Part 5: What to Do When Motivation Fades

Inevitably, your motivation to perform a task will dip at some point. What happens when motivation fades? I don’t claim to have all the answers, but here’s what I try to remind myself of when I feel like giving up.

Your Mind is a Suggestion Engine

Consider every thought you have as a suggestion, not an order. Right now, as I’m writing this, my mind is suggesting that I feel tired. It is suggesting that I give up. It is suggesting that I take an easier path.

If I pause for a moment, however, I can discover new suggestions. My mind is also suggesting that I will feel very good about accomplishing this work once it is done. It is suggesting that I will respect the identity I am building when I stick to the schedule. It is suggesting that I have the ability to finish this task, even when I don’t feel like.

Remember, none of these suggestions are orders. They are merely options. I have the power to choose which option I follow. 

Discomfort Is Temporary

Relative to the time in your normal day or week, nearly any habit you perform is over quickly. Your workout will be finished in an hour or two. Your report will be typed to completion by tomorrow morning.

Life is easier now than it has ever been. 300 years ago, if you didn’t kill your own food and build your own house, you would die. Today, we whine about forgetting our iPhone charger.

Maintain perspective. Your life is good and your discomfort is temporary. Step into this moment of discomfort and let it strengthen you.

You Will Never Regret Good Work Once It is Done

Theodore Roosevelt famously said, “Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.” So often it seems that we want to work easily at work worth doing. We want our work to be helpful and respected, but we do not want to struggle through our work. We want our stomachs to be flat and our arms to be strong, but we do not want to grind through another workout. We want the final result, but not the failed attempts that precede it. We want the gold, but not the grind.

Anyone can want a gold medal. Few people want to train like an Olympian.

And yet, despite our resistance to it, I have never found myself feeling worse after the hard work was done. There have been days when it was damn hard to start, but it was always worth finishing. Sometimes, the simple act of showing up and having the courage to do the work, even in an average manner, is a victory worth celebrating.

This Is Life

Life is a constant balance between giving into the ease of distraction or overcoming the pain of discipline. It is not an exaggeration to say that our lives and our identities are defined in this delicate balance. What is life, if not the sum of a hundred thousand daily battles and tiny decisions to either gut it out or give it up?

This moment when you don’t feel like doing the work? This is not a moment to be thrown away. This is not a dress rehearsal. This moment is your life as much as any other moment. Spend it in a way that will make you proud.

Source: http://jamesclear.com/motivation

Part 3: How to Get Motivated (Even When You Don’t Feel Like It)

How do some of the most prolific artists in the world motivate themselves? They don’t merely set schedules, they build rituals.

Twyla Tharp is widely regarded as one of the greatest dancers and choreographers of the modern era. In her best-selling book, The Creative Habit (audiobook), Tharp discusses the role rituals, or pre-game routines, have played in her success:

I begin each day of my life with a ritual; I wake up at 5:30 A.M., put on my workout clothes, my leg warmers, my sweatshirts, and my hat. I walk outside my Manhattan home, hail a taxi, and tell the driver to take me to the Pumping Iron gym at 91st street and First Avenue, where I workout for two hours. The ritual is not the stretching and weight training I put my body through each morning at the gym; the ritual is the cab. The moment I tell the driver where to go I have completed the ritual.

It’s a simple act, but doing it the same way each morning habitualizes it — makes it repeatable, easy to do. It reduces the chance that I would skip it or do it differently. It is one more item in my arsenal of routines, and one less thing to think about.

Many other famous creatives have rituals too. In his popular book Daily Rituals: How Artists Work, author Mason Currey notes that many of the world’s great artists follow a consistent schedule.

• Maya Angelou rented a local hotel room and went there to write. She arrived at 6:30 AM, wrote until 2 PM, and then went home to do some editing. She never slept at the hotel.
• Pulitzer Prize winner Michael Chabon writes five nights per week from 10 PM to 3 AM.
• Haruki Murakami wakes up at 4 AM, writes for five hours, and then goes for a run.

The work of top creatives isn’t dependent upon motivation or inspiration, but rather it follows a consistent pattern and routine. Here are some examples of how you can apply ritual and routine to get motivated:

• Exercise more consistently: Use the same warm up routine in the gym.
• Become more creative: Follow a creative ritual before you start writing or painting or singing.
• Start each day stress-free: Create a five-minute morning meditation ritual.
• Sleep better: Follow a “power down” routine before bed.

The power of a ritual, or what I like to call a pre-game routine, is that it provides a mindless way to initiate your behavior. It makes starting your habits easier and that means following through on a consistent basis is easier.

