Are you having a hard time getting motivated? Know what you want to do, but it’s a challenge kicking yourself in the butt to get up and do it?

You’re being haunted by the un-motivation demon. Fortunately, there are 5 ways to slay it.

You could be making attempts to get out there and do what you’re setting out to do. And even begin to get results here or there. But your surroundings, circumstances, and negative or lazy forces around you constantly hold you back. They pull you back to where you started. And you get discouraged or convince yourself you can’t do it.

That’s the un-motivation demon at work.

And if you want to turn your dreams into reality, your quest is to slay the un-motivation demon.

You can get motivated – and stay motivated. You can turn your dreams into reality. And it’s not as hard as you think.

It just requires an initial effort to change your environment into a positive one. Once you’ve turned these things into a habit, your new proactive environment will be auto-motivating – you’ll have a hard time not getting motivated.

5 Ways to Slay the Un-Motivation Demon

1. Ditch Friends That Hold You Back: Spend less time with friends that just want to “hang out” and not talk about taking steps towards your dream or ideal lifestyle, making more money, etc. Especially stop being around those that say you can’t do something.During college, I had some friends that I just hung out with. I had ambitious and adventurous ideas on business and non-9-to-5 lifestyle, but I didn’t have anyone to talk to. And the idea of entrepreneurship evoked responses of “get real” or “yeah right.” So for years I wouldn’t be motivated, and even doubting myself sometimes. But when I started finding new people‚Äîones that motivated and inspired me‚ÄîI begun spending less time with the aforementioned friends. And it made all the difference: the discouraging talks began to be replaced with a can-do attitude.To slay the un-motivation demon, you need to have people ask you “why not” rather than “why.”So where do you find those people? You’ll meet them when you…
2. Go to Seminars: Go to entrepreneurial or other motivational seminars and just start talking to someone. The conversation will instantly turn into something motivating.You’re all there because you have a similar proactive mindset, so you can bounce your ideas off of others and have them discuss how you can make it happen, rather than shutting you down or telling you to get real. This kind of encouragement is very motivating.When I went to my first entrepreneur seminar, it was like a whole new tribe of people opened up to me. Here I was surrounded by like-minded ambitious, take-charge-of-my-life people. Ones that didn’t settle and had their eye on the prize of their ideal lifestyle. I had found my people. I kept going to more and more seminars, talking and meeting more new people (some of which became awesome friends over the years). It became easier to believe in myself and stay motivated – I had an increasingly supportive community around me.Want more people like this? Then…
3. Join Meetup Groups and Clubs: Find and join meetup groups related to what you want to do. Meetup.com is great for finding local meetup groups.Not only will you be able to do your new activity with other passionate people but, just like at seminars, talking to someone there will have the conversation instantly become motivating. Plus, there’s a good chance some of these people can turn into friends – ones much more compatible to your emerging proactive lifestyle.There was a business plan club in college that I joined. We helped each other come up with and develop business ideas. The insane amount of “why not” questions and attitudes hugely motivated me. No shooting down, no “get real” comments – just pure proactive energy. That, combined with the seminars I was attending (and not spending time with the aforementioned unmotivated friends), gave me the surge of motivation to confidently slay the un-motivation demon.Okay, but what about when you’re not around these people? You can…
4. Listen to Audiobooks and Podcasts: Start listening to motivational, personal development, or business audiobooks and podcasts throughout day. Like when you’d normally listen to music.Even if you know all of the material and will learn nothing new (which is unlikely, but I’m just throwing it out there), you’ll get motivated by the positive and proactive words. And hearing a passionate person tell you this through your headphones is more motivating than simply reading words.After those first seminars, my motivation level would drop. I had to find a way to keep that level up in between seminars – at least until the motivational mindset developed into a habit. Solution: a portable music player + motivational podcasts and audiobooks. When I wasn’t around proactive people, I could still listen to a proactive person throughout the day, in between classes and during walks. That really helped keep the motivation level up to when I got to my computer and resumed working.And finally…
5. Do, Do, Do: Spend time each day actually doing what you’re setting out to do.This may seem like slapping-your-forehead common sense, but many people get so caught up in trying to motivate themselves that they don’t actually do much of, well, doing. When you do your activity, you enjoy yourself and start getting results, which motivates you to keep going.I couldn’t become a writer by not writing. I couldn’t become an entrepreneur by not building an online business. Everything else gave me the motivation to keep writing and planning an online business, but doing those activities is what produced results and gave me the ultimate weapon of confidence to slay the un-motivation demon once and for all. From co-building my first profitable online business with a friend to getting remarkable readers on my site Lifebeat, the results kept me motivated and pushed me to try harder.Turn the above 4 things into habits in order to get and stay motivated. But don’t forget to actually do the things that’ll turn your dream into a reality. Getting desired results is the greatest motivation of all.

Slay the Un-Motivation Demon

Is the un-motivation demon standing between you and turning your dreams into reality? Does lack of motivation hold you back from doing what you really want to do?

