Motivation On?

What do we mean when we say “flipping the switch” anyway? Well, the Urban Dictionary defines it as a sudden or drastic change of heart. In this eBook, we are talking about it as it relates to motivation.

We are all unmotivated sometimes. We all procrastinate getting started on a new project or task we don’t enjoy doing. But often in life, we don’t have a choice - we must get certain things done. These can be big things liking getting a college degree to get that job you want or smaller things like balancing your checkbook so you know if you can afford that new iPhone.

Doing anything, big or small, is easier when there’s motivation behind it. So how do we access motivation when we don’t feel like we are up to the task? No matter if you are a professional procrastinator or someone who is feeling overwhelmed by the challenging task before them, you will find the tips for accessing your inner motivation here. You are going to learn ways to flip your motivation switch so that you don’t have to wait around for inspiration or motivation to strike - you will be able to create it yourself whenever you need it! 

          The Benefits of Instant Motivation

It feels great to be in that sweet spot of productivity. You are focused and feel great at the end of the day knowing that you got a lot accomplished. But what other benefits does instant motivation have?

It also raises your self-confidence. You’ve experienced this for yourself. You start a new task, something you aren’t really sure you will be able to do, and after a while when you start to see that you can do it, you feel more confident. After that, things just get going faster and better than before. Your momentum steps it up a notch because you now have more confident in your abilities to perform the task.

Speaking of momentum, you’ve heard, “a body in motion tends to stay in motion,” right? You don’t have to be in a physics class to know that this is true. It comes from Newton’s first law of motion and it applies to all motion, including our own. Once you get started on a task, you get into the groove of it and the outcome is that your effort flows more smoothly than you expected it to. This is true even if you were dreading the task and had been putting it off for another day. Once we get motivated enough to just get started, momentum kicks in and makes life easier.

It helps us reach our goals too, of course. We need to get stuff done, and it’s just plain easier when we are motivated to do the action tasks we need to do to get there. No matter how hard or challenging something is, if we are motivated to do it, it doesn’t feel as hard or challenging as it would be otherwise.

        How to Flip The Switch

Now that we better understand why motivation is so helpful in getting projects completed, let’s dig into ways we can flip that motivation switch so that even when we don’t feel like doing anything but binge-watching Netflix, we can get ourselves in a drastically different state of mind so we can get stuff done.

These suggestions are in no particular order. One isn’t better than any other. It’s just that everyone is motivated a little differently. The best way to figure out what best motivates you is to try different ones until you figure it out. You may want to combine different ones to find that sweet spot. And some of them are simply smart ideas that everyone should do to stay at their peak performance.

        Unplug

Oh, this one is so hard for us to do, yet is so important for our productivity! We are always plugged in. We need to be to complete many tasks. From watching a YouTube video to figure out how to fix our car to messaging with our teacher to get a better understanding of an assignment, we count on being plugged in almost constantly. But it can be a huge distraction. And, it wears us down, even if we don’t realize it. It takes a lot of energy to be available virtually 24/7. So plan unplugged times into your schedule, maybe every Sunday morning or an hour before bed each night. It doesn’t have to be a huge block of time - just enough to give your brain some rest from always being plugged into everything that’s going on in our world.

        Have one goal

Most of us put too much pressure on ourselves. We have a zillion different projects going at once, with none of them really getting anywhere. After making little progress on any one thing, our motivation starts to lag, naturally. Yet we keep doing this time and time again. When we see little progress and are working constantly, we exhaust ourselves, body, spirit, and mind. One of the top ways to get motivated and stay that way is to focus on one goal at a time. Give it your total focus and appreciate each little step, letting the small victories add up.

        Get an accountability partner

Having someone you are accountable to is a smart way to make sure you get something done. Whether they are you are trying to stay motivated to build your own business or get fit and lose weight, you are less likely to back out on your promise to complete tasks or head to the gym when you have someone else who is doing it right alongside you. And as we will talk about later, one of the best ways to get motivated is to motivate others. You have a built-in system for doing this with an accountability partner.

        Get enough sleep

This is one of those suggestions that everyone should be doing 100% of the time. Getting the rest your body needs makes it possible to ramp your motivation into high gear when necessary. Sleep is like fuel - our bodies need it to maintain health and well-being, which includes motivation. If you are consistently having issues getting yourself motivated, even to do things you usually enjoy, take a good hard look at your sleep habit to see if that could be an issue.

