4 Steps to Rebuilding Your Motivation

How do you defeat the self-inflicted agony that each one of us as humans have felt at some point or another? How do you work through the pain that hurts so much to the point that we don’t want to deal with it anymore? How do you not give up?

Here’s how:

Step 1—Understand that you’re not alone and the feeling isn’t permanent.

The first step towards crawling back to taking control of your life when you’re on the verge of giving up is really just remembering that you’re not the only person who has felt hopeless, all of us understand what you’re feeling and where you’re coming from. We’ve all been there, and chances are that we’ll each be there again, so it really is kind of about understanding that it happens to everyone, and even more importantly, these moods and feelings come and go in waves. Just because you feel down and without motivation right now doesn’t mean it’ll last forever. It may be gone tomorrow, it may be gone a week from now or a month from now, but it is temporary.

Step 2—Start believing in yourself.
You have the power to let go of negative beliefs about yourself. You also have the power to create positive beliefs that will empower you rather than hinder you. The point of feeling like you want to give up comes from becoming the victim of the negativity of your own internal dialogue. You want to give up because the conversation that takes place in your head tells you you aren’t good enough, you’re not competent, you don’t have it in you, and that maybe what you’re doing isn’t worth the reward you’re expecting. These are problems that we all face as humans on a daily basis simply because our minds are neurotic; they’re negative, and we believe them.

In order to start believing in yourself, you have to stop believing what your mind says. Stop believing the negativity that plays out in your mind and start to laugh at it. You have the power to let go of negative beliefs, and at the same time create positive beliefs that are self-empowering.

Step 3—Start changing your life in ways that will reflect a change in your attitude.

You are the things that you do on a daily basis. If you want your life to change, if you want your moods to change, if your attitude to get better or your motivation to be higher, you have to begin changing your daily actions in a way that will exhibit change in your life.

For me, the way I stay motivated when I’m feeling down is by starting to do daily habits that are difficult, that challenge me and help me grow my willpower. Not only do you feel accomplished when you take on challenging habits, but you are literally strengthening your willpower.

It really is about keeping your energy levels high, and challenging yourself with difficult habits. Developing these habits will help you deal with the negativity that drains you physically, mentally and emotionally.
What are these habits?

Waking up early helps me take time to enjoy my life, and focus on the actions I know are necessary to accomplish my goals. When you become a morning person, you begin to feel empowered, accomplished, and you create time for yourself while the rest of the world is still asleep and there are no distractions.

Meditating is a very important habit that really will help you understand the negative thoughts you have. It will help you begin to separate from those thoughts with the understanding that you are not your thoughts. When you believe your negative thoughts and identify with them, you have no power, you feel horrible about yourself and you will lack motivation. Start to understand your own negativity by meditating for just a few minutes a day and you will find that your motivation levels rise instantly.

Reading is another integral habit that helps keep me motivated. I read about people who have been successful in life; people who seemingly have infinite motivation within them to do everything they set out to do. There’s nothing more motivating than learning from successful individuals who have detailed accounts about what kept them going and how they were able to stay strong in difficult times. You and I are no different and we can take lessons from successful, motivated people and implement those strategies in our own lives.

Step 4—Surround yourself with people who exhibit qualities that you want to possess.

The most important thing you need to do in order to keep yourself motivated and positive is surround yourself with people who you want to be like rather than surrounding yourself with people who are just like you. We become the people we hang out with, and I like to say that we’re an average of the 5 people we spend the most time with. If you surround yourself with people that are just like you, you will never change. But if you begin to surround yourself with motivated, positive people that are go-getters, you too will become a positive person with proper motivation who is a go getter.
Conclusion

Don’t give up. When you’re about to give up is the point where its most important to show up with strength and not give into the difficulty you’re facing. Just remember, this is temporary, you’re not alone, change is possible, and you have the strength in you to live the life you want.

