I cannot tell you how many times I have started a DIY project and have left pieces of wood and half painted canvases in the corner of my room; unfinished and now useless. It amazes me how at one moment I feel like tackling the world and the next I would much rather settle for my bed and Netflix. Staying motivated is a challenge we all face mostly because the things that are motivating us are not easy to accomplish.
So what can we do every day to keep us on track, moving closer to our goals and finishing everything we start? Shake that “lets just make it through the day” mindset every morning when you wake up. I know it is hard to not count the seconds until class is over and continuously think about how much longer until you are back in bed, but that train of thought will only prevent you from finishing things. If you don’t have a planner, get one. I am not talking about a calendar on your computer or a list you make on your phone, but a real life physical planner. Write down everything you want to accomplish on specific dates, seeing it everyday will only make it more real and make you want to stay motivated. I don’t know about you, but whenever I cross something off my list I feel like I am releasing a bucket full of endorphins. Be excited for the day to come; you have 24 hours to find time to check something off your list or move closer to a goal.
When results don’t come in a blink of an eye, it is easy to think that they will never come, so why try? For instance, if you apply for 20 jobs and don’t hear back from any, it is hard to motivate yourself to send out any more applications. Trust me I have experience. The only way to get through slumps is to make small goals for yourself that will lead up to the finale. In your planner write complete a job application on every Sunday. Eventually, you will have sent out numerous and I promise you that you will become employed soon enough. Another example is if you are trying to change your body. You have been working out and eating healthy for a month now, you skip the french fries at Red Robin, and somehow you weigh and look the exact same. Do not give up. Keep telling yourself that results don’t come easy, but in the long run staying on track will make a difference. Reward yourself when you are good. Make a jar and ever time you workout put a dollar in it. Make it your fun money, push through tough times to end up coming out on top.
Your tired, your eyes are closing, your hungry, your shoes are making your feet hurt, and the only way your day will get better is if everything you want to complain about just disappeared. You have a resume you started but haven’t finished, getting yourself in work out clothes sounds less appealing then getting in pajamas, and you realize that you promised yourself to stay motivated so even when life gets hard you are going to tell yourself that each day will mean something. Finish that resume, go to the gym and do an extra set of pushups, complete the DIY project in the corner of your room, and be glad that you have goals and you are able to put forth the effort to achieve them.