        Know your ‘Why’

This one is really important if you have a big goal or milestone you are trying to reach. It’s easy and natural to lose motivation over a long period of time. For example, you start college all excited about the prospects of the experiences you will have, what you will learn and where the degree you earn will take you. But you can’t sustain that same level of enthusiasm for four solid years. So what are you going to do when you lose it along the way? Keep in mind the reason you started the project in the first place. Is your ‘Why’ your life-long desire to be a doctor? Is it to make a better living to take care of your family? Is it so that you are healthier? This one thing can help you keep perspective when it all just feels like too much.

        Break down those goals

This is another important tip for those big, and possibly scary, goals. One of the reasons we procrastinate is because we feel overwhelmed. When that feeling strikes, self-doubt isn’t far behind. We start wondering if the project is worth the effort and if we have it in us to complete it. Taking our goals and even large steps in the process to reaching those goals and breaking them down into manageable parts keeps us from getting disillusioned about our ability to achieve them. Motivation is all about mind over matter, and this is a simple way to overcome overwhelm. For example, if you want to get fit, break that down into several things that need to happen, maybe exercising and eating healthier. Breaking down “eat healthier” might be to:

• Go through your cabinets and fridge and get rid of all junk food.
• Next, go to the store and replace that junk food with healthy choices.
• Batch cook on the weekend so that you have plenty of healthy food in the house so you aren’t tempted to get fast food after a long day at work.
• Keep healthy snacks made up so that you can grab them and go instead of getting junk food out of a vending machine.

All of these small steps add up to your overall goal but don’t seem so inaccessible.

        Talk about it

We’ve mentioned accountability partners, but this is a bit different. This is about just sharing what you are working on with a friend or loved one who is always supportive. Tell them about how you came up with the idea and what it will mean for you when you accomplish the goal. Explain the steps you plan to take to get there. If your enthusiasm was idle before, it won’t be once you are done discussing it all. Sharing it with someone you trust rekindles the excitement you felt when you first came up with the idea.

        Take a power nap

If you are working on something and start losing mental or motivational steam, you might try a power nap. It’s a short rest, usually for 20-30 minutes, and provides your brain and body with just enough rest so that afterward they feel rejuvenated. Sleep studies prove that naps of different lengths are good for different processes - depending on how far into the REM sleep cycle you get. A power nap can work wonders when you need a little help making it through the day.

        Take a walk

On the opposite side, we have; getting a little exercise, specifically by taking a quick walk. Walking gets your blood flowing to your brain and extremities, and if you’ve been sitting at a desk or workstation for a long period, a brisk walk can be just as good as a nap to get you re-energized and refocused on the task that needs to be conquered.

        Set a timer

One great way to gain speed on a task that you don’t want to do is to psych yourself out. Remember Newton and his first law of motion? You guessed it. Tell yourself you will work on the task for a certain amount of time and that when you reach that milestone, you will stop working on it. Then set a timer. Then just go to it. Work on the task in a totally focused way until the timer goes off. Much of the time you will find that now that you are involved in the task, it’s not as bad as you expected it to be. Or, you might think, heck, now I just want to get it done and out of the way. Either way, you have gained the momentum, if not the motivation, to complete that unappealing task.

        Post your goal

Write your goal or mantra out on pieces of paper and then put them up all around your house where you will see them. For example, if you want to start exercising every day, write out “Be active 15 min a day.” This is a small time frame that you can be successful at and you will be reminded of the commitment you’ve made to yourself everywhere you look. You might put it up on mirrors, your fridge and on the wall next to your bed. But don’t forget about other places that you won’t be expecting to see a message, like inside cabinet doors, on the flap of your car visor and on the ceiling above where you sleep. Seeing your goal in those places is a little bit of a shock and it will keep your motivation even higher to complete the task.

        Use aromatherapy

Different scents have been used for thousands of years to produce all types of mental states, including focus and motivation. Essential oils such as bergamot, lavender, ylang-ylang and German chamomile are traditionally used to stave off depression and low mood and lift the spirit. They increase feelings of well-being and joy as well as reducing stress and fatigue. There are many types of diffusers available that you can put right next to or on your desk or workstation to keep your motivation elevated at a steady level.

