Avoiding doom and gloom is a good start, but you can make even greater strides if you do nice things for others as frequently as possible. Make financial donations to charitable organizations, or volunteer some time for a worthy cause. Even better is if you can do these things anonymously. There is no greater feeling than doing something kind without a single possibility of compensation or recognition. Talk about an emotional and mental high! Just one of these acts can make you feel more motivated than you’ve felt in a long time, but if you keep doing them on a regular basis the benefits begin to accumulate and you intensify the feelings even more.
All you need is love.
You know how love can make you feel all fluttery and happy inside? Get those feelings to flow for the project you’re doing! Even if you don’t love it initially, take some time to think about what the project or task means to you, and the benefits you’ll gain from it. Let yourself begin to feel excited and emotional about it, and in no time you should be feeling ready to get moving.
Love yourself.
If loving your project or task isn’t creating the warm fuzzy feelings you seek, why not try loving yourself for a change? Especially if you’ve tried the drill sergeant approach and it turns out that strong-arming yourself into getting motivated just isn’t working, try loving yourself into action! Take a few minutes to admire something about yourself. Write a list of your best attributes and skills, and affirm your ability to do a great job with your current
objective. Sometimes a little positive reinforcement goes a long way!
Try a different approach.
If you’re procrastinating on one specific task because it seems overwhelming or unpleasant, take a few minutes to figure out a new plan of action. Maybe you need to break down a larger goal into smaller ones, or you can try approaching the task from a different angle than the one you initially decided on. Sometimes just switching things around can be enough to break you out of a rut of boredom or fear paralysis.
Check your expectations.
Are you holding back because you fear a negative outcome? Sometimes we convince ourselves that certain goals are a waste of time, even if we really want to achieve them. Most often we have an underlying belief that we don’t have what it takes to achieve our objectives, or we fear that we might make the wrong decision and screw it up. Take a few minutes to explore your feelings about your potential for success. If you’re not feeling optimistic, work on turning that around first and you’ll notice yourself feeling more motivated the more you affirm you can do anything you set out to do.
Clean your car.
Did you know that your car is a symbol for movement and progress in your life? If your car is dirty, cluttered or in disrepair, take some time to clean it up. Wash the outside, clean the inside, and remove trash or items that don’t belong there. Clean the
windows to symbolize greater clarity and foresight, and be sure to vacuum the carpets and seats to suck up stagnant energy. Symbolism aside, the physical activity you expend by cleaning can also help you feel more invigorated.
Read or watch something funny.
Laughter is the best medicine, even for an unmotivated mind. Take a few minutes at the beginning of your day (or before starting a big project) to read a funny book, jokes, or watch a 30 minute sitcom on television. Not only does your body benefit from frequent laughter, you’ll also be lightening your mood which is bound to have a positive effect on anything you do.
Play a game.
Just like laughter, playfulness can boost your mood and energize your body. If none of your friends or relatives are available to play a game with you, play by yourself! If more than one player is necessary, keep switching your position so you can play against yourself. If nothing else, doing this will make you feel so silly that you can’t help but have a good time.
Play with your children and/or pets.
Keeping with the “fun” theme here, you can also set aside some time to goof around with your children or family pets and enjoy the same benefits described above. However, be sure to really let go and get into the spirit of it; pretending to have a good time while feeling stressed about the work you “should” be doing won’t accomplish anything.
Listen to mind-stimulating music.
You’ve probably heard that listening to Mozart can enhance your brain power, but experiment with what type of music really fuels your motivation. Browse selections that you ordinarily wouldn’t be drawn to, and pay attention to how each type of music makes you feel. You might be surprised to learn that country music makes you feel reflective and insightful, which works well for brainstorming sessions; or opera makes you feel inspired, which helps pump you up for productivity. Also check out alternative music like Native American flute, or experiment with soothing nature sounds like whale songs, wind chimes, bird song, babbling brooks, or anything that would soothe and inspire you.
Tackle the most difficult tasks first.
You might be dreading getting started on a difficult task, and procrastination can only make your dread worse! Instead, take charge and decide to conquer that one big task you hate to do – and the rest of your day will be smooth sailing.
Warm up by taking care of the easy stuff first.
If you just can’t get yourself to tackle that big, foreboding project, work on some smaller tasks first so you can warm up to the bigger ones. Depending on your personality and current mood, you might feel ready to take on a big challenge, or you might want to start with a smaller one. Either way, you’ll get moving – and that’s the whole point!
Review and refine your plans.
Confusion and uncertainty can often cause you to resist taking action, even when you really want to. If you feel nervous or overwhelmed about the tasks before you, take a few minutes to review your plans. Ask yourself if you’ve created an achievable plan, or if you can improve upon it in any way. Once you’re sure your plans are effective, you should find yourself feeling much more confident and ready to move ahead.
Color me motivated!
Did you know that certain colors can affect your moods? If you’re feeling down or disempowered, try wearing the color red to boost your confidence. You can also try yellow for mental clarity and intelligence, or orange for mental stimulation and energy. (If you’re tense try light blue, green, pink, or white for a calming effect.)
“Lighten” up.
If you’d rather not wear your colors, try lighting colored candles that correspond to the mood you want to create (same colors as mentioned above). You can also go with scented candles: try bold scents for motivation like cinnamon, lemon, orange, or peppermint. For calming scents try lavender, gardenia, apple, rose or vanilla.
Gather your energy.
Sometimes no matter how badly we need to get motivated, we just can’t find that inner spark. Try this short visualization and watch how it energizes you: Sit quietly with your feet flat on the floor
and take a few slow, deep breaths. Imagine a large funnel over the top of your head, the narrow end closest to your head, with the larger funnel side opening up above you. See a brilliant golden light streaming down into your funnel and into the top of your head. Feel this light as powerful energy that courses down through every part of your body, soothing away sluggish feelings, and finally leaving through the soles of your feet and returning to the earth. Go through this visualization a few times, and then slowly open your eyes. You should feel clear and grounded, and ready to focus on the business at hand.
Think about your past achievements.
If you’re feeling uncertain about your ability to accomplish a big task, take a few moments to remember other things you’ve achieved in your lifetime. Even if they wouldn’t be considered big achievements to others, if they were difficult for you they count! Think also about challenges you’ve faced, and how you did what you had to do to pull through them. Let these memories inspire you to greater heights now – knowing that if you were able to do those things in your past, you are capable of much more than you think.
Eliminate distractions.
If you’re feeling scattered and unfocused, try working in a secluded spot, closing the door for some quiet, or even wearing earplugs to shut out excessive noise. Once the distractions are gone, you might find your motivation increasing and your determination returning.
Remember your “why.”
It’s easy to stay motivated when our reasons for wanting to improve our lives are fresh in our minds, but motivation can dissipate as time goes on. Write down your reasons for wanting to make positive changes or pursue greater goals. Read them to yourself often to keep them fresh in your mind, and review them when you need a mental or emotional boost.
Read something inspirational.
Nowadays there is no shortage of inspiring reading material available for purchase. Visit your local bookstore and get a few books with motivational themes and make a point of reading a few pages before you start your day. When you feel unmotivated, open one of these books randomly and let your finger fall blindly onto a passage from the book. Read that passage and let it speak to you. Does it hold a message that relates to your situation?
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