I am so lucky: I get to wake up, ready to attack each day because I get to do what I love. At Total Life Changes, our work is all about helping people improve their situation. Maybe they want to feel better, move more, get a good night’s sleep, bring their health under control. Our Life Changers are building their small businesses one dream at a time, and TLC is so proud to help people along their way to financial success. Helping all those people helps me stay motivated.
Getting out of bed in the morning wasn’t always so easy, though.
As I write in Believe in More, I spent more than a few years at a job I hated. It didn’t inspire me. It didn’t fuel my passion to help people. Finally, the right combination of situations came about that provided me the opportunity to reach for my dream. Of course, having a supportive family willing to take the leap with me was important, too.
How did I keep enough energy to head to that job long enough to follow my dreams? Sometimes, looking back, I have a hard time believing I managed. Psychologists think they have some ideas when it comes to staying motivated.
According to a study in Frontiers in Psychology, three of the most-powerful motivational techniques are self-talk, imagery, and if-then thinking.
Self-Talk
The little voice in your head, self-talk can help direct your mood and actions. Too often, we are the person who puts us down the most. That’s so defeating. Instead, be aware of the narrative you’re reciting in your own mind, don’t let negative words push themselves into your story, and take time throughout the day to engage in some positive self-talk.
Remind yourself that you have value. Remind yourself that you have good ideas. Give yourself encouragement and take a look at how you’re feeling. If it’s too negative, then discuss with yourself what it will take to get back on the right track. Focus on what you can control. Being positive will help you stay motivated.
Imagery
Meditate on what inspires you. Think yourself through a tour of success. If you’re feeling really glum, use your imagination to explore places you’d like to visit, or good journeys you’ve already taken. The good, healthy vibes you get from using imagery this way can help you stay motivated.
You can even use this kind of imagery to help with your memory. The ancient Greeks called it the Method of Loci. By “placing” important facts in different places in your imagination, you can often remember much more than you may otherwise.
If-Then Thinking
A simple mental logic game you play, if-then thinking helps you stay motivated by keeping your actions in line with your desired outcomes.
“If I study for this test, then I’ll get good grades.”
“If I run at the gym for 30 minutes, then I can treat myself with a small goodie.”
“If I try this new thing, then I’ll know if I like it.”
Use if-then thinking to focus on what you need to do to get where you want to be.
Hopefully these simple tricks help you stay motivated. We’re glad to have you part of the Total Life Changes family, and we’re always here to provide whatever support we can when some days are more challenging than others.
Jack Fallon
