Getting Motivated:
7 How-To’s

Mirjam Stoffels

T here are some of those days that even thinking about making positive changes seems too difficult. You don’t feel like doing anything. Those days that even the most motivated of us [you, me, Tony Robbins] can feel unmotivated.

My state of not feeling motivated [at all] lasts for a couple of days now. I don’t know what it is. The end of the holidays? Kids going to school again and an empty house? Too much to do, too little time?

Since it’s time for a new blogpost, I thought, ‘Why not kill two birds with one stone and write a blog on how to get motivated?’ Writing about it might just get me in the right state of mind again…

 
To research this subject [or any subject for that matter] I always start with browsing the web, read articles, other blogposts, find quotes about the subject and so on. And I can tell you: having done that makes me feel more motivated already. I find myself sitting on the edge of my chair, my fingers dancing around the keyboard, eager to write this post.

Strange how even the littlest things like just reading about it, can get things changed. And that’s it, isn’t it? With some small steps, baby ones in fact, you can always get started down the road to positive change.

So here they are: seven ways to get motivated when you’re in a motivational dip!

 
#1
Find inspiration
That is what just happened. Reading about getting motivated, just got me more motivated. Inspiration, for me, comes from others who have achieved what I want to achieve, or who are currently doing it. I read other blogs, books, magazines. One of my slogans is ‘Google knows everything’ so I google [my question, my goal] and start reading. And get inspired along the way!

 
#2
One goal
Coming to think of it more deeply, I’m in a slump because I have too much going on in my life. I’m trying to do too much. And with the holidays ending I feel that I have to get on with it full throttle again. And that thought simply overwhelms me. Saps my energy and motivation. It’s probably the most common mistake [especially among us women]: trying to take on too much, trying to accomplish too many goals at once. You cannot maintain energy and focus [the two most important things in accomplishing a goal] if you are trying to do two or more goals at once. So I choose one goal, for now, and focus on it completely. I know that’s going to be hard. But hey, I can always pursue my other goals when I’ve accomplished my One Goal.

 
#3
Call for help
Ask for help when motivation ebbs. Email a friend. Join an online forum. Get a partner to join you. Call your mom. It doesn’t matter who, just tell someone what you’re struggling with. Talking about it will help. Ask for advice. Ask them to help you overcome your motivational dip. It works. For me writing about it, just admitting to you in the the first lines of this blog that I didn’t feel like doing anything the past couple of days, caused a shift. And taking action on that by searching for inspiration [a.k.a. reading advice from others] got me going again.

 
#4
Realize that there’s an ebb and flow [click to tweet]
Motivation is not a constant thing that is always there. It comes and goes, and comes and goes again, like the tide. I realize that while my motivation maybe low at the moment, it isn’t so permanently. It will come back. It always does. I just have to stick it out and wait for that motivation to come back. In the meantime I find inspiration, I read about my goal and ask for help, and do some of the other things listed here until it all comes back.

 
#5
Stick with it
My astrological sign is Taurus so I’m bullheaded. Whatever I do, I don’t give up easily. I have an immense willpower. And I have faith in myself and my abilities. So even if I am not feeling any motivation today, or this week, I don’t give up. Again, that motivation will come back. I like to think of my goals as a journey, and this dip is just a little bump [or more a pit] in the road. You can’t give up with every little bump. Stay with it for the long term, ride out the ebbs and surf on the flows, and you’ll get there.

 
#6
Think about the benefits, not the difficulties
One common problem is that we think about how hard something is. Just thinking about it gets you overwhelmed and makes you tired. But I decided to shift my perception: instead of thinking about how hard something is, I think about what I will get out of it. What do I get out of realizing that One Goal I have chosen? I focus on how good I will feel when I am done, and I visualize that. Focussing on the benefits of something can really help energize you!

 
#7
Squash negative thoughts
Zap negative thoughts right away and replace them with positive ones. It’s important to start monitoring your thoughts. Recognize negative self-talk, which is really what’s causing your state of mind. Just spend a few days becoming aware of every negative thought. Then, after a few days, try squashing those negative thoughts like a bug, and then replacing them with a corresponding positive thought. Squash, ‘This is too hard!’ and replace it with, ‘I can do this!’ And if I can do it, so can you… It sounds corny, but it works. Really.

 
This has been a very clarifying and healing blogpost for me. Thank you for being my reader!

 
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And now it is your turn.
Do you know that feeling of lack of motivation?
What’s your secret way to get out of it? What would you add to the list?
Please share your thoughts and insights with us by leaving a comment below.
Thank you!

Mirjam Stoffels

Founder of seven2success, guest blogger at TEDx, Project Eve and 365 dagen succesvol. In my mission to make seven2success the biggest platform of knowledge and inspiration for women, by women, I want to inspire you with our content! Check us out on Facebook and Twitter! I’d love to connect! 
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