The key to any good ritual is that it removes the need to make a decision: What should I do first? When should I do this? How should I do this? Most people never get moving because they can’t decide how to get started. You want starting a behaviour to be easy and automatic so you have the strength to finish it when it becomes difficult and challenging.

There are three simple steps you can take to build better rituals and make motivation a habit.

Step 1: A good pre–game routine starts by being so easy that you can’t say no to it. You shouldn’t need motivation to start your pre–game routine. For example, my writing routine starts by getting a glass of water. My weightlifting routine starts by putting on my lifting shoes. These tasks are so easy, I can’t say no to them.

The most important part of any task is starting. If you can’t get motivated in the beginning, then you’ll find that motivation often comes after starting. That’s why your pre–game routine needs to be incredibly easy to start.

For more about the importance of getting started, read this.

Step 2: Your routine should get you moving toward the end goal.

A lack of mental motivation is often linked to a lack of physical movement. Just imagine your physical state when you’re feeling depressed, bored, or unmotivated. You’re not moving very much. Maybe you’re slumped over like a blob, slowly melting into the couch.

The opposite is also true. If you’re physically moving and engaged, then it’s far more likely that you’ll feel mentally engaged and energized. For example, it’s almost impossible to not feel vibrant, awake, and energized when you’re dancing.

While your routine should be as easy as possible to start, it should gradually transition into more and more physical movement. Your mind and your motivation will follow your physical movement. It is worth noting that physical movement doesn’t have to mean exercise. For example, if your goal is to write, then your routine should bring you closer to the physical act of writing.

Step 3: You need to follow the same pattern every single time.

The primary purpose of your pre–game routine is to create a series of events that you always perform before doing a specific task. Your pre–game routine tells your mind, “This is what happens before I do ___.”

Eventually, this routine becomes so tied to your performance that by simply doing the routine, you are pulled into a mental state that is primed to perform. You don’t need to know how to find motivation, you just need to start your routine.

If you remember the article on the 3 R’s of Habit Change, then you may realize that your pre–game routine is basically creating a “reminder” for yourself. Your pre–game routine is the trigger that kickstarts your habit, even if you’re not motivated to do it.

This is important because when you don’t feel motivated, it’s often too much work to figure out what you should do next. When faced with another decision, you will often decide to just quit. However, the pre–game routine solves that problem because you know exactly what to do next. There’s no debating or decision making. Lack of motivation doesn’t matter. You just follow the pattern.

Source: http://jamesclear.com/motivation

Visualization - why we should all be doing it

The importance of creating a clear mental image of your desired goal.

How the subconscious mind works -
All of our results have and are being dictated by our subconscious
Our results in life will always be congruent with the beliefs that we hold at a subconscious level.
These beliefs - more often than not are self limiting
Installed as a child
Inherited from our parents
Operate from a level that we are unaware of.
In order to change our results we need to  change our beliefs about ourselves
Maxwell Maltz - Psycho Cybernetics
Our subconscious is a cybernetic device
This means our subconscious, through whatever course of action we take will lead us to the destination that we have stored in our minds.
How does this happen?


The beliefs we hold at a subconscious level influence our conscious thoughts which influence our actions which influence our results - SIMPLE!


When we change our beliefs we influence the whole chain of command from the deepest level.
E.g. A student that is told they are only capable of a D grade may achieve an A in one exam but will gravitate back because of the  belief that has been installed that they are only capable of a D
In order to be an A student that person must have the belief that they are.
Effectively the majority of us are running on subconscious beliefs that are stopping us for reaching any kind of self potential.
These beliefs work constantly in the background influencing your conscious thought in order to be upheld.
Most of the time without even realising. How does this happen?


The beliefs we hold at a subconscious level influence our conscious thoughts which influence our actions which influence our results - SIMPLE!
When we change our beliefs we influence the whole chain of command from the deepest level.
How can visualisation help this?
Our subconscious has no ability to distinguish between what is real and what is not.


The language of the subconscious is images and feelings
If we close our eyes and imagine with feeling then to our subconscious it is real!
By visualizing we can change the self limiting beliefs that do not serve our interest and replace them with empowering beliefs
Our subconscious will strive to make that belief a reality
through changing the thoughts that arrive in our conscious and thus influencing us to take different action and as a result creating a new reality based on the new belief
What to visualise
Decide what you want, what you want to be, whatever it is, and then hold that in your mind as if it has already happened.
Try to use all your senses to emotionalise the images.
Here’s an example - You want a new car
Picture every detail, listen to the engine, feel the leather on the steering wheel,
Smell the air freshener, experience every detail.
Here’s another example:
You want to earn crazy money..
See your bank statement with the balance you desire, imagine eating in the expensive restaurant you could never afford before, taste the food, listen to the conversation, look at the decor.
Picture your dream 5*  holiday, feel the sand under your feet and the sun beating down on you, listen to the sounds and absorb every detail.
21 day of repetition and it's done!
A repeated action for 21 days becomes an ingrained new habit.

