You know when you grind out your work faster than you thought you could? Or when you really dive into a new idea that you’ve been wanting to implement and you start working hard to perfect it? What about when you secretly cheer that you are fully booked with clients and think of all the ways to add value to their business?

When you feel business is going well, your motivation is probably pretty high too. 

Don’t you feel that flow? That natural want to GET. IT. DONE. 

It feels good, doesn’t it?

But you and I both know that motivation is not always the most consistent thing. There are days that you make stellar progress, and then there are days that seem to drag on forever. 

Here’s my question: If you could keep the momentum of motivation flowing, wouldn’t you?

4 Categories to Tap Into for Motivation:

Trust me, I feel that procrastination creep in day to day. I feel the other project that I’d rather be working on calling my name. Oh, and I feel that  3rd cup of coffee not doing its job. Below are four categories to tap into each day to keep that wheel of motivation rolling! 

Keep focused:

Staying focused sounds easier than it really is. My one tip is remove and lock up!

• Remove: remove all distractions. Have a to do list with way too many things on it? Remake it with your top 5 priorities for the day. Or are you working online in bed… in front of the tv? Set up a little space that is clutter-free, tv- free, and anything-that-would-make-you-want-to-procrastinate-free. 

• Lock up: I don’t mean literally lock up, but figuratively. “Lock up” or find a place separate from you, to set the items that are distracting. For me it’s my phone. Although a lot of work can be done on my phone, want to know what else is on my phone? Social media. Games. Youtube. Netflix. You get the picture. The folder for the other project I would rather be working on? Yeah that can also go with my phone to my kitchen counter where I will not touch them until I am complete with my original task. 

Visualization:

When you think of yourself as motivated, what do you see? How do you look? How do you feel? What are you doing differently?

• Visualizing yourself as a boss can help you decipher what it takes to be that person every day. This is a good technique to do each week so you can plan accordingly to fit that person.

• When I think of my motivated self, I am put together, organized and well rested. So I know that I want to get a good night’s sleep, organize what I need to do for the next day ahead of time, and when I wake up…. Guess what? I actually put on jeans. I dress how I envisioned my motivated self would.

Okay jeans are a little ambitious. More like a matching sweatpant-sweatshirt set. Same thing as biz casual, right? We’re in a pandemic. Don’t judge. 

Goal setting:

Similar to visualizing your motivated self, setting personal goals is a great way to stay motivated. PERSONAL goals- not business goals (although you should make those too, right now focus on you!).

• Set goals each week on how you want to feel, act, and what you want to accomplish.

• The goals you set don’t need to be structured like “get x,y,z, done asap”. Instead be gentler on yourself and focus on setting goals for your mindset.

• For example, set a goal (and a reward- Don’t. Forget. The. Reward.) that each day this week that whenever you feel overwhelmed, you will take a 10 minute break to breathe. Then you will make a list and reevaluate how you want to plan the rest of your day. 

Planning:

This is a no-brainer, but let’s be honest. Some days were not as planned as I’d like them to be. Those days the struggle was real! Planning leads to a more organized day. Here is a great planning strategy:

• Make a list of everything you want to get done this week. 

• Then prioritize the list- what is most important? What is priority?

• Make a new list with priorities ONLY! Have a separate list for the not-priority tasks.

• Only have your prioritized list out during the day! Divide it up into the days of the week and you can instantly see that what you need to get done is way more manageable now!

• If you are a speed demon, that’s when your other list can come in handy- if you want to work ahead, start on the other list but only after  you completed the first priority list!

Simple planning methods can greatly help you day to day. I encourage you to find a planning method that really works for you! Dividing up your work is a life-saver and can make it not as overwhelming as it  seems. 

Motivation varies, we all know that. But hopefully these four categories can help you find a more consistent flow of motivation. To be successful, it is important to check in with yourself often. It can allow you to evaluate what is working for you, and what limits you. 

Remember that not every day is not the same. Hopefully that can motivate you a little when you are struggling one day- have hope that tomorrow can and will be better. You know what to do: focus, visualize, set goals and plan!