What do you do when it’s a Monday morning and you feel more like a deflated balloon than a productive person? Hoping that Oprah will pop out from behind your couch and give you a pep talk on living your best life is, likely, futile. But I’ll let you in on a little secret: motivating yourself to kick butt isn’t as hard as you may think.
#1 Routine
Prevent slump days by getting your morning off to a great start. If you are anything like me, you thrive on routine. I have found that having a set routine and structuring my day is essential for staying motivated. It helps to remove things that make your day harder than it needs to be, particularly for the beginning of your day when you might be struggling to get moving.
I noticed that I was wasting valuable time and energy on recurring decisions like what to eat, when to exercise or what clothes to wear each day. Having a structure to my mornings means that I reduce decision fatigue and don’t spend any headspace in the morning worrying about the little things. I can then focus my mind on the more important decisions that I will need to make throughout the day.
#2 Plan ahead
Set your day up to be successful by planning your tasks the night before. I suggest trying a visual planner, like Trello. It works brilliantly for me and I get so such motivation and satisfaction from moving the card to the ‘done’ column once my tasks have been completed.
I completely plan the following day using my Trello board, so that I begin my day with a clear vision and list of priorities. If I know that I have a particularly tiring day ahead of me, such as seemingly endless hours or gruelling meetings and travel, where possible I keep that in mind when I plan what kinds of tasks will be on my to-do list for the following day.
#3 Stay Inspired
Remaining inspired throughout the day can be challenging. Why not try following some inspiring people on LinkedIn? Reading the stories of others that are achieving their goals and dreams will motivate you to keep working on and achieving yours.
Surround yourself with awesome people. The people around you directly influence how successful you will be. This includes your team, mentors and advisors.
When you are around people who are motivated, passionate and smashing their goals, it rubs off on you and propels you towards success.
Set weekly, monthly and yearly goals for yourself. For example, my goals include desired revenue, client sign ups and the like, for my businesses. Achieving goals along the way is a big motivator and don’t forget to celebrate those incremental victories.
Got a 5-star review on google? Give yourself and the team a round of applause! Hit 10k users? Slam that laptop shut (but not too hard) and go out for a celebratory lunch together.
Do all you can to prevent a slump in motivation, but sometimes you will still have days when it is more of a struggle. Even as a successful entrepreneur with a lot of drive, I still find it harder to give 110%. So then what?
#4 Find your grit and tenacity
On the days when it’s really punishing and you can’t see the forest for the trees, remember that nothing worth having comes easy and think back on why you started. Seek out and make time to speak to a motivating person in your life, such as your mentor or someone who can remind you of your goals or share their goals with you. Don’t forget, enthusiasm is contagious!
Sometimes the simplest solutions are the best ones. Get some of your motivation back by getting out of your office or workspace! Enjoy some fresh air, blast some upbeat music and eat something that makes you feel good and nourishes your body. Often taking a step back is just what you need to be motivated to charge ahead.
#5 Don’t overthink it
Our minds are the gate keeper of motivation, so maintaining a healthy mindset is key. You will find it really helpful to take a moment and remember your runs on the board. Why not create a folder of wins, such as testimonials, positive client feedback, goals you have smashed, work you are proud of, media coverage or awards you have won? Flip through these pages on the down days and allow them to refresh and revitalise you.
Utilise the to-do list that you created and just work your way down, ticking tasks off. When you’ve planned it all out the night before, you don’t have much opportunity to dwell on what you don’t feel like doing – you can just get it done.
If a day arrives when you really just don’t feel like doing anything at all, do it anyway. Push yourself because no one else is going to do it for you!
With some organisation, inspiration and grit, you have everything you need to staying motivated and kick butt.
[referenced url=”https://www.lifehacker.com.au/2017/05/elevator-pitch-theright-fit/” thumb=”https://www.lifehacker.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2017/05/TheRight.Fit_-410×231.jpg” title=”Elevator Pitch: TheRight.Fit” excerpt=”Elevator Pitch is a regular feature on Lifehacker where we profile startups and new companies and pick their brains for entrepreneurial advice. This week, we’re talking with Taryn Williams, founder and CEO of online marketplace TheRight.Fit.”]
Taryn Williams is the CEO and founder of theright.fit and WINK Models. She is also a finalist in the My Business 2017 awards.
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