Use the above 5 ways to slay the un-motivation demon. You’ll form habits that get you motivated, stop you from settling for less, and let you do what you really want to do.

Oleg Mokhov is a writer, musician, and adventurer who explores unconventional life-maximizing ideas and makes energizing electronic dance music at Lifebeat. You can read more about maximizing your own life in his Life Maximization Guide.

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Have you ever started off a project feeling really enthusiastic about it – perhaps even to the point that you were losing sleep? Whether it was a new business direction, or book, or piece of art, or home improvement, or diet … it had you gripped. In the early stages, you found yourself thinking about it in the shower, jotting down ideas in the evening, wondering “what if…”

But somewhere along the way, you simply lost motivation. Perhaps you let your diet slide for a while and just couldn’t get up any enthusiasm to restart. Maybe you stopped writing your novel for months, and stopped caring too. Or you woke up one day and realised you dreaded grinding through any more of the steps in that business plan.

We know what it’s like to be motivated – and we know what it’s like to be unable to sustain that motivation. Here’s how to make sure you stay consistently motivated: so that you don’t burn out or lose interest.

Find the Right Number of Projects

First, your problem could be that you’re doing too much … or it could be that you’re not doing enough. Some people work best when they focus single-mindedly on one project: they can achieve astonishingly fast results like this. Others (myself included) prefer to work on lots of different things at once, changing tack frequently to avoid boredom.

Do You Have Too Many Projects?

Signs that you’ve got too much going on are:

• Feeling like you never have any breathing space
• Never getting to the bottom of your to-do list
• Worrying constantly that you should be doing something else, whatever you’re working on
• Spending ages figuring out where you’d got to with each project, every time you pick it up
• Never making any significant progress
• Sabotaging one project for another (e.g. being too busy with your job to stick to your goal of regular exercise)

Do You Have Too Few Projects?

Having too little to do can also be a problem, manifesting as:

• Often feeling bored, and wishing you had something engaging to do
• Going out and buying games, DVDs, books, etc because you want something to occupy your mind and your time
• Feeling listless, feeling that it’s not worth getting up in the mornings because there’s nothing to do
• A sense that you’re not doing anything meaningful
• Trying to focus on one goal or project but getting rapidly bored of it

Whether you’ve got too much or too little going on, recognise that this will prevent you from staying consistently motivated. You need to be doing enough to keep your mind interested and your heart engaged … but not so much that you’re trying desperately to fit it all in.

Know When to Work … and When to Stop

Do you have a clear handle on when it’s best for you to work, and when you need to stop? You might start off by thinking about your most productive times of day and focusing on working during those hours, but you’ll also want to get a handle on when you’re just distracted and need to focus, verses when you need a proper break.

Pressing On Through Distractions

Sometimes, you might be struggling to focus due to distractions. This is a problem for a lot of us, especially if we work online. There are plenty of tips and tricks for cutting down your distractability – like turning off new email notifications, signing out of social media applications and even switching off your internet connection altogether.

Whenever you start on a creative or high-energy piece of work, you’ll probably find yourself experiencing some resistance. Of course it’s easier to play around on Facebook or Twitter, instead of writing the next section of your business plan. But if you filter out the initial distractions and suppress your urge to respond to your impulses, then you’ll usually get going well.

Taking Proper Breaks

Sometimes, though, you’re struggling to focus because you genuinely need to take a break. If you’ve been working for a couple of hours on a project, you may just be running out of steam. Getting cranky, upset, exhausted or feeling otherwise low can be a warning that it’s time to step away from what you’re doing.

This also applies on a broader level: if you’re finding yourself struggling for motivation on a daily basis, you may need to take a weekend, a week or even more away from your projects.

Figure Out What Works for You

When it comes to staying motivated, we’re all wired a bit differently. Some of us like a boot-camp style personal trainer to push them hard; others want an encouraging and supportive friend. For some, working first thing in the morning is perfect; others are night owls.

Don’t be afraid to ditch advice that doesn’t work for you. Here’s just one example of how people can be differently motivated, and how you could pick a different guideline depending on what works best for you:

Do Hard Tasks First

Some gurus advise getting hard tasks out of the way first thing during your work day. Perhaps it’s something which takes a lot of creative energy, or something which you dread doing: any task which you’re feeling a lot of resistance to.

This works for some people, because it means the rest of the day is an easy coast downhill.

Do Easy Tasks First

Other experts suggest “warming up” by tackling a few easy tasks first thing: something which doesn’t require too much thought and which you can almost do on autopilot.

This one works because it eases you in gently, and lets you feel the motivational boost of ticking off several items straight away.

The trick is to figure out what works for you … for me, that’s doing a couple of easy tasks and then going straight into a difficult one.

How do you stay motivated, consistently? Whatever type of project you’re working on, let us know your thoughts…

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How To Motivate Yourself

Personal development, maximizing your potential, goals setting, motivating yourself for the better – these are some of the inter-related things that you need to work on as an individual. Here, we will set our sights on the many ways that you can develop motivation in life.

