Do you have trouble staying motivated? I do sometimes. Although this bothers me, I realize that it’s impossible to be “on” all the time. I start out energized and excited about a project, and soon after, I’m in the dumps having a pity party. Staying motivated isn’t easy! If it were, everybody would do it.

I bet you’ve had this experience too. It happens to us all. You may have felt good about a certain job or project when it began. You were filled with enthusiasm, but then you hit a few speed bumps, and your motivation waned. You may have fallen into self-doubt and decided to give up. All those positive thoughts turned into negative ones.

Motivation wanes when we lose our focus, confidence, and direction. Learn to control these important aspects, and you can maximize your chances of success. Below are some tips for staying motivated.

• Focus on what you really want! Being the highly sensitive person that I am, I know how challenging this can be. We take in everything around us, and it’s too easy to lose our concentration. The good news is that the more of a priority you put on your objective, the more focused you’ll become. Have a clear vision of success and the benefits of reaching your goal.
• Outline your goals, and plan to get there one step at a time. This prevents overwhelm. Be realistic about your goals. Don’t make them too small or too large for the ability that you have. It’s important to challenge yourself, but you don’t want to get overwhelmed.
• Boost your confidence by taking stock of your unique qualities and strengths. Don’t focus on what you lack! You can always get help with these. Never take your strengths for granted.
• A day-to-day strategy is a must. Focus on a written plan with a time element involved. Without a concrete plan, you can easily get off track and lose your momentum. As you cross completed tasks off your list, your confidence and motivation will increase.
• Use negative motivators. Think about the people who doubted you or questioned your abilities. This concept works in many situations if you fear an undesirable outcome that would cause you to fail. You’ll be motivated to work harder to make sure that the outcome wouldn’t happen again and you’ll prove your doubters wrong.
• What can you do for others? Sometimes, doing for others can be more motivating than what we want for ourselves. There may be a charity that helped you in the past or you might want to volunteer your time to a cause that you believe in. Helping others can change your life for the better and help you improve in all aspects of your life.
• Learn a new skill or develop a new hobby. This will give you a challenge and new sense of purpose. A change of routine will do wonders to  clear your mind and your outlook on life.

Do you have trouble staying motivated? If so, how do you overcome it? I’m interested in any thoughts or comments that you have

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