As stated before your subconscious cannot differentiate between these emotionalised images and real ones.
In  a very short period of time your subconscious will be working with these thought in the background and doing everything it can to bring them to reality through the process of conscious influence - action - reality creation.
Build Self Confidence
This is not only important for material purposes.
Self limiting beliefs and lack of self worth hold us back in all areas
Picture the person you would like to be
Love, confidence, abundance, self worth - create the image and really allow yourself to feel that.
With a little time and practice old beliefs will begin to be replaced with the new and your subconscious will go right to work to make that your default reality.

10 Law of Attraction Tips For Business Success

Understanding how the law of attraction works and using it in my own business has been a wonderful journey so far.

So today, I’d like to share with you 10 Law of Attraction Tips to help you attract your dream business.

 1. GET CLEAR ABOUT YOUR DREAM BUSINESS

You don’t need the whole picture, but I strongly recommend you do take the time to have a clear idea of where you’re heading.  

2. BE A POSITIVE THINKER

Mike Dooley from The Secret says ~ Thoughts become things

When you catch yourself with negative thoughts whizzing through your head swap them for something better feeling.

Example ~ Business is really slow this week.  Swap to ~ I’m taking this time to catch up on jobs and make sure everything is running smoothly.

3. VISUALIZE YOUR BUSINESS AS YOU WANT IT, AS IF YOU ALREADY HAVE IT.

Enjoy imagining your ideal business day, how you spend your time…

4. FOCUS ON WHAT YOU WANT IN YOUR BUSINESS EVERY DAY

Make it a daily habit to focus on what you want rather than the things you don’t.  Also, focus on what’s going well rather than what isn’t.

5. SURROUND YOURSELF WITH POSITIVE PEOPLE

When you surround yourself with positive people, it’s much easier for you to stay positive too.  A great place for you to connect online with other women in business is my Facebook Group, also look up local networking events and find one that is a good match for you.  Get friendly with other local business women who have already (or they are actively moving towards) their ideal business.

6. PRACTICE AFFIRMATIONS

Affirmations help keep your thoughts positive and help to shift negative beliefs.  Positive affirmations are simply positive statements that AFFIRM what we want, such as… I am creating a successful business I love and that supports my ideal life.

7. FOCUS ON THE THINGS THAT SHOW UP IN YOUR BUSINESS THAT YOU LIKE, ENJOY, WANT, LOVE…

The more you focus on the good stuff you already love, the more you will attract like this.

8. CHANGE YOUR BELIEFS TO POSITIVE

We all form a huge amount of beliefs throughout our life.  Some are positive and helpful and some are negative and stop us from achieving our goals.  One easy tip is to write your belief down and then question it.  Say “Is this really true for me now?”  Other great techniques to use are EFT and Hypnosis to help shift limiting beliefs.

9. WRITE DOWN HOW YOU WANT IT TO BE

A great exercise is to write about an aspect of your business the way you want it.  It can be how you want the day to go, the meeting you’ve got this week, a collaboration with another business person to go, a project you’re working on….  Use this technique in any and all areas of your business.

10. BE GRATEFUL

Be grateful and not just for the thinks you like.  Also be grateful for the things that you don’t like that show up in your business as they are indicators that you need to make a shift.

I hope you’ve enjoyed these law of attraction tips for business success.

***Now I’d love you to tell me in the comments below something you’re grateful for in your business today.  Remember the more you focus on gratitude, the more you’ll get to be grateful for.

Happy manifesting

Source: http://morningbusinesschat.com/law-of-attraction-tips-for-business/

How To Create A Morning Routine To Kickstart Your Day

Do you have a morning routine?

How many times do you press the snooze button before you get up in the morning, putting off the inevitable getting out of bed and starting the day to the last minute possible?

Having just a little too much ​time in bed before emerging and then having to rush.  

Ignoring your grumbling tummy, contemplating if you can get away without showering, your hair sulking and hoping no one notices that you didn't iron your clothes. 

Mornings - love 'em or hate 'em, every day has one, so if you're not a morning person, starting every day feeling tired, grouchy, grumpy, stressed and rushed will have a significant impact on your day.  

So if you are more of an owl than a lark, keep reading because I'm going to share 13 ways to make your mornings a delight.

I've never been a morning person, far happier reading (or partying!) late into the night.  So much so, one year for my birthday I got 3 - yes, 3! - alarm clock radios (remember them?!) as presents. 