The Importance of Finding Out what Motivates You

First, let’s find out what the importance of motivation exactly is. Simply put, motivation is that driving force which allows you to achieve your goals and go after what you want in life. If you want to change your personality for the better, get a promotion at work, start a new habit, be a better person who is part of the community, become a better parent for your kid – all of these things would be easier accomplished if you are properly motivated.

As long as you have a strong personal motivation, you can achieve almost anything that you want from life. However, remember not to fall into the trap of looking for short-cuts to achieve your goals. It’s perfectly fine if you have to take a long and winding road to achieve your goal. It will be an even sweeter victory when you finally achieve your goal, knowing that you have had to go through several hurdles to attain it.

Developing Motivation in Life

So how can you develop motivation in life? If you wish to accomplish a goal – be it short-term or long-term in nature – how can you find it in you to be properly motivated? Here are a few things that you should keep in mind:

1. Focus on one goal at a time.

This should be partnered with the fact that you should make sure that your short-term goals all help in achieving your long-term goals. One of the best ways for you to focus on one goal at a time is to make a diary of your goals – yes, write it down – so that you will have a visual representation of the things that you want to achieve rather than letting it all get lost in your head.

2. Get rid of all the distractions which might prevent you from achieving your goal.

Let’s say that you are a writer who wants to finish a book. How can you type away on your keyboard one chapter after another if there are many distractions surrounding you like television, friends chattering away or the lure of aimlessly browsing through the Internet. In order for you to stay properly motivated, make sure to steer clear of any distractions.

3. Completely block out any negative influences.

Finally, make sure that you are completely blocking out any negative influences in your life. If you feel that you are being distracted from your goal by a problem which does not seem to go away, ask yourself what you can do to eliminate such a challenge and distraction in your life. Maybe you are being sidetracked by negative thoughts and feelings because you have no faith in yourself. Addressing the root of the problem, completely blocking out any negative distractions and thinking purely positive thoughts is the best way for you to develop motivation in your everyday life.

Constantly Work At Motivating Yourself

A goal doesn’t do you much good unless you are constantly thinking about, and working towards it. Write down your goal and place it somewhere that you will see it at least 1-2 times a day. If you have a weight loss goal, place your written goal beside the refrigerator. If your goal is to get physically stronger, place your written goal near your weight bench so you can see it when you are working out. This provides the extra motivation you need for those tough days.

A great way to motivate yourself with business goals is to put up a motivational quote beside your desk. Do a Google search for motivational quotes, then print off one and put it inside of a picture frame. Keep it there and read it occasionally throughout the day. Whenever you find yourself not looking at the quote anymore, or it no longer provides the inspiration that it once did, it’s time to change the quote. It’s perfectly OK to change this quote every 1-2 weeks for maximum motivation.

Some people make a habit of reading their goals either when they first wake up or right before they go to bed. When you read your goals upon arising, you may begin to notice that you find yourself doing more each day to help you reach your goals. Similarly, when you read your goals right before bed, you may notice that you wake up with good ideas that you never thought of before.

Final Thoughts

It’s important to have motivation in your life. Motivation is the fuel that you need to continue striving for your goals. Soak up motivating things in your life on a daily basis. Read great books that will inspire you. Read great blogs that are both positive and informative.

It’s human nature to have days were you aren’t very motivated. However, if you continue to surround yourself with positive and motivational things, those days will be few and far between.

Ryan Whiteside is a Guest Blogger for PickTheBrain. To learn more about personal development and how to set goals visit the Ultimate Guide To Personal Development.

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Image courtesy of The Huffington Post

You know what it’s like to feel unmotivated. You sit and stare at your to-do list, and nothing on it inspires you at all. It’s just a string of tasks that you wish you didn’t have to do. Simply getting started seems to take an unfathomable amount of effort.

Yet, you don’t always feel that way. You know what motivation feels like, too. You have times when you can’t wait to get started on something – a much-anticipated trip, a big project that you’ve been looking forward to sinking your teeth into, a new course that you’re taking, or a job which is going to be so satisfying when it’s done.

So how can you make sure that you are motivated, whatever the task at hand?

Psychologists distinguish between two forms of motivation, intrinsic and extrinsic. The effects of each might feel the same – excitement, being keen to “get on with it” – but the two types of motivation arise from different places.

Intrinsic Motivation

Intrinsic motivation comes from within. It’s the sort of motivation that you get when you’re doing something you enjoy; when the task itself is its own reward. Think of something you love – perhaps computer games, playing the guitar, cooking, painting … any activity you enjoy. You never procrastinate over it, do you? It seems almost silly to ask that – of course you don’t, if anything, you put off other tasks in order to do the ones you enjoy!

One way to make your to-do list easier is to put as many tasks on it as possible which are things you love. Sometimes they might be hard, or you might feel a little resistance to getting started – but once you’re doing them, you find them fun.

In some cases, that might mean rethinking your career choice or your lifestyle. If your life is made up of a whole string of unexciting or unpleasant tasks, how did you get into that situation? What can you do to change it?