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Ten Terrific Self Motivating Tips

No one can motivate anyone to do anything. All a person can do for another is provide them with incentives to motivate themselves. Here are ten very effective strategies to help you get up and get moving toward actualizing your enormous, untapped potential.

Be willing to leave your comfort zone. The greatest barrier to achieving your potential is your comfort zone. Great things happen when you make friends with your discomfort zone.

Don't be afraid to make mistakes. Wisdom helps us avoid making mistakes and comes from making a million of them.

Don't indulge in self-limiting thinking. Think empowering, expansive thoughts.

Choose to be happy. Happy people are easily motivated. Happiness is your birthright so don't settle for anything else.

Spend at least one hour a day in self-development. Read good books or listen to inspiring tapes. 

Driving to and from work provides an excellent opportunity to listen to self-improvement tapes.

Train yourself to finish what you start. So many of us become scattered as we try to accomplish a task. Finish one task before you begin another.

Live fully in the present moment. When you live in the past or the future you aren't able to make things happen in the present.

Commit yourself to joy. C.S. Lewis once said, " Joy is the serious business of heaven."

Never quit when you experience a setback or frustration. Success could be just around the corner.

Dare to dream big dreams. If there is anything to the law of expectation then we are moving in the direction of our dreams, goals and expectations.

The real tragedy in life is not in how much we suffer, but rather in how much we miss, so don't miss a thing.

Charles Dubois once said, " We must be prepared, at any moment, to sacrifice who we are for who we are capable of becoming."

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7 Ways To Show Gratitude, Be Thankful, & Boost Your Motivation

In honor of Thanksgiving this week, I want to encourage you to voice your “attitude of gratitude”. Say thank you and give constructive feedback to your staff, friends, children, and co-workers and encourage them to be better in their lives and work.

Make it a habit to give people continual praise and encouragement. The more you praise and encourage positive constructive behaviors, the more deposits you make to the “emotional bank account.”

1) Appreciate People For Everything They Do

Always show appreciation. Every time you thank another person, you cause that person to like themselves better. You raise their self-esteem and improve their self-image. You cause them to feel more important. You make them feel that what they did was valuable and worthwhile. You empower them.

2) Build Your Own Self-Esteem By Thanking Others

And the wonderful thing about thanking other people is that, every time you say the words “thank you,” you like yourself better as well.

You feel better inside. You feel happier and more content with yourself and life. You feel more fully integrated and positive about what you are doing.

When you develop an attitude of gratitude that flows forth from you in all of your interactions with others, you will be amazed at how popular you will become and how eager others will be to help you in whatever you are doing.

3) Praise And Approve Others Continually

Another way to make people feel important and give them a sense of power and energy, is by the generous use of praise and approval. Psychological tests show that, when children are praised by the people that they look up to, their energy levels rise, their heart rates and respiratory rates increase and they feel happier about themselves overall.

4) Try “One Minute Praising”

Perhaps the most valuable lesson in Ken Blanchard’s book The One Minute Manager is his recommendation to be giving “One-Minute Praising” at every opportunity.

If you go around your home and through your social relationships praising and giving genuine and honest approval to people for their accomplishments, large and small, you will be amazed at how much more people like you and how much more willing they are to help you achieve your goals.

5) Practice The Law Of Reciprocity

There is a psychological law of reciprocity that says, “If you make me feel good about myself, I will find a way to make you feel good about yourself.”

In other words, people will always look for ways to reciprocate your kindnesses toward them. When you look for every opportunity to do and say things that make other people feel good about themselves, you will be astonished at not only how good you feel, but at the wonderful things that begin to happen all around you.

6) Pay Attention And Listen To Others

The third way to empower others, to build their self-esteem and make them feel important is simply to pay close attention to them when they talk.

The great majority of people are so busy trying to be heard that they become impatient when others are talking. But this is not for you. Remember, the most important single activity that takes place over time is listening intently to the other person when he or she is talking and expressing himself or herself.

