WDo you consider yourself to be a motivated person? What does that mean anyway?! To motivate means to stimulate someone’s interest in, or enthusiasm for, doing something. So if you’re a motivated person it means you are good at stimulating your own interest in, or enthusiasm for, doing what you want or need to do.

Many of us, however, are not so skilled in this area. We are geniuses though in coming up with excuses and distractions to keep us from our goal and are master illusionists of convincing ourselves we are in fact motivated! If you have a tendency for the latter, read on for some ideas to get motivated, stay motivated and see results.

If you wake up in the morning and are not looking forward to your day, it’s time to ask some questions.

Are there some things that need to change and are you willing to do what it takes to change them? Once you’re living the life you love, it’s very easy to stay motivated, because you want to do the things you need to do. However, if you’re feeling unhappy, bored or frustrated with your daily activities, job, career, and/or relationships, staying motivated is like trying to push a wet noodle up a hill. It just adds to the frustration. Refer to Oprah’s 4 Step Guide to discover Life’s Passion here.

Have you ever heard the phrase, ‘mood follows action’? I recently heard it for the first time and I love it so much, I’ve added it to the soundtrack of my mind. You know, that soundtrack of our mind that plays over and over each and every day?

Think about it, if we wait for our action to follow our mood . . . well, we may be waiting a long time; the result is the creation of excuses and distractions we talked about earlier and we end up with more procrastination than motivation. We don’t feel like going to the gym, cooking a healthy dinner, doing the laundry or tackling that big project that’s looming. But if we take action first, no matter our mood, we’re sure to feel better after we’ve taken some forward steps.

It’s important to know what motivates you. There are a number of tests online that you can find through a Google search if you need some help. Here are some ideas to get you thinking. Do any of these resonate with you?

Recognition. Freedom. Accomplishment. Financial Reward. Winner Mentality. Helping Others. Following Your Passion.

Here are some ideas for daily motivation:

* Do one thing at a time.

For example, if you have five articles to submit, try not to think about all the articles you have to submit while you’re working on each article. Instead focus only on the one article you are currently working on until it’s complete, then move to the next, etc.

* Have pictures of your WHY where you can see them.

What is the reason you work, or maintain a home, or care for kids, or do whatever it is that you do? That’s your WHY. First be sure that your WHY is something that motivates you, then post pictures that remind you of why you’re doing this in the first place.

* Reduce distractions.

This is a big one for me. I’m a Sagittarius and we get distracted very easily. I’m fairly certain that Dory from the movie Finding Nemo was also a Sagittarius! Close your office door, wear headphones, do what you need to do to be able to stay focused.

* Positive back ground music.

If you’re someone who loves music, it can be very helpful to have some playing in the back ground while you’re working on being productive. I love to listen to Native American music while I’m writing or creating. Try different types of music until you find one that feeds your soul.

* Take nature and nurture breaks.

It’s important to take breaks every two-and-a-half to three hours to stand up, move around and go outside if you’re able to, or at the very least, look out a window for a few minutes. Also nibble on a healthy snack. These breaks can really reenergize you.

* Declutter.

Other than interruptions, there’s not much worse than clutter to take away from productivity. It invites a chaotic energy into your work space and that can be very draining for sure. Plus it can make you want to pull your hair out when you can’t find things you need. Designate a place for everything and become good at putting things back in their place.

* Stay positive.

You’ve got to believe in what you’re doing to be able to do your best. KNOW that you can do whatever you believe you can do. Once you KNOW it and take action, others will believe in it too.

* Take ACTION

I saved the most important step, the one that will make all the difference, for last. You MUST take action. Period. If you’re not taking action toward what you want to happen, then someone else is making decisions for you. Stay in control of your own life. Take action and a better mood, better outcome, better life will follow.

“People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing ~ that’s why we recommend it daily.”

Zig Ziglar