When you’re engaged on something which makes you intrinsically motivated, you’ll find that:

• It’s fairly easy to maintain your concentration
• You’re keen to do well because the task deserves your best effort
• You’d do it whether or not you were paid or rewarded in any way

Intrinsic motivation can be a powerful force – but it can also be subject to your moods; when you’re feeling cheerful and upbeat, you’re more likely to enjoy what you’re working on than when you’re feeling low. And for some tasks, there’s simply no way you’re going to enjoy them. That’s where extrinsic motivation comes in.

Extrinsic Motivation

Extrinsic motivation comes from outside. This is the motivation which gets you to plough on with something you don’t like all that much … because you know there’ll be a reward at the end. Think of a time in your life when you stuck with something in order to reach a particular goal: maybe you studied hard in college not because you loved studying, but because you wanted to get your degree. Or perhaps you worked in a job that bored you because you needed the paycheck. On a day to day level, you probably clean your house because you want it to be a pleasant place to live – not because you really love cleaning.

Sometimes, people think that extrinsic motivation is shallow or false – but it can be a very powerful force. Most difficult things become more bearable when you’ve got something to look forward to at the end.

With extrinsic motivation, you’ll find that:

• It might be hard to concentrate – you may be tempted to procrastinate
• You want to do the task to a high enough standard to get the reward or achieve the goal at the end, but you don’t care much about it being perfect or excellent.
• You’d be much more reluctant to do it if there was no reward

External motivation is easier to manufacture than intrinsic motivation. If you have a string of tasks which need to be done, but which don’t interest or excite you in any way, can you find extrinsic motivation? That might mean:

• Promising yourself a reward at the end (e.g. a cookie, a new DVD, some “me time” to indulge)
• Focusing on the goal rather than on the process – the finished result
• Finding a way for the completed task to give you public acknowledgement or acclaim (easier said than done – taking a qualification would be one way, or joining an organization focused on that particular area)

What works for you? Are most of your activities intrinsically or extrinsically motivated – or is it a bit of both?

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Nobody said change was easy.  That’s why most people don’t do it.  But there is a deeper reason behind why it is hard that if understood, will lead you to take action that will bring you new habits and sustainable results.

When you evolve and grow as a person you start with: 1) VALUES which create 2) ATTITUDES which create 3) BEHAVIORS.  For example, when you were a young child you valued having friends, trusted all people and behaved openly.  Then through some unpleasant experiences on the playground you learned that not everyone is trustworthy on the same level so
you behaved by choosing friends that were consistently nice to you.

Here is a career example: You value your job so your attitude is that you want your boss to notice you in order to advance so you behave by working long hours to be noticed.

When you want to change your internal culture the process must move in reverse, which is unnatural, making it much more difficult.  You must start with: 1) NEW BEHAVIORS which will create 2) NEW ATTITUDES which will create 3) NEW VALUES.  
Career example: You don’t want to work long hours anymore because it has taken a toll on your family so you want to change your internal culture by starting with a behavior.  You will stop working longer and begin working SMARTer.  You will change your behavior by setting SMART weekly goals that are broken down into SMART daily goals.  Remember SMART Goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Results Oriented and Time Framed.  Don’t
worry about changing your attitude and values – that will happen on its own.  You will find that your attitude will change when your boss notices how your own self discipline has made you more productive – a smart adjustment on your part without any coaching.  You start to help colleagues with goal setting and you begin to value how goal setting is not only a precursor to
achievement but also to leadership and a better quality of life.

If you want to change – just act.  Do something differently.  Don’t worry about the feelings behind it.  They will follow.

In the words of Henry Ford…

“If you think you can do a thing or think you can’t do a thing, you’re right.”

“Business is never so healthy as when, like a chicken, it must do a certain
amount of scratching around for what it gets.”

“I am looking for a lot of men who have an infinite capacity to not know what
can’t be done.”

“If money is your hope for independence you will never have it. The only real security that a man will have in this world is a reserve of knowledge, experience, and ability.”

There are a couple of key factors that get in the way of change.  Watch out for them because they will become excuses that will lead to self-paralysis.

These key Leadership Obstructers are:

1)  Guilt and Worry  We guilt about the past and worry about the future.  Both are useless emotions because we can’t change the past and worrying never changed the future for anybody.  Action and goal setting change the future.

2)  Blame and Complain  We blame and complain about whatever we can so as not to take responsibility for changing behaviors.  It’s easier being a victim.

Did any of the above Leadership Obstructers ever make you happier or did they simply take you farther away from a healthy life balance?  What behaviors will you change to move your life forward? Act!  Start now!

Mary Lee Gannon is a leadership and productivity expert as well as author of “Starting Over – 25 Rules When You’ve Bottomed Out.”  She went from being a stay-at-home mother with four children to divorce, poverty and then on to become a president and CEO.  Visit her web site at www.StartingOverNow.com
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We’ve all been there: the alarm goes off, we’re feeling groggy, reach out and slap it to snooze. Five minutes later, the same things happens. We switch the alarm off again. The thought of getting out of bed seems like way too much effort. We know that, once we get up, we have to launch into the day – that to-do list we made last night, those  chores that need doing…

If you have to get yourself up to get to work by 8am, you’ll manage it. But if you work for yourself, if you’re a student, or if it’s the weekend, it can be a lot tougher.