7) Take Every Opportunity To Build People Up

Again, the three general rules for empowering the people around you, which apply to everyone you meet, are appreciation, approval, and attention.

Say thank you and voice your gratitude to others on every occasion. Praise them for every accomplishment. And pay close attention to them when they talk and want to interact with you. These three behaviors alone will make you a master of human interaction and will greatly empower the people around you.

Please leave a comment or share with your friends if you’ve enjoyed this post!

I hope that the holiday season treats you well and helps you to think about how thankful you are for what’s important in your life. As a thank you for being a loyal follower, I’d like to offer you some wonderful deals on some of my favorite products.

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10 Powerful Ways To Boost Your Self-Confidence

Confidence gives you the power to conquer the world. It separates the fearful from the successful. Confident people face their fears and tend to be risk-takers. They live life in a positive light and are satisfied with the world around them.

Wouldn't it be amazing to live life this way? Guess what? You can. Try some of the tips listed below. Practice them daily. Over time, your self-confidence will become higher than you ever thought it could be. You will be able to overcome your fears, pursue your dreams, and sing at the next karaoke night.

Here is a list of 10 powerful ways to boost your self-confidence:

1. Think positive. The human brain has a tendency to think more negatively, it takes a conscious effort to be more positive. Either you can rule your mind or you can let it rule you -become aware of your negative self-talk. The thoughts you have about yourself are very powerful. Think about all of the amazing qualities you have instead.

2. Take care of yourself. Confidence not only comes from how you feel on the inside, but how you feel on the outside as well. Shower, spend some extra time curling your hair and wear a great outfit. And if you're a guy, then well, shave. Doing these little things will make you feel more successful and ready to tackle the world.

3. Get prepared. Whether your day is filled with meetings or exams, get prepared for them. Do the research needed for that important meeting and study hard for the exam. It's hard to be confident if you don't think you'll do well

4. Exercise. Truth is, "exercise gives you endorphins and endorphins make you happy", said by the truly confident, Elle Woods. Not only will you feel better, but you will look better. All you have to do is walk a few times a week. Create a habit and get active.

5. Set a small goal and achieve it. People often set a big goal then get discouraged when they fail. Shoot for something more achievable. You'll get a boost of confidence and be more likely to tackle the next small goal. Like a domino effect, you'll eventually reach your big goal with ease.

6. Be grateful. Being grateful is a very positive and rewarding activity. It puts your mind in a positive light and can be extremely humbling. Make a gratitude list and add to it daily. You will begin to realize all of the great opportunities you have in life and awesome qualities you possess.

7. Be kind and generous. Being kind and generous with your time is a great way to improve your self-image. Hold the door for a stranger or buy someone a coffee. It will not only improve your relationships but make you feel better, trust us.

8. Volunteer. Make the lives of others better by volunteering; in return your life will better. Could you find the time to feed the homeless, pitch in at church, or start a nonprofit?

9. Get out of your comfort zone. When you do things that make you feel a little uncomfortable, your comfort zone gets bigger and your confidence rises. You will grow as a person and learn to experience new things.

10. Keep a list of your awesomeness handy. Sit down and create a list of all of your awesome qualities. Are you smart, organized, creative, or modest? Write down your achievements. Revisit the list daily or whenever you're feeling discouraged.

Applying some of these daily can help you overcome limitations and push you to achieve your biggest goals. Feeling more confident is a necessary part of living a happier, more fulfilling life.

If you think you're lacking self-confidence and want some guidance and someone to hold you accountable to the list above, connect with one of our confidence coaches.

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Conquering Your Fears One Day at a Time

Fear is very powerful. It affects everyone from time to time. Doesn't matter who you are or where you come from, even if you are the most successful person on this planet.

Fear can be both good and bad.

It can be good in the sense that sometimes it allows us to escape from harm.

