MIDWEEK INSPIRATION

The Top Six Ways to Stay Motivated

by Chris Widener

I receive many messages from people that basically ask the

same question: How can I keep myself motivated long term?

This seems to be quite a common dilemma for many people so I want to address it because it can be done! Here are my tips for staying motivated

1. Get Motivated Every Day.

Zig Ziglar was once confronted about being a "motivational

speaker." The guy said to him, "You guys come and get people

hyped up and then you leave and the motivation goes away. It

doesn't last, and then you have to get motivated again."

Zig reminded the gentleman that baths are the same way but

we think it is a good idea to take a bath every day! It is

true that motivation doesn't last.

We have to renew it each and every day. That is okay. It

doesn't make motivation a bad thing. We simply have to

realize that if we want to stay motivated over the long

term, it is something we will have to apply to ourselves

each and every day. 

2. Have a Vision for Your Life.

The root word of motivation is "motive." The definition of

motive is, "A reason to act." This is the cognitive or

rational side of motivation. It is your vision. You have to

have a vision that is big enough to motivate you.

If you are making $50,000 a year, it isn't going to motivate

you to set your goal at $52,000 a year. You just won't get

motivated for that because the reward isn't enough. Maybe

$70,000 a year would work for you. Set out a vision and a

strategy for getting there. Have a plan and work the plan.

3. Fuel Your Passion.

Much of motivation is emotional. I don't know quite how it

works but I do know THAT it works. Emotion is a powerful

force in getting us going. Passion is an emotion, so fuel

your passion. "Well, I like to work on logic," you may say.

Great, now work on your passion. Set yourself on a course to

have a consuming desire for your goal, whatever it is. Do

whatever you can to feel the emotion and use it to your

advantage!

4. Work Hard Enough to Get Results.

You can build on your motivation by getting results. The

harder you work, the more results you will get and the more

results you get, the more you will be motivated to get more.

These things all build on one another.

If you want to lose weight, then lose the first few pounds.

When the belt moves to the next notch you will get fired up

to get it to the notch beyond that!

5. Put Good Materials into Your Mind.

I can't say this enough - listen to audios. I still listen

to audios regularly. I buy audio clubs from other speakers

and I learn and grow. Their successes motivate me to get my

own successes!

Read good books. Read books that teach you new ideas and

skills. Read books that tell the stories of successful

people. Buy them, read them, and get motivated! Buy great

music and listen to it. I just did a spinning class at the

club today. Whenever a good song came on I was actually able

to get motivated to ride faster! It gets you going and

motivates you!

6. Ride the Momentum when It Comes.

Sometimes you will just be clicking and sometimes you won't.

That is okay. It is the cycle of life. When you aren't

clicking, plug away.

When you are clicking, pour it on because momentum will help

you get larger gains in a shorter period of time with less

energy. That is the momentum Equation! When you are feeling

good about how your work is going, ride the momentum and get

as much out of it as you can!

These are the top six ways to stay motivated:

Get motivated every day.

Have a vision for your life.

Fuel your passion.

Work hard enough to get results.

Put good materials into your mind.

Ride the momentum when it comes.

These are simple principles, that when you put them to work

regularly, will change your life by keeping you motivated

all the time! So don't wait -- Get going!