13 Great Ways to Stay Motivated

Ever feel like you’re swimming upstream? One of the most challenging aspects of being in business or just life in general is staying motivated in the face of adversity. Sure, it’s easy to keep going when things are going great, but what about when you can’t find any business, or when the business you find doesn’t work out, or when your friends and family are telling you you’re crazy to think you can do whatever it is you’re trying to do? Because staying motivated is often easier said than done, here’s a list of 13 things you can do to lift yourself up when circumstances start dragging you down. 1. Associate with other successful, positive people. Success breeds success. It may seem simple, but to keep motivated, one needs to associate oneself with people who are also motivated to be successful, regardless of their current situation. 2. Set goals and review them often. Visualize your goals to make them real, write them down, and make a contract with yourself to achieve them. When things get tough, think about how good life will be when you have reached your goals. If reviewing your goals does not motivate you, you have the wrong goals. 3. Use adversity to your benefit. German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche once said, “That which does not kill us makes us stronger.” Don’t try to avoid adversity; face it head-on, stay focused, and let it shape you into a better person. Learn to see adversity as an opportunity for growth. 4. Avoid negative people. Misery may love company—but not yours! When people start moaning about how bad things are, politely excuse yourself and find positive people to be around or something productive to do. Don’t argue with a negative person; it’s a waste of time. 5. Remember that you are in control of yourself. You may not be able to control what happens, but you can control how you react. 6. Feed your mind with nourishing information. Just as your body works better when you eat healthy food, your mind will work better when you feed it positive, useful information. Listen to audio books and other motivational materials whenever you can—while driving, exercising, or doing chores. Read whenever you can. Form a discussion group to talk about what you’re learning. 7. Form a support group that will hold you accountable. Put together a group of people that you can check in with once a week to see how you’re doing. Share your goals and hold each other accountable for achieving them. 8. Turn off the TV. Watching just one show can stretch into an entire evening in front of the television—wasted hours you can never recover. Spend that time doing something that will help you grow as a person and see how motivating that is. 9. Look for the bright spot. No matter how dark things may seem, there is always something positive in every situation. Find it and focus on it. 10. Stay spiritually connected. Regardless of your particular faith, do not neglect your spiritual health. Pray, mediate, and study. 11. Take action. Don’t wait for just the right moment or until something else happens. Get up and do something today and let the momentum take you forward. You can make corrections later if you need to. 12. Reward yourself. Savor your achievements by rewarding yourself when you reach them. 13. Believe that you are a winner. Have faith in yourself and persevere. Remember that losers give up, but winners keep going.