You are not alone if you are wondering how to motivate yourself. I had the motivation and the mindset down, but I needed that extra push to actually start.
I found myself wondering if it was worth my time and energy, but in all reality, I don’t think I knew how to start. Looking back, there are a lot of small things that led me to where I am now, and sort of that big BAM in your face factor that really helped me see things from a different perspective.
How to Motivate Yourself: Small Steps Can Have A Big Impact
I am by no means a professional on the subject, just someone sharing my personal experiences I have learned along the way in hopes it helps someone struggling with a similar situation. Whether you are looking for motivation to get up and get the dishes done or something bigger, I hope you find something here to help motivate yourself.
Motivate Yourself By Starting Your Morning Off Positive
Whether you read a motivating quote or a positive affirmation, one positive thought in the morning can point you in the right direction for the entire day.
Stop saying I can’t
You can; you just have not figured out how yet, and that is okay. Don’t allow yourself to get stuck in that mindset; it’s an awful place. Things happen; none of us are perfect, and without failures, there would be no success. I personally believe our thoughts have power. One of the worst things we can do is be our own worst enemy by feeding ourselves negative thoughts.
Motivate Yourself With Music🎵
I have found music to be extremely motivating when I need to get up and get something done or just need to change the mood entirely. With the right song, normally Shoop by Salt-N-Peppa😁, I find I have a little spring in my step, and suddenly those dreaded tasks aren’t so bad.
Just start; even if it’s small, you never know where that small step will take you.
You never know unless you try; that small step forward might be what changes everything. You’ll never know unless you try. I have been struggling with how to get my blog up and running again. The motivation was there, but I just didn’t know how to start. So I started with something small by sharing some motivational quotes that impacted my life in a big way. The next day, I put together a post with some motivational gift ideas, which helped me to see how so many small things contributed along the way. And here I am today sharing tips that helped me find motivation along the way. It’s the first blog post I have written in a long time, aside from recipes.
Believe in yourself🤩
Don’t get caught up worrying about what other people will think; believe in yourself. After all, none of those people have to live your life, so do not get caught up in what anyone else thinks; believe in yourself. Trust yourself, and do not let anyone take that from you.
Motivational quotes
I have motivational quotes hung up all over my house. I used to be huge on motivational quotes, but over the past few years I have not taken the time to really think about the meaning behind them. The other day I was standing in my living room and I started reading them; something just clicked. I realized I’m wasting time on the what if’s and not going after what I want, what I know I am capable of. I have accomplished the positive mindset but failed to put it into action. Whether you hang them up on your walls or simply place a post-it on the bathroom mirror so you see it every morning, the right motivational quotes can be a place to find inspiration.
Set small goals that align with your major goal
If you want to lose 50 pounds, set your goal at 10 pounds. It’s not only more within reach; it’s super motivating when you reach that 10 pounds to push forward to 20 pounds, and when you reach that 20 pounds, continue on. For me personally, I tend to focus on the big goal, and without setting smaller goals that align with the big goal, I can get discouraged. So rather than having one big goal, I set smaller ones on the road to the bigger one.
Practice gratitude
Stop each day and see what you do have in your life, rather than focusing on what you don’t have yet. If you are into saying prayers, rather than asking for more, stop and say thank you for what you do have in your life. It’s important to recognize what we do have and how far we have come rather than staying focused on what we don’t have yet. It’s extremely discouraging if you stay focused on what you don’t have yet, but it can be a positive step in the right direction to stop and be thankful for what you do have, and taking a few minutes to stop and reflect back on your life and realize that you have made progress can be motivating.
If you are looking for ways to practice gratitude, you might want to check out this article on Positive Psychology. They have a list of some pretty neat ways you can practice gratitude, such as gratitude prompts, a gratitude jar, and several others.
Laugh😂
I live alone, so I don’t really have anyone to laugh with other than my dogs. I won’t lie, we have some pretty hilarious conversations, but another way I have found laughter is through movies or shows.
Eat healthier foods🍉
This is sort of where my motivation started. I stopped eating so many unhealthy foods and focused more on what I was putting into my body, cooked more meals, and I’m currently trying to drop a few pounds with intermediate fasting. It’s not perfect, but I’m definitely doing something positive in an area of my life I would like to improve.
Watching inspiring or uplifting movies
Coach Carter is one of my favorites, or Major League is another good one that I personally like. Simply adding small doses of positivity to our day can have a huge impact on our lives.
Start where you are with what you have
There is a quote by Arthur Ashe: “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” This really resonated with me personally because in the past I have used what I didn’t have as an excuse to not progress in certain areas of my life. For example, I stopped using my camera for a while and somewhere along the way lost my lens that I used for food photography, which means my pictures are not as good as I would like. I have used that as an excuse to not fully commit myself to setting a goal as far as creating recipes for my other blog goes. After reading that quote, I realized how I have done this in several areas of my life where I could simply start with what I have, do what I can with what I have, and progress from there.
Know that it’s okay to focus on yourself
I went through a huge people-pleasing period, and I’ll tell you from experience there is a huge difference between being a people-pleaser and being a good person. You can be a good person and have boundaries, expectations, say no, and put yourself first sometimes too. At the end of the day, you have to take care of yourself and make yourself a priority too. You are important, and you do matter.
Be honest with yourself
This can be a tough one at times, but take some time to be honest with yourself about things. Why are you not feeling motivated? Get down to the root of things and realize that it’s okay; being honest with yourself is the first step toward change.
Love yourself😍
Love who you are, flaws and all; there is only one of you, and that in itself makes you amazing.
There is no one size fits all as far as finding ways to motivate yourself. We are all different and find different things helpful, but I hope you find a few of these ideas helpful.
Are there things you have found helpful to motivate yourself? If so, leave us a comment. You never know; your comment and tip might be what helps someone change their day around, or hell even help give them the courage to take that next step.