On the other hand, fear can be bad for us in the sense that it may prevent us from pursuing what we truly desire in life.

Some examples of this include: talking to an attractive woman for the first time, starting a new business, climbing a mountain, and so on and so forth.

Getting over our fears is necessary in order to pursue the things we want to accomplish in our lives.

The way a person engages fear determines how successful that person can be throughout their life.

If a person let's fear take over when he wants to pursue a beneficial opportunity, he will be unable to even start his pursuit.

However, if a person faces her fear and pushes through it, this fear will start to become less and less powerful.

She will be considered a courageous person and will naturally increase the amount of self-confidence and success in her life.

Fear of failure is the one of the most common fears we face from day to day, but exercising courage can help us to break down this fear.

Lesson of the day:

Find something you truly want to accomplish in your life right now, something that you are afraid to do, but if you are successful, will be able to reap many personal and maybe even financial rewards.

Pursue this opportunity, despite the fear you feel and put it in the back of your mind that you don't care about being successful in the short term, because you are just gaining experience in this field.

This will take off a lot of pressure from your mind and will allow you to enjoy the experience, while building your skill set, increasing your chances of becoming successful in the future.

Also, if whatever you want to pursue requires financial stability and/or more preparation, then by all means take care of that first.

Otherwise, you will have a bad start and might even be worse off than before. Strike a balance between preparation and pursuing the opportunity in order to become successful later down the road.

I hope you all enjoyed today's post and hope you will join me on the journey to self-confidence mastery!

Cheers!

P.S. I would love to hear what you have to say about this post. Feel free to comment below!

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12 Powerful Ways to Reduce Your Anxiety

If you’re anything like me you have been there many times.

You’re sitting in a waiting room. Or just waiting somewhere.

Soon it will begin.

Your leg is starting to shake nervously. Your hands are starting to sweat and maybe your mouth feels a bit dry. Your thoughts are becoming jumbled, it is hard to focus and to think as clearly as you usually do.

Maybe you have an important test in school. A job interview. An appointment with your doctor or dentist. A date that you are looking forward to but at the same time you are scared to make a fool of yourself on.

Whatever it may be it is making you anxious.

Today I’d like to share 12 things that have helped me to reduce anxiety in such situations.

These tips are for low or medium levels of anxiety. They are not intended for anxiety attacks or anything that serious. I know nothing about such things and would recommend that you seek professional help in such situations.


1. Breathe.

Sit down, in a quiet place if possible. Breathe a little deeper than usual and do it with your belly and not with your chest. For just a minute or two focus on only the air going in and out of your nostrils. Nothing else.

This will calm your mind and body down. And it will bring your attention back to the present moment instead of it being lost in scary, future scenarios or bad memories from the past.

2. Get good knowledge.

Dispel the clouds of uncertainty and vague fears by researching what you have anxiety about. By talking to people who have done what you are about to do or want to do – or by reading what they have written – you can build a more realistic blueprint with both positives and negatives of how things are likely to go.

And learn how to improve in the area that gives you anxiety. Do research on the best ways to become better at and less nervous when – for instance – doing public speaking, job interviews or presentations at work or in school.

3. Do a quick workout.

I like to lift heavy weights for about 15-20 minutes when I feel worried, stressed or anxious. It makes me feel stronger both in mind and body. It releases inner tensions and relaxes me.

Others go out for a quick run, walk or bike ride when they feel anxious. Find a way to exercise that fits you and lets you reap these benefits and counteract anxiety.

4. Focus on something else.

Sometimes it is more helpful to simply redirect your mind instead of thinking about what creates your current anxiety. Especially if you have no control over the situation that causes the anxiety like for example an upcoming doctor’s visit or appointment with the dentist.

So focus your attention somewhere else for a while and recharge it with something positive.

Watch a couple of episodes of your favorite sit-com or TV-series. Read your favorite online forum. Have relaxing or upbeat night out with friends.