Why do we end up talking ourselves into staying in bed … even when, if we think about it rationally, we’d much rather be getting on with something than going through the alarm-snooze-alarm-snooze cycle of supremely low-quality sleep?

Note: I’m not talking about depression here. If you think you might be depressed, please consult your doctor and get professional help and advice.

What’s Your Motivation?

First off, why are you getting out of bed? Why don’t you just spend the whole day lying around, snoozing, eating toast (and getting crumbs in the sheets)?

If you’re the type of person who can spring out of bed at dawn, just because it’s a beautiful day, gosh darn it, and you’re out to change the world, etc., then congratulations. You’re probably one of those weirdos that doesn’t drink coffee in the morning either.

(Michael Harrison, 10 Geeky Tricks for Getting Out of Bed in the Morning, Wired.com)

I’ll bet you’ve got something important that you want to do: some reason that’ll get you excited enough to want to get out of bed. Find something that’s meaningful to you and make that your reason to get up in the morning.

It might be having time to exercise. It might be spending the first hour of your day writing your novel. It might be your chance to work on your small business before the workday. It might be the child-free time you get to put your thoughts straight.

Starting off your day with your hardest task (also known as “eating that frog”) can be counter-productive if it discourages you from getting out of bed! So, for a change, plan something that’s fun and energizing for the start of your day. It could be as simple as a tasty breakfast, or your favorite soap in the shower.

Don’t Think Too Much

There’s definitely a danger in thinking too much when you’re feeling groggy. It’s very easy to start running through your to-do list (“I must phone Jack … and clear my inbox … and clean the kitchen …”) and frankly, you can end up feeling exhausted just thinking about all those tasks.

I like Steve Pavlina’s method of not thinking about getting up: just get out of bed and start moving – your mind will catch up with you!

If you find yourself running through everything you need to do in the day, stop. Focus on that first half hour or hour of your day – the one thing you really want to get out of bed for. Then throw off the covers and move those legs!

Practical Tips

Sometimes, a deep-seated reluctance to get out of bed isn’t just due to a lack of motivation. You can help yourself by implementing a few very practical ideas:

Go to Bed Earlier

I know this sounds ridiculously obvious, but if you go to bed late and try to get up at 6am, you’re going to struggle. If you’re prone to getting distracted by watching TV, writing blog posts or hanging out on Twitter, set an alarm to tell you when to go to bed. You could also ask a spouse or housemate to remind you at, say, 10.30pm if you’re not already heading to bed.

Make sure you’re getting good quality sleep, too.

Put Your Alarm Across the Room

As a teen, I realized I can reach out, switch off an alarm, and go straight back to sleep. Since then, I’ve always positioned my alarm clock across the room, so that I have to get out of bed to switch it off. So long as you stay out of bed once you’re up, you’re there!

Have Your Clothes Ready

One of my dozy excuses for not getting out of bed is often “I can’t decide what I’m going to wear.” (Given that the answer is usually “jeans and a t-shirt”, I’m not quite sure why this causes such early-morning angst. It may be a throwback to my teen years…) If you make a similarly crap excuse, there’s a pretty simple solution: put out your clothes the night before.

(If you’re inclined towards morning exercising, set your gym kit ready too.)

So … are you one of those lucky folks who can wake up feeling well-rested and enthusiastic before the alarm? Or do you have mornings where you tell yourself “just five more minutes” for two hours? What tips – or cautionary tales – do you have for morning sluggards?

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Some mornings, you don’t want to get out of bed. Your goals and projects don’t fire you with enthusiasm – they make you feel exhausted. It seems like you’ve been working on them forever, and you still have a long way to go.

You feel like you’re beating your head against a brick wall. You’re not making progress – or you’re forcing yourself onwards with gritted teeth, if you are. This happens with all sorts of goals in different areas of life:

• You dread going to the gym because you’re finding it so boring
• You can’t face spending another evening working on your side business
• Your garage is still full of junk, even though you’ve spent several weekends trying to clear it
• Your novel is languishing in a bottom desk drawer
• You’re swamped by books and papers and journals for your research project

However motivated and enthused you feel when you start working towards a major goal, there’s bound to be a point where you just want to throw your hands in the air and quit. Here’s what to do when you’re feeling utterly demotivated.

Take a Break

First off, take a break. Powering on through when things are grim can bring a certain masochistic satisfaction, but it’s often not a good way to get your motivation back. If you’re feeling exhausted, stressed out or miserable when you try to work on your goal, that’s a sign that you need to step back and have a rest.

I don’t mean that you should give up as soon as you feel any slight reluctance; you’d probably never accomplish anything if you did that. But if you learn to recognize when you’re in need of a real break, you’ll give yourself a better chance of getting to your goal.

