Happy Thursday lovelies! How's your week been?
I am super pleased as I have managed to save £40. How did I manage that I hear you ask? Well let me tell you, instead of buying new shoes, I took five pairs of heels and a boot to my local shoe repair shop. The heels were broken because I wear them on a weekly basis.
The family that owns the business did astonishingly well.
I would have spent £80 on a new pair of shoes, but because there are better things to spend money on, I decided to be sensible.
So this week I'm going talk about 11 ways to motivate yourself when you're having one of those "off" days. I'm sure you've had plenty of them; I know I have for sure.
1. Baby steps.
I've recently learnt that taking baby steps is more beneficial towards my success than jumping in at full speed. No matter what you are doing - it could be a project, university, work, hobby or everyday situations. No matter what the task is, it's best to break things down, have a vision and then make a start. It's like The Hare and Tortoise story (I think we all remember it from school). A slow pace is a lot better than not getting started.
2. Cut down on TV and Social Media.
Yeah, you heard me, I know the pattern. Five minutes on Facebook can turn into 3 hours on Facebook- one minute you're on your page, then your friends and before you know you're on a stranger’s page and you have no idea how you got there. Even with TV programmes, "I'll just watch one episode" turns into " How on earth did I watch a whole season?"
What I tend to do is time how long I spend on social media sites and watching TV, once the times up I put my phone on aeroplane mode and continue with my work.
3. What was your original goal?
Always think about why you started.
If you can remember or think of a good reason as to why you started then continue, however, if you can not figure out a good cause, then you're not going to be successful.
4. Write down your goals and reasons for working towards them.
I've found that writing my goals in my phone or on a piece of paper reminds me of my task. Sticking the piece of paper on a mirror or on a wall makes it easier to stay on track.
5. Listen to music and dance like no one's watching.
Music is the cheapest form of therapy. Whenever I'm feeling down or unmotivated, I open up iTunes and play French music. I love French music; I don't know what it is, but it motivates me (even though I have no clue what they are saying). I also play my favourite Afrobeats- you know bust some Drake moves, my son loves it, he finds it funny.
6. Be your biggest fan.
We are our greatest critics, and it's a well-known fact. We are the best at condemning our failures and mistakes, feeding our minds negative thoughts. You know what it's all about trial and error, you will win some and lose some- that's just life.
Let me give you an example - Michael Jordan missed more than 9000 shots in his career. He lost almost 300 games, 26 times Michael Jordan thought he would take the winning shot but missed. Did Michael Jorden sit there licking his wounds? No! You have to trust in yourself and all you can achieve. The truth is, if you don't believe in yourself, no one else will.
Provide new opportunities for yourself, don't sit there thinking the world is going to hand you what you think you deserve because it's not!
If you want a promotion at work, work for it, want to lose weight, get a move on! The point is you have to make things happen.
In the end, it's all about you, showcase your achievements, boost yourself up (without being a b**** about it), set the standards and always stand up for yourself.
7. Be in competition with yourself.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with comparing yourself with yourself. Not with others, but yourself. That is a more realistic goal than comparing yourself with others. There are always going to be people ahead of you, don’t focus on them because they’re not focused on you. Focus on your goals, achievements and what’s to come. Look back on how far you’ve come, trust me you’ve made progress.
8. Be motivated by those in your life.
I am incredibly fortunate to have so many inspiring people around me that drive me on a daily basis. Spend time with people that motivate, that make you excited about what you're doing. Feed of their energy, let it consume you. Trust me you'll be amazed at what you will achieve.
9. Make a deal with yourself.
Calling fellow procrastinators, this is for us. You may already know that I am a procrastinator. I've been working really hard to overcome it, and I've found that making a deal with myself helps get things done. Big or small, I tell myself: when I've completed my online study week activity for the university, I can watch my TV programme Scandal, or when I've finished my essay and got the result I am aiming for, I can buy new shoes.
It actually seems to be working for me. Again it all about baby steps and breaking things down.
10. Exercise.
I find that 20 minutes exercise a day relieves tension, stress and I am able to feel more motivated and focused on my task.
11. Make each day count.
Music is the cheapest form of therapy. Whenever I'm feeling down or unmotivated, I open up iTunes and play French music. I love French music; I don't know what it is, but it motivates me (even though I have no clue what they are saying). I also play my favourite Afrobeats- you know to bust some Drake moves, my son loves it, he finds it funny.