101 Tips to Get and Stay Motivated - Mark Sanborn

[Pages:18]10 1 Tip s to ...

Get & Stay Mo tivate d

by Mark Sanborn, CSP, CPAE Presiden t, San born & Associates, In c. Developing Leaders in Business and Life

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10 1 Tip s to Ge t an d Stay Mo tivate d

1.En gin e e r yo u r e n viro n m e n t: Create a motivational workspace. Make it a place where you look forward to spending tim e. Keep it neat, organized, and free from trash. Add som e personal touches, like a sm all plant or a fam ily photo that m akes you sm ile every tim e you look at it. Take this a step further by placing `triggers' throughout your space. Triggers rem ind you instantly of your goals and dream s ? the very reasons you do what you do.

2.En e rgize yo u rs e lf! Exercise dramatically affects mood and attitude. You m ight have thought working out was about your physical well-being (and it is) but it is also about your m ental well-being. Moderate and reasonable exercise will do am azing things to create and keep your m otivation high. It doesn't take a grueling workout to achieve the benefits exercise brings ? it just takes getting out there and actually m oving.

3.Ris e fo r a re as o n : Find a reason to get out of bed in the morning. Most people state that their reason for getting out of bed in the m orning is to go to the bathroom ! Certainly there's som ething m ore m otivating you can use to get yourself going. Every m orning, think of at least one exciting thing that the day holds. Having som ething to look forward to will get you up and m oving.

4.Ach ie ve a n d be co m e : Focus on what you will become as well as what you will achieve Knowing you're about to check a task of your to-do list is a good m otivator. Take it a step further by thinking long-term . Much of what we do contributes to who we are. Ram p up your m otivation by thinking about how the accom plishm ent will shape you as a person.

5.Make it e as y to ge t s tarte d: Sometimes we drag our feet because the task before us seem s m ountainous. Set yourself up for success with a little advance prep work to m ake the task easier. Sim ply gathering the necessary tools will help you feel less overwhelm ed. You'll spend less tim e stalling by getting your stuff together, and be able to dive right in and get the job done.

6.Pain t yo u r targe ts day-glo w : Anyone will tell you that clear, specific goals are critical for motivation. Don't keep those goals sitting on a shelf in your brain. Print up colorful signs that state your targets for the day or week. Stick Post-its around your office or hom e. You can even em ail yourself daily rem inders or leave yourself a voicem ail!

7.Make tim e to re fu e l: If you're driving all over town, your car will eventually run out of gas. It's the sam e way with people. Make tim e in your day to refuel yourself ? both inside and out. Enjoy a leisurely cup of coffee, take a brisk walk or give a friend a quick call just to say hi. By taking regularly scheduled breaks, you give yourself tim e to recharge and reinvigorate. You'll return fresh and ready to take on the world.

Copyright ? 2008 Mark Sanborn

All Rights Reserved

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10 1 Tip s to Ge t an d Stay Mo tivate d

8.Be actio n -o rie n te d: Over-thinking leads to inertia. Paralysis by analysis is a very real hazard for people who sim ply can't get enough inform ation. Learn what you need to learn, and then get m oving. Keep your energy high by jum ping in and getting started. As Ian Percy said, "Business needs fewer m ission statem ents and m ore m issions."

9.Re w ard yo u rs e lf fo r th e re s u lts yo u cre ate : Reward your hard work just as you reward the hard work of others. Even the m ost intrinsically driven am ong us needs the occasional ice cream cone! (After all, you're exercising now, right?) The thought of a tangible reward can get you through a tough day. Make it som ething good, and keep your prom ise to yourself ? don't m ove the cheese when it's just in reach!

10.Fo cus in an d fo cus o ut: Remember that motivation is both internal and external. Motivation can com e from both what's inside us and what's around us. Gold star stickers worked great when you were in grade school. Apply the sam e principle to a reward that's enticing to you as an adult. We don't just live in our m inds and hearts. We've got to find tangible inspiration, too.

11.Ge t h e alth ie r: Eat well in addition to exercising regularly. It's hard to be m otivated when you're feeling sluggish or under the weather. No m atter you're your goals are, you'll feel m ore powerful when you nourish your body healthfully and take tim e to m ove around each day. Take good care of yourself so that you'll always feel ready to conquer whatever the day has in store.

12.Se e o ppo rtu n itie s in s te ad o f o bligatio n s: There's something about the word "obligation" that sm acks of "I don't want to do this." Instead of som ething you have to do, approach tasks as som ething you want to do because of what you have to gain from it. Giving a big presentation is an opportunity to show your boss you can be a leader. Attending a social event is an opportunity to m ake a new friend.

13.Spe n d tim e w ith pe o ple w ho share yo ur go als an d in te re s ts : Enthusiasm is contagious! J ust talking about something you love can stir up m otivation ? in yourself and the people around you. The people you m eet m ight have new ideas and interesting perspectives that will reignite your passion. Passion is caught, not taught ? and chances are that your own level of m otivation will m irror that of the people around you.