        Start small and level up

Let’s say you want to lose 100 pounds and get buff. Makes you tired just thinking about that huge goal, doesn’t it? But what about if you started with a more reasonable daily goal that wouldn’t overwhelm you every time you thought about it? I bet you could exercise for 15 minutes a day, though, couldn’t you? Yep, you could. And it feels manageable. Breaking down your huge goals so that you are focusing on just what you need to do today makes it so much easier to achieve! Then, once you are successful at that mini-goal for a couple of weeks, level up to 20 minutes a day. Or 16 minutes or whatever feels right to you. This is how big goals are met - one small step at a time. Otherwise, we get discouraged and give up. This may take a little longer to complete, but trying to do it all at once is a sure way to never do it at all.

        Stay hydrated

Our bodies are made up of up to 65% water. Our organs and brain need water to work effectively and efficiently. And even though we know this, we still rarely drink as much water as we should. And you know all that coffee, soda or energy drink you gulp down each day? They are full of caffeine, which dehydrates you. Get a cup that you only fill with water and keep it with you all day long. Set a goal for yourself (start small, remember) and then when you reach that goal for the day, reward yourself with a different type of beverage.

        Go with the flow

We each have our own personal cycle or flow. It’s natural to have days when we are tired or fatigued - just feel like taking it easy. Honor that. As a society, we are so caught up with always being in action, always working, always on the go. We don’t give ourselves space to just be. To just relax and enjoy people and activities we find fun. This takes its toll. It’s impossible to stay motivated 100% of the time about everything. Our bodies and brains aren’t built to live at full speed constantly. And yet, we push ourselves to do more, even when we can tell that we are running on empty. When you feel burnt out, rest. Or, better yet, don’t let it get to “burnt out” to begin with. Take care of yourself. Have fun. Play hooky. Enjoy your life. Life should be able more than working, reaching goals and being the best at everything. So cut yourself some slack sometimes. You aren’t going to turn into a lazy bum for taking an afternoon off when you are wiped out.

        Catch negative self-talk

Ever tried to be motivated to do a task when you are simultaneously telling yourself how much you don’t want to do it, how lousy you are at it, etc.? Ummm... it doesn’t really work, does it? We participate in self-talk all throughout each and every day. In fact, we don’t even realize we are doing it a lot of the time. That’s why it’s important to start paying more attention to it. Start getting in the habit of catching yourself thinking negatively. Maybe in the past, this project didn’t get finished, so you tell yourself you will probably be too stupid or lazy to do it this time as well. Stop! Backup and replace that thought with a positive one. How about the fact that you are resilient and courageous enough to try again? That totally counts for something! Many people wouldn’t ever try again. It will take some practice to catch yourself telling yourself negative stuff, but it’s worth the effort. It can change the way you approach everything in your life.

        Sing

This may sound funny, but singing is a great way to breathe deeply. Much of the day we breathe very shallowly, which causes a stress reaction in the body. This starts the endless cycle of stress→ breathing shallowly over and over until we are an exhausted wreck by the end of the day. Breathing deeply activates our parasympathetic nervous system which brings our bodies back into a state of equilibrium. This gives us a feeling of peacefulness and well-being. So sing! Sing in the shower, in the car, whenever you need a boost. Fill your lungs with air, turn up the tunes and belt it out!

        Gather motivation when you find it

When you run across motivational quotes or images, save them in your bookmarks or in a folder on your computer. Print them out and put them where you can see them while you work. Another smart way to do this is to start a Pinterest board for motivation quotes and images that you come across daily. You can also make a collage on a free online collage maker and use it as your desktop. Not only do these words and images encourage you to take action, but they remind you that everyone has times of low motivation so that you don’t beat yourself up.

        Visualize the final product

Especially when we have a challenging or large project, we can get caught up in all the little details. What started out as a fun undertaking can turn into a dreaded task list that must be finished up. When this hits, stop and think about how awesome it will be when it’s finished. Imagine how much enjoyment you and your family will get out of that deck you decided to build yourself or how great it will be to work in a career field that you’ve always dreamed about. This idea connects to our ‘Why,’ but on a visual level. Close your eyes and images what it will be like when you’ve accomplished your goal. Visualizing brings up feelings that can restart your motivational engine.