List Your Achievements

It’s easy to get demotivated when you feel that you’ve been working hard for a long time without any real results. So sit down and list what you’ve achieved so far. Don’t dismiss what you’ve already done as being “small” or “silly”. Simply getting started is an achievement

You might want to think about:

• Where am I now compared with a year ago?
• Have I made measureable gains? (Eg. “Lost 5lbs” or “wrote 2,000 words”)
• Have I gained new skills? (Eg. “learnt to cook lasagne”)
• Have I tried something for the first time? (Eg. “spoke at Toastmasters”)

Listing what you’ve already achieved helps you to get back your motivation because it makes you focus on the distance you’ve already travelled. You’ve come this far: you know you can go further.

Look at the Bigger Picture

Next, turn your attention to the big picture. When you’re slogging away on a long-term project, it’s easy to lose sight of the awesome goal that inspired you in the first place. The small actions that you take each day may seem insignificant – but when you look at them in the context of a month or a year, you can see how they’ll build up.

Try to rediscover your original motivation. Think about the marathon day, or wearing smaller clothes, or having that novel in the bookshops, or having a small business that supports you full-time. Those are the things that will excite you and give you the motivation you need for the day-to-day work.

Many people get a sense of energy and enthusiasm through sharing their goals with others. Pick a friend or relative who’s always encouraging, and chat to them about your plans. This is another good way to re-find the motivation that got you started towards a goal.

Work out the Next Step

A lack of motivation is often due to not knowing quite what to do next. Typically, you’ll find that you’re stuck because the forward path isn’t obvious. You might think there’s no path at all, or you might have so many directions to choose from that you’re paralysed.

Looking at the big picture gives you the perspective you need to make a decision. In many cases, there won’t be one perfect route towards your goal. Find one step that you can take which would get you closer. Don’t worry about mapping out the whole path: often, your options will become clearer once you’ve made some further progress.

Take Action

The final step to getting yourself motivated again is to take action. Put that next step into your diary, and make a real commitment to doing it. You won’t stay motivated if you make promises to yourself which you don’t keep.

What could you do to get a bit closer to one of your goals?

Do you need to take some time “off” from the goal, to replenish your energy stocks?

If you’re not sure what to do next, can you ask someone for help?

Is there some small action you can take in order to make progress today?

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Overcoming A Loss Of Motivation

Free Audio Books For Motivation

Image courtesy of Krystal ‘Kito’ Cunningham

Yippee! It’s Monday. I am dying to get started with this exciting week.

Do you utter these words while making your way out of the bed on Monday mornings? Do you jump out of bed every morning in the state of excitement?

If your answer to this is “ Yes” then let me tell you that you are already living a life full of passion.

But if you are like most of us who are sleepwalking through life your answer to this would be “No! I would prefer to stay in the state of slumber. My dream world is far more alluring than my real world.”

We all go through life dealing with mundane matters. There are times when we feel that there is something missing in life, that there is something more to life. We might even try to dismiss this feeling of inner void by saying “ How  could I be so greedy? My life is just fine. I should stop asking for more and be happy with what I have.” With this notion deeply rooted in our mind, we consider ourselves to be happy. But deep down our heart we are still craving for a life that is more joyous and more exciting.

Whether we realize it or not, this kind of superficial living is self –destructive. We are sabotaging our growth and falling prey to our circumstances. Our life is meant to be colorful and enthralling and passion is what makes our life fulfilling in the true sense. Everyone is capable of pursuing their passion. All we need is a little effort towards creating our dream life.

What is “Passion”?

The word passion has lost its charm and true meaning these days. We find people using this word when they are vaguely referring to a desire or hobby. Passion goes beyond the realms of wants and desires. We all wish for several things in our life. But are we really passionate about them? Are we ready to go out of our way to achieve them? We need to ponder over these questions to identify our passions and discern them from mere wants.

Why is passion so imperative in life?

A source of motivation

On windy days we often notice leaves tossing and turning around, acting according to the whims of the wind. The wind says “Go east”. The leaf goes east. The wind says “ Go west”. The leaf goes west. The wind says “ Stop”. The leaf stops flying. Without passion we are like this leaf. We might know where we want to go but our lack of motivation will easily derail us from our track. Our Passion transforms us into an arrow. The storm might knock the arrow off course but it would keep flying. Passion provides us motivation to keep moving whenever life tries to knock us down.

The secret of success

Have you ever noticed that most of the millionaires and successful entrepreneurs are high school drop outs.  Almost none of them finished college. What makes it possible for these people who might seem ordinary to have an extraordinary life? The answer is passion. Think of all great achievers and you will be struck by their passion. Mahatma Gandhi’s passion for human rights, Winston Churchill’s passion for freedom, Bill Gates’s passion for technology. All these successful people have proved the fact that “The only path leading to success is the path paved with passion.”

Now that you know why passion is so relevant in life, let us look into some ways to nurture passion in life.