My morning routine used to be: 

• Leave getting up until the last possible second
• Get ready for work bleary eyed
• Feel grumpy, grouchy and tense
• Feel stressed as I rush out of the door
• Spend the day feeling scruffy, and playing catch up

Not the best start to the day, but not unusual.  ​So if that sounds all too familiar, let's look at some ways to change your morning routine, to increase your everyday self care and get more energy, positivity, calmness and focus for a more productive day.

The night before

Give your morning routine a helping hand by doing some preparation the night before,  

 1. Quality Sleep

Waking refreshed and replenished will make all the difference to not just the start of your day, but the whole day. ​

For a simple yet effective way to encourage sleep, take a look at Neville Medhoras 'Amish hour' - an hour before you want to settle down to sleep, turn off all electronic gadgets - TV, computer, tablet etc.  ​Couldn't be simpler!

Or you could try the Relax Melodies app​, where you select sounds and melodies to help you drift off.  Choose from waves lapping, birds singing, rain, a cat purring etc etc.  You can have more than one sound and different tones.  It also includes a couple of guided meditations.  There are more sounds and more meditations in the paid version, so if you like it it may be worth the small investment.

2. ​Lunch

If you prepare lunch to take to work, doing it the night before will not only take the pressure off in the morning, but also mean you are likely to have a better quality meal.

3. Clothes

​I can't tell you how many times i've been frantically searching through the ironing basket trying to find something to wear 10 minutes before I've had to leave the house!  It's an unpleasant way to start the day, so don't do it to yourself. 

Get what you're wearing ironed and ready, it saves not just time, but that totally unnecessary stress when you least need it. ​

Morning routine

4.  Wake up earlier

Okay, you may not relish the thought of getting up earlier but ​just 10 little minutes can make an enormous difference to your day, and if you adopt the Amish hour (as in No 1 above) you are more likely to wake feeling refreshed. 

Waking earlier means you won't have to rush, reducing stress and introducing calm.

If you prefer to be woken gently rather than terrified awake by a shrill alarm, try Sleep Cycle alarm clock .  This clever app somehow knows how to wake you when you are in your lightest sleep phase, so you wake feeling more relaxed.  It's free, though as with most apps, you can upgrade to a paid version, the free one is just fine.   

5.  Drink water

​Your body just went 8 hours without water, so it needs re hydrating.  Take a good long drink of  water, cool but not cold from the fridge as it's too shocking to the system. Add a slice of lemon if you have some.

6.  Sounds​

Be aware of what sounds you like in the morning, and try something new.  If you always have the radio on, try silence, see how that feels and vice versa.

7.  Move

I've avoided the 'E' word here, because exercise sounds too earnest!  

Help your body to wake up by moving it, and it can be at any level you wish.

It could be gentle stretches, yoga, or a mindful walk.  If you're feeling energetic, 10 minutes of cardio or a run, the choice is yours.  You can mix it up, do something different on different days, depending on the weather, for example.   

8.  Shower​

It's always nice to have an unhurried shower with time to condition your hair, shave your legs and just chill.  

Try a warm/cold shower - a few minutes with warm water, a few minutes with cold is very stimulating, and can help if you're feeling sluggish.

And afterwards, some early morning pampering - your favourite body lotion, ​time to spend on your hair makes for a good hair day, and you know what a difference THAT makes!  

9.  Breakfast​

Skipping breakfast might be tempting, but unless you've prepared for being hungry midmorning and have prepared something you can eat, the temptation is to grab something - anything.  So keep control, and eat well.  

Make breakfast a treat, and make it varied.  Sweet, refreshing fruit, warm vanilla pastries, eggs and bacon... After all, variety IS the spice of life!​  

And filling your home with the smell of freshly made coffee ​is definitely one of lifes simple pleasures. 

10.  Journal

Journaling is fantastic at any time, but is a particularly great way to start the day.  'Morning pages' by Julia Cameron​ is a widely used method, and if you click the link there is a short (2 minute) video of Julia talking about what to do and why. 

Journaling helps reduce stress, increases self awareness and self acceptance and is a powerful tool to use. Check out my guide below. 

So grab a book and get scribbling!

Things to avoid

11. Television

The TV is a massive time suck in a morning, and when every second counts it's something you can do without. 

12. Social media

As with TV, it's so easy to fall down the rabbit hole of social media and climb out again blinking and confused, wondering what happened to the time.  

13. Work Emails

Looking at work emails in personal time makes work/life boundaries fuzzy.  Keep those boundaries firm by only answering work emails in work time. 

So there you go, 13 ways that will make for a morning of self care, creating a much better experience for you, leaving you feeling energized, focused, positive and ready for a productive day. 

Author: Jane Travis

Source: http://janetravis.com/morning-routine/