        Create an affirmation

Sometimes we really want to accomplish something, but we aren’t taking action on it because we are afraid we will fail or won’t do it right. Especially if it’s a longer-term project, creating an affirmation to repeat to yourself can help you get past the fear and just do it. It’s not going to necessarily take away all the fear - in life, we have to step out of our comfort zones to do important things. But it can increase your courage and confidence in your abilities. To create an affirmation, make it a short sentence so that it’s easy to remember and make it in the present tense like it’s already happening. Don’t worry about making it sound fancy - just use your own language when making it. For example, if you have been a poor test-taker when you were in school before, create an affirmation like this to improve your test-taking abilities: “I am a smart, successful student who correctly completes each test with ease.”

        Focus on the moment

A few tips back we mentioned that it’s easy to get caught up in the details and forget what the big picture looks like. We might even momentarily forget why we are working so hard to complete a particular undertaking. One way to keep yourself from getting tunnel vision that ends in overwhelm is to stay focused in the moment on the task you are currently working on. You may be working on a project that has a lot of steps to it and a looming deadline on top of that. But focusing on all you have to do in a short amount of time is a disastrous mindset. Instead, focus completely on the current step and enjoy it. This will help you be more productive and happier at the same time.

        Reward yourself

Have you seen the pictures on social media of a textbook page covered with gummy bears at different places? This is a reward system that keeps students focused on getting through all of the reading that is required in college. Having little things to look forward to, yes, even a gummy bear, is a way to keep your mind interested in the task at hand. You could plan something big, like a dream vacation after you earn that degree or a new swimsuit when you lose those five extra pounds. It doesn’t matter what the reward is, as long as it’s something meaningful to you.

        Do yoga

Yoga has been used for centuries to focus the mind and relax the body, and it can do wonders for your motivational levels. Doing yoga for just a short time can give you a well-deserved break and help you get perspective. It also gets your blood moving, which improves your ability to concentrate and focus on what you need to do. Especially try some inverted poses to get the blood flowing to your brain. Yoga is good for the mind, body, and spirit and is a wonderfully refreshing way to get re-motivated.

        Make a motivational playlist

Go onto Spotify or Amazon music and create a playlist of songs that motivate you and then play it whenever you need a little boost. They could be songs that remind you of a time when you were really motivated and successful at completing your project or up-tempo music that gets you dancing in your chair. Or, maybe a mix of both. Music greatly impacts our mood, so pay attention to what you are listening to. It could be that what you have been listening to is too relaxing or making it hard to concentrate and that’s why your motivation is lagging.

        Teach someone else what you are doing

We’ve all been told the best way to learn something is to teach it to others. The same thing goes for motivation. Maybe the task you are working on has gotten boring because you’ve done it so often. By teaching someone else how to do it, you get to re-experience it with fresh eyes. It might be something that you used to enjoy but now don’t. You may find that teaching someone else how to complete the task renews your appreciation for the skills it takes to accomplish.

        Motivate someone else

We often get so wrapped up in our own struggles that we forget that other people have them too. One way to get out of a funk is to inspire someone else. It’s easy to forget how good it feels to help someone else out. You might go big and volunteer on a regular basis or simply lend a listening ear to a friend who needs a sounding board. Don’t be surprised if you hear yourself saying the things to them that you need to remember yourself.

        Journal

Journaling is wonderful for all types of reasons, and not the least of them is motivation. One reason we get off the inspiration track is because we get our priorities and objectives all muddled. Journaling is a way to get your brain re-wrapped around what’s really important to you and where you should go next to be successful. You can kick it ole’ school and use a lovely notebook and your favorite pen, use a journaling app on your tablet or phone or whatever works best for you. The point is just to write it all down - all your feelings and thoughts surrounding your big goal. Once you get it all out of your head and onto the page, it’s easier to get motivated and take action.

        Play with a pet

No pet? Heck, borrow the neighbor’s then. Playing or petting a pet is like being around a young child. You can’t help but smile and laugh. You start to experience reality through their lens. They live totally in the moment. No worries, no fears; just unbridled joy that they are getting to spend time with you. It also gets you off your duff and moving around, which we’ve already discussed - get that blood flowing! Take 15 minutes right now and play with your pet. Talk lovingly to it. Roughhouse. Squeal with delight when they retrieve the ball. Act silly like they do. You won’t believe how inspired you will be when you get back to your task.

