Finish What You Started/Motivation

No matter what it is we want to do, it doesn't get done unless we take action.  Here you will find information on how we can motivate ourselves into action when we are feeling stuck, overwhelmed, scared, confused, or any other feeling that is keeping us from following through on what we need and want to do.

Things that Require Us to Take Action

Sample List:

Daily tasks: Getting out of bed.  Brushing teeth.  Showering. Going to class.  Studying.  Doing homework.  - Don't underestimate the "so called" small things.  There are days when any one of these, or even all of them can be challenging.  

Living healthier:  Going for a walk.  Making healthier food choices.  Drinking water.  Taking the stairs.  Biking 30 miles.  Hiking Mt. Katahdin. - Here i started with what many of us may have as an overall goal.  I broke it down into smaller actions.  Think about it, living healthier is made up of many things.  Many, small things, that need to be done in order to achieve that goal.  

Entertainment: Listening to music.  Singing.  Dancing.  Playing an instrument.  Practicing. Performing. Sharing.  - The things we love to do can be easily overlooked as things that "we just do," no big deal.  Again, when you are feeling stuck, doing something you love, may help build enthusiasm and get you ready to move on to other actions. 

9 Tips For Taking More Action

Below are 9 Tips taken from http://www.positivityblog.com/index.php/2008/03/19/how-to-take-more-action-9-powerful-tips/ - the author Henrick Edberg, has some good information.  (The article was modified.  He has more information than is placed here. Check it out.) 

1. Reconnect with the present moment.

This will help you snap out of over thinking and just go and do whatever you want to get done.

One of the simplest ways to connect with the present moment is just to keep your focus on you breathing for a minute or two. 

2. Be accountable to others.

If you tell a bunch of people that you are going to do something then it will be hard to not do it. You don’t want to disappoint them. Or have to face up to them the next time you meet.

If you have a hard time getting going with something get some support. If you for instance workout, do it with a friend so you motivate each other to take action – and actually go to the gym – when motivation runs low. Motivating each other and bringing enthusiasm when one of you is feeling low can really help to develop consistency and useful habits.

3. Be accountable to yourself.

In the long run a more consistent and perhaps healthier way to develop a habit of taking more action is to answer to yourself instead of others. Think of the kind of person you want to be?  How do you want others to see you?  What kinds of things do you admire in others that you want to emulate?  Think of these things and use that as your motivation to act. 

4. Lighten up.

One way to dissuade yourself from taking action is to take whatever you are about to do too seriously. That makes it feel too big, too difficult and too scary. If you on the other hand relax a bit and lighten up you often realize that those problems and negative feelings are just something you are creating in your own mind. With a lighter state of mind your tasks seems lighter and becomes easier to get started with.

5. Use a limited to-do list.

A to-do list is a simple and great way to remember what you are about to do. But it’s easy to get overly enthusiastic when writing it and putting in to many items. And then when you look at that big list you feel drained and an urge to procrastinate. So think about the task at hand and the steps that go into achieving it.  Break it down into the most basic steps and use those steps as your to-do-list. 

6. Choose instead of should.

Here’s a small but useful tip. You don’t really need to do anything. You always choose what to do. Thinking about things this way removes the “shoulds” and “need tos” that take your personal power away and make you feel like you are not in control. When you think that you choose to do whatever you do then you regain the control and power. And it becomes easier to take action.

7. Focus on the how instead of the if’s.

What if’s can really mess with your mind. You can spend days, weeks or years thinking about what may happen if you take action. So instead of letting your mind get lost in what if’s focus on the how. In a situation focus on how you can do something, how you can solve a problem or achieve a goal. Do some research if you need to. Or get support and help from other people.

8. Get enthusiastic.

Enthusiasm is great emotional state to be in to get going and take action. If you're not enthusiastic about the action you want to take, then find something in it that will you feel more enthusiasm.  Maybe it's a task you don't really want to do but once it's done, you'll feel better.  Focus on the "once it's done" and how you will feel.  This may help build your enthusiasm.  

9. Start small.

Getting started with your biggest task or most difficult action may seem too much and can make you procrastinate more.  So instead, start with something that does not seem so hard. Figure out your tasks or steps of a task and break them down into smaller chunks.  Each small chunk accomplished, leads to the bigger and soon, you have taken action that is noticeable and feels good. 

Articles of Interest

How Students Stay Motivated in College - Taken from a blog on cengage.com.

How To Feel Inspired When You've Lost Motivation - Taken from lifehack.org

Killing the 7 Motivation Murderers - Taken from startupbros.com, written by Kyle Eschenroeder.  

How The Most Successful People Motivate Themselves (And Stay That Way) - Taken from forbes.com - Appeared 12-29-2012.