Ways to rekindle passion in life:

Look within

“I just can’t find my passion” I often hear people say. In this world where we are tuned in, logged on or dialed in virtually non- stop, taking time to let ourselves contemplate is very rare. But quiet reflective time is all it takes to find our passion. Try taking a trip down memory lane. What was that one thing you could for hours and hours when you were a child? It gave you so much pleasure that you lost track of time. I discovered most of my passions by ruminating over the things I loved to do as a child.

Beware of the thief

Our passion is like a precious pearl we possess. There is a thief who goes around stealing our passions. This thief of passion is nothing but fear. Fear of change, fear of failure, fear of stepping out of our comfort zone. This fear is what deters most people from pursuing their passion. If you want to live a more fulfilling life then you have to let go of your fears. Never let your passion get stolen by your fears.

Shield your passion from naysayers

“ Have you gone crazy” “ Forget it you will never make it” This is what we get to hear when we decide to go off the beaten path to pursue our passion. Do not let these pessimistic people derail you from your path. Following the herd will not get you anywhere but following you heart will surely take you to your dreams. So shield yourself form the outer noise and just tune into your heart.

Align your passion with your profession

Your passion need not be restricted to your weekends. Many people have found ways to turn their passion into rewarding career. I recently read an article about a bus driver in Chicago who sings while he drives. Apart from attracting passengers his unique style of driving attracted even the media. When he was being interviewed on television, he said “Don’t call me a driver. I am a professional singer. My passion is singing not driving. I only drive to get a captive audience every single day”. Here is a person who has found a creative way to align his passion with his occupation. Like this “Singing driver” you too can find ways to align your job with your passion.

Mingle with passionate people

Ever noticed that person who always seems to have spring in his step and a spark in his eyes. Passionate people can easily be spotted in a flock of people. They have an aura of positivity and charm that draws other people to them. And what more their passion is contagious so that the people who interact with them also get infected with it. Whenever you feel that you have lost your fire get around these fire lighters. By spending time with passionate people you can’t help getting infected with their passion.

Keep your eyes wide open

Explore for new passions when you feel that the old ones have just faded away. Do not hesitate to experiment. You never know when   you would stumble upon a new one that can rekindle the joy in life. I personally believe in having a variety of passions in life. I feel each of my passions add a new color to my life thereby making it more colorful.

Swati Ramnath is a Guest Blogger and avid reader of PickTheBrain.

Krystal ‘Kito’ Cunningham is a Photographer from Hawaii and her piece: Reflections Of The Heart is a selection from our  PTB Blog Art Submissions Project.

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]]> http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/fire-up-your-life/feed/ 9 http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/single-task-multi-task/ http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/single-task-multi-task/#comments Tue, 14 Jul 2009 19:17:06 +0000 John Anyasor http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/single-task-multi-task/
photo credit: Dakimapics

There are no shortage of ‘experts’ that claim to know the secret of maximum productivity. At first someone will swear that the only way to really get things done is to multi-task: more done, less time. Then immediately someone will counter that it’s far simpler, more effective and rewarding and ultimately more ‘zen’ to do one task at a time: single-tasking.

It’s time to stop the confusion. Is one method really better than the other or does it just depend on the individual using either method?

Let’s clear things up, shall we:

Single-tasking: Do one thing at a time to be more effective

Ah, the age-old art of doing less to achieve more. This has been beaten to death for centuries. When you focus all of your efforts on just one thing, it’s assumed you will complete it to the best of your ability. While this is mostly the case, single-tasking is significantly more time consuming. If you want to create a masterpiece it will take time. So much time, in fact, that you might lose track of your other assignments.

There are even times when you’ll be trying to complete a task, and still be unable to tackle it. This, of course, leaves the task uncompleted and you having accomplished less than expected.

Despite getting only one thing done at a time as opposed to many things, the return on that one thing will no doubt be tremendous. All the work you put into the task will be reflected in how effectively you completed it. There will also be a greater sense of reward having completed something start to finish and these small victories, on a daily basis, can ultimately have a very positive mental effect.

Multi-tasking: Do more in less time.

That’s the basic idea of muti-tasking. Though personal development sites collectively hail that single-tasking is more effective (heck, even I support it), multi-tasking is still effective in getting things done. To be fair, multi-tasking has benefits that doing one thing at a time doesn’t.

As I’ve stated above, you get more done. A perfectly legitimate example is that you’re working on a project for your business and you also have a baby to take care of.  Will you just drop caring for the baby while you finish that big project? Or will you nuture your little bundle of joy at the risk of losing your job? Better yet, would you fare better to manage both simultaneously? I don’t know about you, but the last choice looks the best to me.

Though multi-tasking does have its benefits, there are times when it can get a bit overwhelming. Taking on a lot of difficult projects at once is definitely not a good idea. By doing this, you spread yourself too thin and the law of diminishing returns begins to kick in.

Which Method is Better?

Both methods clearly have their respective pitfalls, but which method comes out on top? Single-tasking allows you to zero in on a task and get it done sufficiently, but multi-tasking gives you a wider range in which to get your tasks done at the expense of depth of understanding.