        Create motivational anchors

Think of a time when you were super inspired and productive. What was going on then? What did you hear, smell, taste, see and touch? Close your eyes and go back to that moment. Savor the feelings - there’s nothing quite like the feeling of when you are motivated and achieving your goals easily. Now, attach a few of those sensations to objects or actions you can recreate whenever you are feeling uninspired or are procrastinating taking action. For example, there might have been a certain type of tea that you were drinking out of a favorite mug. Go buy some more of that tea and dust off that mug! Maybe you listened to a certain album over and over. Go find it and turn it up loud. Perhaps there was a friend you connected with regularly to bounce ideas off of. Yep, give them a call. An anchor is a way to duplicate the environment of success so that you can trick yourself into feeling that way again. It doesn’t matter what the anchors are - just create several of them and then use them as needed.

        Listen to a motivational podcast or audiobook

If you can work on your project while listening to a conversation, try turning on a motivational podcast or audiobook. Some people can do this will all types of task, but if you aren’t one of those, use this when you are working on mundane tasks related to your goal. Most of us have a hero or some motivational speaker we look to when we need a boost of inspiration. Put them to work for you anytime you aren’t feeling like doing the work you need to do to get done what you desire.

        Smile

Did you know that when we smile, even when we are faking it, our brain thinks we are happy and releases the same feel-good hormones as if we were really happy? How awesome is that? It’s been proven that wearing even a small smile for 10-15 minutes, your body responds to that and then you really do feel happier. When your mood is elevated, you are naturally more motivated.

        Declutter your area

It’s a scientific fact that our minds mirror our environment. So when our surroundings are cluttered and chaotic, so is our mind. Take a few minutes when you are losing inspiration to clear up your area. Put things back where they belong. File and categories loose papers and other tools you will need later. Take all those mugs and dishes to the sink and maybe even wash them. Keep only what you need for the next task on your desk or workspace so that you have everything orderly and won’t have to search for the tool you need. We waste a lot of time when we stay in disorganization. It’s really just another way of procrastinating. Have you ever thought, “I can’t finish that because I can’t find the tool I need.” We all have. Taking time to clear up the clutter gives your mind a break from your tasks and will help you stay focused once you get back to work.

        Clean up before you leave

Since we are already talking about keeping your stuff organized, let’s discuss an ongoing strategy for staying in the motivational zone. Before you leave your work area for the day, take a few minutes to clean it up. Put all your tools where they belong, take out the trash, blow the crumbs out of your keyboard and throw away stuff you no longer need. When you come back to your workspace the next time, you will be ready to jump right into your work. You won’t have to waste time and feel frustrated that you have to spend time cleaning up when you should have done it earlier. Your brain will recognize that your space is ready to work, and it will get in that zone.

If you want to go the extra mile, make a short to-do list so you know where you need to start when you come back. This is helpful for daily tasks as well, but it’s really important if you won’t be working on the project for a few days. It will save you from having to go to see where you stopped and trying to remember what your inspirations were for the next phase of work.

        Do something creative

We use our rational, logical minds much more than our creative minds. Sometimes it feels like our brain just says, Nope, I’m going on strike. I’m tired and I’m not going to work right now. What it’s trying to tell us is that we need some creative time. Some time to dream and enjoy the freedom of creating something fun and beautiful. It doesn’t matter what creative thing you like to do. It might be watercolors or knitting or writing a song. Whatever it is, take some time to do it without worrying about the work that isn’t getting done. This will refresh you and give you a new lease on the project. You may even find that when you go back to work, you bring that creative spirit and attitude with you. Being creative seems to lighten the workload and make things go more smoothly.

        Use a happy light

When the days get shorter, you may find yourself falling into a pattern of sluggishness and short attention span. You don’t have to be diagnosed with Seasonal Affective Disorder to benefit from a full spectrum light therapy lamp. These inexpensive lamps provide a light that duplicates the sun’s light, which controls our sleep and wake cycles. When there’s little sun to naturally do that, we need a little extra help. Using one of these lamps can make a huge difference in your mood, concentration, and energy. Feeling good, being able to focus and feeling energized are all important to keep up your motivation.

