Everyone has days when they feel unmotivated, fearful or stuck. Some waste time, some quit and others keep going. They adopt an 'in spite of attitude'. They take continuous action no matter what. You can do the same!
How to create an action habit:
1. Have a clear vision.
Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. ~ Mark Twain
Make a plan. Visualize your desired outcome. Get excited about it. Make a commitment to invest your time, money and energy into your plan. Be willing to do what it takes. Without this you won’t feel like taking any action at all.
2. Know what’s important.
Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do. ~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Prioritize your to-do list. Each day focus on the three most important things you need to do. Let the rest go. At the end of the day add new things to the list, re-prioritize. The following day do the top three things again. It’s like the 80/20 principle. Identify key tasks (20%) that will produce the greatest results (80%). Repeat daily.
3. Remind yourself that you are capable.
Success seems to be connected with action. Successful people keep moving. They make mistakes but don't quit. ~ Conrad Hilton
When you feel unmotivated, remind yourself of past successes. Use affirmations. Read the success stories of others. Learn from them. Convince yourself that you’re just as capable. You are!
4. Get help and support.
You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you stop to look fear in the face. ~ Eleanor Roosevelt
You don’t have to do everything yourself. You don’t have to go it alone. Simply ask others for their time, advice and support. If your request is rejected, ask again!
5. Make a sign for your desk that says, “Take action!”
Whatever you do will be insignificant, but it is very important that you do it. ~ Mahatma Gandhi
Don’t delay what you need to do. When you want to over-think things, take action. When you want to put off a task, take action. When you want to distract yourself with social media, take action. Imagine where you’ll be at the end of the week!
6. Set a timer for five minutes.
Keep on going and the chances are you will stumble on something, perhaps when you are least expecting it. I have never heard of anyone stumbling on something sitting down. ~ Charles F. Kettering
Starting is the difficult task. When you don’t feel like doing anything, set a timer for five minutes and begin. Most likely you’ll want to do more than five minutes and you’ll keep going. When you see results you feel better and do more. You gather momentum.
7. Don’t quit until you’re finished.
Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do. ~ John Wooden
Make a commitment to finish what you start. Don’t give up when it gets rough. Don’t quit half way. Continue until it’s finished. Have someone hold you accountable.
8. Allow yourself to make mistakes.
Being defeated is only a temporary condition; giving up is what makes it permanent. ~ Marilyn vos Savant
Don’t be afraid to fail. Learn from your past. Figure out what you can do differently next time. Fail forward fast. You’ll be closer to success.
9. Reward yourself.
Losers visualize the penalties of failure. Winners visualize the rewards of success. ~ Unknown
Give yourself a treat or a break. Celebrate your decision to act! You deserve acknowledgement.
Please share your favorite action tip. How do you motivate yourself?
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Love this list, Tess! Its amazing how much you can accomplish if you stick to those 3 most important tasks and focus on constantly taking the next tiny step toward where you want to go.
Motivating yourself is about figuring out what you truly want and then reminding yourself every day of how your daily work is related to your overall “why”, your vision and your goals.
Watching inspiring TED talks and reading awesome blogs like this doesn’t hurt either.
Keep up the good work 🙂