Happy New Year!
As we ease out of the hype of the holidays and settle into the new year, we want to touch base about staying motivated during these gloomy, winter months.
Did you know most people quit their new year’s resolutions before the end of January, with only a 9% chance of seeing their goals through to succession?
Yikes! As business owners, that is not an uplifting statistic.
We definitely don’t want to go into the new year with the goal of upleveling our business, only to stop trying by February. So, how do we combat these grim statistics and stay productive, especially during the time of year when vitamin D is a limited resource?
Here’s a look into the concept of motivation and how to increase our drive in order to improve our productivity this year.
What is Motivation and Why is it Important?
“Motivation is the process that initiates, guides, and maintains goal-oriented behaviors…motivation causes you to act in a way that gets you closer to your goals. Motivation includes the biological, emotional, social, and cognitive forces that activate human behavior.” – Source
Our levels of motivation will affect our actions toward productivity. It can lead us to hustle, to procrastinate, to distract, to worry, to move, or to stay put.
They can be extrinsic -meaning that external factors are weighing in – or intrinsic – meaning internal factors are at the steering wheel.
For instance, examples of extrinsic motivators are a boss making demands on a deadline, receiving praise through a reward, or social recognition. Alternatively, your motivation could come from intrinsic factors, like feeling passionate about a project, and working on it brings you a sense of fulfillment or joy. Or, while waking up early is really difficult, you know at the end of your morning workout, you are going to feel energized and refreshed.
Oftentimes, our level of motivation is a mix of extrinsic and intrinsic factors that determine our level of commitment to a task or goal.
It’s important to understand your motivation factors and what keeps you motivated for the following reasons:
- Increase your efficiency as you work towards your goal
- Drive you to take action
- Encourage you to engage in health-oriented behaviors
- Help you avoid self-destructive behaviors
- Contribute to feeling more in control of your life
- Improve your overall well-being and happiness
A big thing to keep in mind is that it is perfectly normal for our levels of motivation and drive to fluctuate. It can be harmful to expect yourself to perform at high capacity 24/7.
“All people experience fluctuations in their motivation and willpower. Sometimes you feel fired up and highly driven to reach your goals. Other times, you might feel listless or unsure of what you want or how to achieve it.” – Source
So, during those times when your motivation is running a bit low, here are some tips and tricks to help you kick it into high gear.
5 Ways to Increase Your Motivation
1. Focus on What Matters to You
Sometimes we have to do things that we really don’t want to do. C’est le vie, right? And for that reason, it can be really hard to motivate yourself to push through to the other side.
If you are struggling to stay focused on a task or project, it might be that it doesn’t feel important to you. Ask yourself, is the outcome of this project worth it to me, my business, my family, etc. If it isn’t, then perhaps it just isn’t worth the effort! Alternatively, is this a task or project you can delegate or outsource?
2. Break Big Goals into Smaller Steps
There are some goals that are just so big, we sometimes don’t even know where to start. A great tip for taking action on goals is to break them down into smaller, more achievable steps. Making lists of these small, actionable tasks can be a game changer. Plus – who doesn’t love the instant gratification of crossing things off of the to-do list?!
3. Increase Your Confidence
Sometimes our lack of motivation can come from confidence or self-doubt about actually achieving our goals. In that case, prioritize increasing your confidence. That might look like repeating confidence-boosting affirmations, putting up boundaries with toxic, negative people, and making a list of all of your past achievements and hanging them by your workspace.
This may only ring true to the #TedLasso Fans of the world, but to sum it up in one word…Believe.
4. Take a Step Back
The following quote comes to mind: “My best ideas come in the shower, where I am showered with water, but also ideas.” – Ryan Lily
If you are pushing and striving for a certain outcome with not much success, you might need to take a step back and reevaluate the goal, project, or desire for the outcome. Taking a break from the grind can help shift your perspective, allow your body to rest, and bring a sense of ease to your spirit. Usually in those states is when our best ideas of innovation are born.
5. Avoid Burnout
Another big reason why you are procrastinating could be that you are just plain exhausted or burnt out. Symptoms of burnout can include feeling lethargic, lonely, unmotivated, easily distracted, having low energy, and overall lack of well-being. In that case, the best thing to do is….
Take a break. Go on a walk, take a vacation, catch up with a friend, take time off work…Whatever it may be, just take time to fill up your cup. After that, then you can come back to work and slay the day.
Need help finding motivation between your life and your business?
Let Haven help.
Don’t let running a business run your life. Haven Collective is not only a place for people to collect and get work done, it is a community that fosters professional success and personal fulfillment.
With a Haven membership, you will gain access to our Resource Collection. The Resource Collection is stocked with content surrounding not only business topics but also wellness and personal development tips. Every personal and professional development event adds to our growing collection too, so you never miss an ounce of information that could help you grow and feel more productive and fulfilled.
By joining Haven, you will commit not only to taking care of your business but to taking care of the star of the show – YOU.
If you are looking to build your business AND prioritize your own fulfillment, click below to see if Haven Collective is the next step for you.