        Brain-dump

We’ve mentioned feeling overwhelmed a few times now, and for good reason. When there’s a big project to do, it can feel insurmountable to get it finished. And that feeling intensifies when there is a deadline attached to the project. When you feel yourself heading towards this feeling and it’s affecting your motivation to get to work, try doing a brain dump. This is the simple method of writing down all of the steps that need to be taken or tasks that need to be completed to get that project completed. You just write down everything you can think of, in no particular order, until it’s all on paper. Once that’s done, you might realize that there’s not as much to do as you thought. Regardless, now you can more easily prioritize and schedule the steps so that you know what to do next. Relieving stress in this way frees up your brain so that it can get motivated once again.

        Laugh

You’ve heard the old expression, “Laughter is the best medicine.” It’s been around for so long because there is so much truth to it. Just like smiling, as mentioned before, spending time laughing releases feel good chemicals into your bloodstream, which boosts your motivation. Can’t think of anything to make you laugh? Go watch your favorite comedy. Watch some cat videos on YouTube. Read some jokes online. Even better, get together with a small group of friends and have fun. Laughing reduces your stress and helps you gain perspective. These things directly relate to how inspired you are about all different things in your life.

        Try a new environment

If you work in the same environment all the time, for example at your desk in your home office, try out a different surrounding when you feel less than motivated. Sometimes you don’t even leave the house - just change chairs, move to a different room or even use a different ink pen when writing. Little shifts in our environment cause our brain to wake up because something is new and different. You might go to a cafe or the library or a similar place where you can still get your work done. It’s a delightful change of pace that is often all you need to get your mojo back.

        Meditate

Some people might think of this as just another way to procrastinate, but it’s not. Meditating allows your mind to relax as you simply focus on your breathing. Eventually, your mind will slow down and you will recognize any thinking as just that - thoughts floating by that don’t need to be analyzed or brought to life. You can let them go. And when you go back to your work, your mind will be refreshed.

        Let go of the outcome

So often we put so much pressure on ourselves to accomplish, that we push ourselves into exhaustion. We get so wrapped up in our expectations that we expend a great deal of energy needlessly. What if we just focused on the task we were doing this minute and just enjoyed it? Don’t worry how it’s going to turn out or if it will be done within the time frame you’ve allotted. Just let go and see how freeing it is. Freedom is motivating!

        Surround yourself with positive people

It’s super hard to stay motivated when you are always around a bunch of whiners or complainers. If this is your situation, stop being brought down by people who aren’t doing anything to better themselves and grow. Their fear is stopping them, but it doesn’t have to stop you. Spend less time with those people. If you can avoid them at work, parties, etc. do that. If everyone at work is negative, which happens more than you’d think - attitudes are contagious - then start looking for a new job. Seriously! Life is too short to be with people who make you feel bad all the time.

        Examine your fear

Sometimes we procrastinate because we are scared. We are scared of failure, success, that we won’t do it right, that people will laugh at us and sometimes all of those things at once. Instead of pushing that fear away, take a good hard look at it. Where is it coming from? Did you do something similar before and got made fun of? Are you afraid that your friends will stop liking you if you become too successful? Do you have old memories or stories around the task? Understanding that there is fear and where it comes from is the first step of freeing yourself from it.

        Let go of fear

Once you recognize that you have fear and that’s what keeping you unmotivated, let it go. Realize that this is a totally different situation than the time before. Understand that your memories of what you were taught about the type of task growing up are old news and that you can replace those with new beliefs. Realize that if your friends don’t want to hang around with you when you are a big success, they weren’t really your friends, to begin with. Start letting go of that old fear - and understand that this will be something that you will need to do on an ongoing basis - this isn’t a one-time deal. Also, know that everyone procrastinates out of fear so you are in good company.

        Conclusion

No one is always motivated. We all get down in the dumps or tired after a period of hard work. So make sure that you give yourself permission to go with the ebb and flow of your personal energy levels. There will be times when you don’t have that luxury - a work project has a deadline looming or a task that requires your input on a timeline that you have no control over.

But there are other times when you can let yourself rest after making progress on a goal or task. The important thing is finding a good balance of work and rest so that you don’t lean too much one way or the other. We all need both productivity and downtime. Pushing yourself endlessly and expecting yourself to always be motivated isn’t a recipe for a happy life. It’s not even a recipe for a productive one. Taking regular time to decompress will ensure you are able to flip your motivational switch when you need it most.