As a naturopathic doctor, much of my practice is focused on helping my patients be and stay well. Many people seek out my services to help them eat better, sleep better, and poop better. Usually, at some point, the topic of motivation comes up (and the lack thereof). Most of us “know” what we want to do…it’s the putting it into action and staying in that flow that can be another matter. Procrastination, fear, laziness, and apathy are just a few of a long list of excuses that we can rhyme off.
So what can we do to stay connected with our sense of motivation and flow? Here are 7 tips and skills that I’ve found that have helped me stay connected with my motivation and mojo. I hope they do for you too! 🙂
1. Think of life as a series of tiny steps rather than one giant leap. If the process feels monumental; you will give up before you try. It is a lot easier to make changes when make small shifts rather than taking the “all or nothing approach”.
2. Carve time to do the things that give you energy. Play, laugh, exercise, eat well, and make time for sleep. These things are all critical in having the energy needed to do the things you want to do.
3. Watch the sunrise and/or sunset often. One can’t help but feel inspired and energized experiencing these wonders. Having time and energy for viewing these usually means nixing over-sleeping and watching TV. Two big motivation drainers if you ask me.
4. Write “morning pages”. This practice, coined by author Julia Cameron of the Artist’s Way, encourages you to spend a few minutes in the morning writing 2-3 pages in a journal. The point isn’t to be writing a work of art, it’s to clear all the negative thoughts from your mind. I often write about things that are annoying me or list things I’ve been wanting to do but haven’t. My life really started to change when I started this practice. Curious to learn more? Watch this 2 minute video http://juliacameronlive.com/basic-tools/morning-pages/
5. Shift your perspective. I was dreading cleaning the other day because it felt like a chore. And then I thought to myself…”but when your home is clean, you will feel better plus you are spending your energy giving attention to a place you love and gives you rest”. The cleaning happened very quickly after that.
6.Donate and dispose of clutter. This is one of the biggest energy zappers. I cannot even tell you how many people sit down in my office and explain how they feel their life and their home is a “mess”. As soon as the space around you starts to change…you do too. I read the book “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up” by Marie Kondo. One of her key messages in the book is that clutter and mess can represent unresolved issues. When you clean up, you help put your mind and your past in order. And guess what? You have more clarity and can connect better with your inner mojo.
7. Have a power word mantra. Choose 1 or 2 power words to remind yourself of how you want to feel. For example; two of my words are “inspired” and “vibrant”. I use these words to fuel me to spend my day doing things that create these feelings. E.g. Spending time in nature, getting my admin work done (because let me tell you, I feel nothing but uninspired when it’s sitting in a pile waiting to be tackled) and so forth. If you’re curious to learn more about this, I would suggest reading Danielle Laporte’s book “The Desire Map”. This book was critical in shifting the way that I go about my day and stay connected to my mojo.
Ready to get your motivation and mojo on now? I thought so. One more thing. Don’t wait until tomorrow, next week or some “perfect” date.
Start right now. 🙂