
In the spirit of rewriting your narrative, I encourage you to take the first step today. Commit to a daily practice of positive affirmations, visualize your desired reality, and consistently challenge self-limiting beliefs. If you would like support along the way, consider joining like-minded communities, Facebook groups, and curate your social media to reflect these new changes you want to embody.
Remember, thoughts become actions, and actions reinforce beliefs. It’s never too late to embark on an empowering journey to reprogram your mind, and achieve the life you have always dreamed of!
For more tips and strategies on how to improve your mindset, follow me at @bigdivineenergy.
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