14.Talk w ith s o m e o n e 's w h o 's alre ady ach ie ve d w h at yo u w an t: Nothing is m ore inspiring than seeing that your goals can truly becom e reality. When you want to give up because your goals seem im possible to reach, find som eone whose success will inspire you. Ask them about how their success feels and the person al fulfillm ent they experienced. Take it a step further and plan ahead for encounters with these people. Keep a list of

Copyright ? 2008 Mark Sanborn

All Rights Reserved

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10 1 Tip s to Ge t an d Stay Mo tivate d

questions with you so you can skip the sm all talk and get right into the things that really m atter. You'll never waste an opportunity to talk with a m aster again.

15.Match th e m o tivatio n to th e in dividual: Remember that everyone's m otivators are different--what m otivates one person m ight bore another. If you're feeling low on m otivation, it m ight be because you're latching onto som ething that doesn't actually excite you. There's no "one size fits alls" m otivator, so keep searching until you discover what gets your gears going.

16.Be h appy: Happiness is largely a choice. As Abraham Lincoln said, "It has been m y observation that people are about as happy as they m ake up their m inds to be." If you love life and you love what you do, you'll tackle every project with energy and enthusiasm . If you are always a "glass half-em pty" person, chances are that nothing will ever seem good to you. Spend tim e every day doing som ething that m akes you truly happy.

17.Vis u alize : See yourself achieving your goal. View it like a movie in your m ind, but m ake it a com plete sensory experience. Capture all of the sights, smells, tastes, and sounds. This can take practice; and it m ight feel silly at first, but when you're standing on the com pleted side of your goals, it will feel fam iliar if you've been there before in your m ind.

18.Ch alle n ge yo u rs e lf: Boredom sets in when we're not challenging ourselves. Keep on your toes by pushing yourself just a little farther. You'll probably am aze yourself when you elim inate lim iting beliefs and statem ents from your daily life. You can achieve m uch m ore than you've ever dream ed possible. You'll be filled with new m otivation when you achieve what was slightly beyond your grasp.

19.Re co gn ize yo u r acco m plis h m e n ts : As a motivator, you know to always recognize the achievem ents of others ? but don't forget about yourself! You don't have to toot your own horn. J ust take a m om ent to reflect on what you've accom plished and be proud. Acknowledge what you've done well, pat yourself on the back, and go out there and do it again ? bigger and better!

20.Se t m e an in gfu l go als : Meaningful goals are those that are within reach but force you to work hard. Make sure your goals are m easurable within a set tim e period, for m axim um value. Goals that are vague, or that don't have a deadline, aren't very satisfying even if you m anage to com plete them . Accom plishing truly valuable goals really m eans som ething because it's a reflection of hard work. As a result, you'll feel m uch m ore m otivated to pursue them.

Copyright ? 2008 Mark Sanborn

All Rights Reserved

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10 1 Tip s to Ge t an d Stay Mo tivate d

21.Pro te ct yo u r attitu de fro m n e gative pe o ple : Negative people can drag you down. Spending time with them can drain your energy, and you m ight even find yourself buying into their pessim ism . Lim it the tim e you spend with negative people ? and if you can't avoid them then be careful of the affect they have on your m otivation. Rem em ber the warning about casting your pearls before swine (not that these people are swine!). Be careful about sharing your dream s and goals with people who are unable or unwilling to be supportive.

22.Le arn fro m yo u r m is take s an d apply th e le s s o n s: Don't beat yourself up over a m istake. Learn from it, let it go and m ove on. Dwelling too long on m istakes can zap your m otivation to keep trying. Follow Tiger Woods' exam ple, and give yourself only seven paces to reflect on what went wrong ? then get ready for your next shot rather than spending the rest of the day stewing. Ask yourself "What worked? What didn't work? And what next?" then m ove along.

23.Sm ile : Smile and the whole world smiles with you, as they say. Put on a sm ile, and soon you'll find yourself feeling genuinely happy. There's som ething physiological that happens when your m uscles form a sm ile ? even when it starts out fake. Before you know it, your face tells your brain that you're happy. Your happiness will rub off on the people around you, and everyone's day will be better.

24.Re ad in s piratio n al bo o ks : Politicians, entrepreneurs, sports stars and even regular folks just like you and m e ? they've all got their own success story. Read a good autobiography and get inspired by som eone else's journey. Reading is one of the easiest ways to engage a m entor you can consult again and again. Learn by their exam ples. If they can do it, so can yo u !

25.Be grate fu l: Be thankful for all the good things in your life. By focusing on what you have rather than what you don't, you'll m aintain a positive outlook. Every day, take a m om ent to appreciate at least one thing you have. Even better ? m ake a list each day of a handful of things you're grateful for. You m ay find that once you start, it's hard to stop.

26.Lo o k be yo n d th e m o n e y: Money is one of the most frequently cited m otivators. Really, though, it's what m oney can buy that really m otivates you. Instead of the m oney itself, focus on what you want to do with it ? buy a boat, take that trip to Germ any or learn to ski. After all, what good is a pile of m oney without using it to benefit yourself, som eone you love, or even som eone you've never m et?

27.Re h e ars e yo u r day: Start your day with a plan. Think about your day being productive and enjoyable: what will it look like? Mentally walk through your day. What we visualize becom es reality. Of

Copyright ? 2008 Mark Sanborn

All Rights Reserved

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