You were supposed to go to the gym today, but you sat on the couch liking snaps on Instagram instead.
Or perhaps you wanted to paint, draw or write a book.
But you just watched re-runs on Netflix and picked through a tub of Häagen-Dazs.
Motivation… it’s tough right?
(Hey listen, don’t worry…. This one time I spent four hours researching the best home audio equipment to buy on Amazon. All the while, my editor kept ringing to complain about a late article.)
Well here’s the thing:
Motivation comes from within.
You must feel motivated to get up early, exercise, meditate, write your book, start your business, and so on. Put in your reps
So how you can light a fire under your ass and get going?
Strategy 1: Feed Your Subconscious
I want to write every day, I really do.
But, I don’t always feel like doing it.
I talk about having writer’s block so much, I don’t know what to say.
So before I go to bed, I read a section of what I worked on that day.
I hold this thought in my mind for a few seconds before going to sleep.
Keeping an idea in my mind passes it over to my subconscious, which will continue to work on the idea while I sleep.
When I wake the next morning, I try to remember what I dreamt. I write this down quickly before it disappears from my mind altogether.
Afterwards, I make a conscious effort to get to do at least an hour’s work before I eat and get ready for the day. I want to catch the ideas of my subconscious while they are still lingering and before the demands of the day take over.
If you’re going to use this approach, hold the idea of what you want to accomplish firmly in your mind before you drift to sleep. Stay focused.
It should be something specific, like a particular section of your book or a verse in a song you’re writing.
Strategy 2: Reward Yourself
The Hindu spiritual text the Bhagavad-Gita tells us,
“You have the right to work, but never to the fruit of work. You should never engage in action for the sake of reward, nor should you long for inaction.”
So, it’s no surprise that creative masters feel motivated to continue even if they’re working alone or progress is slow.
One of the best ways to foster this inner motivation is to mark small victories.
A one mile run turned into an epic twenty miler
It could be keeping a new creative routine or reaching a little milestone like:
- a target word- count
- a finished painting
- a personal best in the gym
Mark these milestones by taking a trip to a museum, a walk in the park, a lie in at the weekend or by going on an Instagram and Häagen-Dazs binge.
Remember: your goal isn’t to work solely for a reward.
Instead, build a mental link between your new creative routine and positive experiences.
Strategy 3: Turn Up Like a Pro
Motivation is kind of like an unreliable ex. You can’t count on him or her to appear at will.
So do a little work on yourself.
Just turn up today, if only for five minutes.
- Write 300 words on Steemit
- Run a mile.
- Do ten press-ups
You’ve got five minutes right?
Then tomorrow, commit to ten minutes.
And the day after that?
Twenty.
Turning up every day sends a signal to your subconscious that you’re dedicated to the canvas, the blank page or the weight room.
Like a weightlifter training for the Olympics, turning up each day will shape your mind and body for the big event.
And one day, motivation will come calling.