The answer then, lies not in the general, but the specific – as with most things in life. Different tasks, assigned by different people with different expectations, must be looked at on a case-by- case basis. There is no blanket answer as no two situations nor two people are alike.

Why Not Do Both?

Is there are rule that explicitly states that, “Thou shalt not single-task and multi-task at the same time?” Neither method is better than the other because they are both useful in getting things done. You don’t have to multi-task two big things in order to get them done quicker, because it’s possible that you’ll fail at completing both of them. Spending your valuable time single-tasking small problems can lead to overestimating them.

The solution is to multi-task the small things and single-task the big things. However, what if there are two large tasks to do? Should you still multi-task? The short answer is yes. Break up both tasks into smaller tasks and do them simultaneously. The long answer is that it depends on the task and which one you think requires more attention than the other. Some things aren’t easy to chop into chunks and can only be single-tasked, whereas some things can only be multi-tasked.

Multi-task or Single-task? The choice is yours

Not everyone can multi-task. It’s not a matter of brain capacity or time management skills. Some of us just feel that it’s more convenient to do a single task until it’s done. In addition, not everyone is comfortable with single-tasking. Some people just have to do something else in order to periodically take their mind off of the task at hand; they can’t sit still and focus on one thing at time.

But it doesn’t matter what I say. Nor does it matter what any other personal development blogger might tell you. No one way is “the” way to go. Both methods are very person specific, knowing what type of person you are will dictate your choices. The important point is to honestly evaluate your strengths, weaknesses and work habits, and approach each task conscious of these traits. Then experiment with different combinations to suit your needs.

Which do YOU think is better? Share your thoughts in the comments section.

John Anyasor is a guest blogger for PickTheBrain who writes for the HiLife2B: Blog on Personal Improvement for a Good Life. He gives advice on personal development, life lessons, college life tips, and more.

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A Productivity Filled Day

Artwork courtesy of Amy Buchheit

Some days, you wake up early, storm through tons of work before lunch, and come to the evening feeling as though you’ve accomplished a lot. For many of us, though, those days are the exception rather than a rule. Perhaps you’re reading this in the middle of a rather unproductive day. Maybe you woke up late, spent time procrastinating, had to deal with a dozen “urgent” little tasks, or simple got interrupted every five minutes.

If it feels like your day is slipping through your fingers, here’s how to turn things around and make that unproductive day into a fulfilling one:

Stop and Take Stock

So often, we end up in “reaction mode”, responding in a knee-jerk way to things as they come up. This is generally an ineffective way to work: you often end up dealing with fairly low-priority tasks simply because they’re the ones which present themselves.

When your day’s running away from you, take just five minutes to completely stop. Close your email program and your browser, or simply switch off your computer monitor. Think about what you want to accomplish today. Are you on track? If not, what’s gone wrong – and how can you pull things back into line?

Pick One Important Project or Task

As you take stock of your unproductive day so far, work out one important project or task that you want to get done, something that will give your day a sense of meaning and purpose. Perhaps it’s something you’ve been putting off, like writing an important letter or email. Maybe it’s the first step in a new course of action, like signing up for a course or seminar. It could be something that will take you further towards an important goal – perhaps getting your business’s website online.

Spend An Hour Focusing On This

A whole hour of focused attention is long enough to make meaningful progress. Let everything else slide for an hour, and spend that time concentrating on your one important thing. Your emails, and phone calls can wait until that hour’s up. It might help to set a timer. If your task involves writing, try using a full-screen program like Dark Room. Shut down your email – or even disconnect your computer from the internet if it helps.

Eliminate As Many Distractions As Possible

You might have to struggle to find just one hour to devote to something truly important. To keep your day on productive lines, eliminate the distractions that are sapping your focus. That might mean that you close your email and leave it closed until it’s nearly the end of your working day. Perhaps you’ll let your phone go to voicemail. Let your colleagues know you’d appreciate only being interrupted in a real emergency – or if you work from home, explain to your family that you could really use some uninterrupted time.

Challenge Yourself to Be Productive

Some unproductive days aren’t simply caused by us succumbing to distractions – they’re partially influenced by external events. Maybe you have several meetings scheduled, a lot of family duties, or various chores to run. Challenge yourself to squeeze in as much productive work as you can: perhaps you’ll jot down some notes while waiting in line at the post office, or maybe you can blitz through some emails with your toddler on your lap. If you have routine chores to do around the house, listen to audio books or podcasts during them – it’s a great way to fit some learning into your day.

Review Your Day

When you’ve had an unproductive day, don’t waste time and energy feeling guilty about it. See it instead as an opportunity to learn about the conditions in which you work best. Spend ten minutes reviewing how your day went, asking questions like:
•    Where did things start going wrong? (eg. “I woke up late”, “I checked my email first thing”)
•    What distractions did I succumb to?
•    What could I have done differently?
•    What helped me to focus?

There’s nothing wrong with making mistakes – they’re great learning opportunities, and chances to eliminate methods of working that aren’t helpful to you.

Do you find that you regularly have unproductive days? How do you turn things around?

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