I Just Don’t Feel Like It
By: David Freund, Chief Leadership Officer

Let’s face it. Some days it’s just tough to get going. Perhaps the weather is gray and overcast. There might even be some rain. Maybe you are stuck with a group of negative people who are sucking the joy out of life. You know the type, you see them coming and you run and hide. The world is filled with these purveyors of pessimism just waiting to remove all joy and hope from life. They have chosen to be whiners but you can choose to be a winner. Whiners want to feel good before acting; winners do the right things and thus act their way into feeling positive.

It’s not that winners are better people they just have a happier more productive life because they have chosen to. They have identified the things in life that motivate them. They are self-motivated and everyone around them can see it. Just as a plant needs that perfect environment to grow and flourish we need do identify and create our own motivating growth environment. Here are actions you can take to create the ideal environment and stay motivated:

• Keep good company – We addressed this in the last few episodes of The Next Page podcast, but it so true. We are who we associate with the most.
• Keep learning– We are most energized when we are learning new things. Anything will work. Even learning about our hobbies, etc.
• Stay positive – Develop your own daily affirmation statements. Identify positives in your life, write them down, and read them each morning. This allows you to train your minds to look for the positives rather than to succumb to the purveyors of pessimism.
• Just do it – Stop over thinking and just act. You need victories not reasons of why not to do something. The Law of Victory is followed by the Law of Big Mo (momentum) for a reason. Once you get started, everything is easier.
• Feed your inspiration – What music energizes and inspires you? As I am writing this I am listening to the Canadian Brass because it Inspires me. What books speak to you? Find those energizers and build them into your day.
• Get enough rest – According to the National Institutes of Health, the average person gets less than seven hours of sleep. While this sounds good, it’s not, we actually need seven to nine hours of sleep. Routinely getting less than seven hours of rest is a recipe for sleep deprivation. You can’t find motivation, creativity and clarity when you are exhausted.
• Track your progress – Be the subject and the scientist. See what works for you and track your progress so then adjust accordingly.

These are just a sampling of the many things you can do to get yourself back on track and stay motivated. Be sure to listen to this week’s episode of The Next Page podcast as Marisa and I look into this subject in greater detail. We will discuss even more tools you can use to be a Self-Motivated.