We start new endeavors with all the gusto and enthusiasm in the world. However, as time and life as we know it passes, we seem to be opposed on our journey with setbacks, distractions and countless reasons for excuses. It becomes very easy to lose focus… to lose sight of the reason why we do what we do. Whether it is performing your tasks dutifully at work or relentlessly honing some skill or talent, consistency is what separates real success from luck or chance. It sets apart those who will survive the long haul from the transient and ineffectual. But how do we stay on track with all the stress and clutter of modern living bearing down on us like an obnoxious, micro-managing boss wearing cheap cologne?Here are a few tips to keep you motivated in this concrete, cyber jungle we call life:
HAPPY YOURSELF!!!
There is always that one person in the office, (apart from the boss) that seems to suck the very life out of the room whenever they walk in. We’ll call him Jon. Jon is usually the staff member who has worked there the longest… He started off just like you, making fun of past Jons, and never envisioned himself as the one to fill those lackluster Jon shoes. Time can either wear you down or make you better depending on your frame of mind. Positive attitudes lead to positive results but its easier said than done. Make a conscious effort to maintain a positive outlook on things. Everyone is different and you need to find your own happy place. For some people, looking at funny vines online, for example, can instantly turn their day around and get them back into their natural rhythm. Others need an entire weekend in Ada with friends to center them for the weeks/months ahead. Find what centers you and remember that life and work are not one and the same. Remember what makes you happy in life and use it to your advantage when the going gets tough…When all else fails to call your mother.
SET SHORT TERM GOALS:
Success and achievement are said to attract more of the same. When we reach a goal we set for ourselves, it motivates us to keep going, to do more. Most times we lose enthusiasm for what we do because we are not really tracking our progress and have forgotten how far we’ve come or even how much further we need to go. Set REALISTIC weekly goals/targets for yourself and REACH THEM!!! As you cross these goals off the list week after week you will realize how much in control you actually are and use this momentum to your advantage. The only thing you really need to overcome is you…
MONEY WILL COME:
Alan Watts said it best… “If you say to yourself getting money is most important, you will spend your life completely wasting your time. You will be doing things you don’t like doing in order to go on living, to go on doing things you don’t like doing…which is stupid!” he added that “The most dangerous risk of all is spending your life not doing what you want on the bet that you can buy yourself the freedom to do it later”. This is fundamental to ensuring happiness in life. If you find yourself on a career track or in a job you hate, chances are that this same dissatisfaction is going to ripple and course through the various aspects of your life. It’s a chain reaction. You get a job for whatever reason, realize you hate it but stay anyway…years go by and the though the pay might get better, the job gets worse and so does your general attitude and personality. You get married, still working the same job you hate so much and end up beating your wife/husband every night, not for anything that he or she has done but because you are “stressed from work”. More years go by and you have kids… by this time you are a walking breathing avatar of regret and frustration. Your partner decides they can’t take it anymore and leaves…. takes the kids too….. Midlife crisis is your new family.It’s never too late to make a change. Don’t trap yourself in a situation you are not designed for and expect to be happy and motivated because the truth is that you are unhappy and unmotivated because of where you are currently. Take time out to meditate on what you would love to do if “money were no object”. You will find happiness just doing that, and as you become a master in it, the money will come….
DETOX!!!:
Now some of you take the whole TGIF thing way too seriously. You give a whole new meaning to the phrase “weekend warrior”. Add to that the countless Redbulls and coffees consumed during the working week and it’s no wonder your bodies and minds feel like shutting down every 4 months. We load ourselves with toxins, eat foods that our bodies cannot even process and still refuse to exercise. Basically, we don’t take good care of ourselves and despite how much we lie to ourselves about working hard. We are lazy. Poor physical conditioning can easily translate into declining mental alertness and motivation which could further lead to depression. A good 30-minute workout at least every other day will make a big difference not only in how you look but how you feel and behave. Most times, when you feel slow, restless and unproductive at work it’s just your mind and body screaming for help. Lay off the caffeine, ride a bicycle around your neighborhood if you’re not ready for the gym and for Pete’s sake read a book or watch a movie this weekend instead of bar hopping. Have a great week!!!