Do something that takes your mind off the situation that causes anxiety, even if it is just for a few hours. After that recharge you will not only likely feel better but you will also be in a better headspace and at a higher energy level to handle the anxious situation.

5. Don’t forget to eat.

When I forget to eat because I am stressed and anxious then that only tends to worsen my state of mind. It becomes harder to think clearly and negative scenarios more easily pop up in my mind.

So even if you do not feel that hungry keep an eye on the time and if you may be running low on fuel.


6. Change your focus to what you can do right now.

When you ask yourself questions that make you feel powerless or like things will only get worse and worse then you take away your personal power.

Empower yourself by instead asking yourself:

What is one small thing I can do to improve upon this situation today?

Write down that question and brainstorm answers for a few minutes. Then take action on one of the answers you find. It doesn’t have to be a big action, just one small step forward. And when you are done with it then take another one.

This direction forward will make you feel like you are starting to regain control over your life again, it will make you feel at least a bit more confident and it, in my experience, tends to reduce the anxiety.


7. Question your worries and anxiety.

Look to your own past and ask yourself:

How many situations that I have been anxious about in the past have turned out to be exaggerations or making a mountain out of a molehill in my mind?

Question your anxiety and worries instead of letting them roam freely.

8. Remember: You have handled tough situations in the past.

When you are standing in the middle of anxiety and fear bubbling up within then it is easy to get dragged down with it. To lose faith in yourself and your abilities.

When that happens focus on your breathing first to calm and clear your mind. Then look to the past for a bit of strength and confidence in what you can do.

Doing this helps me to go from feeling powerless to feeling like I am standing on firmer ground again.

9. Let the feeling in to let it go.

Sometimes an anxious feeling can feel sticky and vague. You don’t know exactly where it is coming from or what is causing it. It can be hard to get rid of.

A bit of an odd solution that has worked well for me in such situations is this:

When you feel a negative feeling then allow and accept that feeling. Don’t try to keep it out. Don’t try to fight it. Even though many of us have learned to do those two things to negative feelings throughout life.

Instead, this time, just let it in and observe the feeling in your mind and body without judging it.

If you let it in and just observe it for a couple of minutes something wonderful happens. First it may feel uncomfortable and more intense. But then the feeling loses power. It weakens. Often to the point that it just vanishes.

Because when you accept the feeling and let it in you stop feeding it with more energy (as you would when you tried your hardest to keep it out or to fight it).

10. Let it out into the light.

When you keep something inside of you then your head can become an echo chamber that magnifies and doubles the anxiety and fear in a situation.

So let it out instead. Talk to someone close to you about the situation at hand. Just venting to someone who will listen can help you to get a more grounded view on what’s happening.

Or the two of you can discuss it and help you to reclaim your power by making a small, intial plan for how you can reduce the anxiety about this situation by taking some kind of action.

11. Stay in the present moment.

Anxiety is often a fear of something you think will happen in future.

One way to reduce that anxiety is to simply stay with your attention in the present moment as much as you can. Perhaps you make a small plan in advance to help you out but you choose to deal with the anxiety-creating situation when it will happen. Instead of spending hours each day with imagining and fearing the future and creating monsters in your mind.

The breathing technique at the start of this article is one of the best techniques I have found for returning to the present moment when you get lost in the future. Another one of my favorites you can try is this one:

Take 1-2 minutes and focus only on what’s right in front of you.

Or around you and on you. Look at what’s right in front of you. Listen to the sounds around you. Feel the fabric of your clothes. Feel the warmth of the spring sun on your skin.

12. Remember: There is a brand new day tomorrow.

This reminder helps me when today or the last week may not have gone so well.

Because there will be a brand new day tomorrow. A day when you can begin again.

A day when you can take a new step to move towards what you want, likely having a bit more luck and when it will be easier to see that this difficult time is only temporary and not permanent (even if it might feel that way right now and create anxiety about the future).

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