2021 is truly flying by now — I can’t believe it’s August already! It’s summer holiday season in the UK right now, albeit without the usual numbers of people jetting off to their favourite resorts. Are you taking a break this month before the ‘back to school’ vibe of September? I love the feeling of renewed purpose and opportunity at the start of a new school year, even though it’s been quite a few years since I was at school or university. However, I know that for some people, this year has been rather tough, and they are struggling to stay focused and positive. If that sounds like you, here are some top tips you get you back on track.
Whatever your goals and dreams are, to stay motivated and positive you need to connect to the ‘why’ you’re doing something in the first place. If you think you could use a motivation boost ready to step into the second half of the year in style, here are 5 of my go-to motivation hacks to try!
- Get yourself into a state of gratitude. You can’t feel two opposing thoughts so by focusing on what you feel grateful for rather than the challenges you face, you’ll raise your energy. A positive and grateful frame of mind is a MUCH better place to start from if you want to feel motivated than a place of negativity or resentment. If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed with work, a little sprinkling of gratitude will have you thanking the universe for the abundance of work in no time!
- Connect to your goals with a vision board. Do you have a vision board? If you do then this is the time to use it, to remind yourself of your life and business goals and get totally obsessed with smashing them. If you don’t have one, then get started on yours today. It should be filled with images of the rewards you will have when you smash your goals, so perhaps an abundance of money, time with friends and family, a newer car, or a holiday. Use your vision board to truly visualise what it will feel like when you have smashed a goal and have that reward. If you don’t connect to your goals, it’s very hard to stop yourself just plodding through tasks without care or consideration for the bigger picture.
- Learn to recognise tiredness and procrastination and be honest with yourself. Sometimes a lack of motivation really is caused by the early stages of burnout, when you’ve been so busy keeping your head above water that you are exhausted. At other times your lack of motivation is caused by a failure to connect with goals or the absence of inspiration. Learn to listen to your body and then be totally honest with yourself. Do you need an afternoon out of the office, or do you need to put your phone away and focus on your ‘why’?
- Use any motivational tools you can get your hands on — your favourite song, motivational videos on YouTube, even a look at an Instagram account which truly inspires you. Whatever it takes to help you focus and remember why you want to put the hours in in the first place.
- Have an accountability partner to help you stay on track even when you come across challenges. This can be a business partner or bestie, or perhaps even a coach, whoever you know will be there in times of need. This is SO powerful and so often their support will help you get right back on the horse if you’re having a tough day.
I really hope these tips will help you find motivation and achieve everything you dream of. Whether you use them for your work or business, a side hustle, a health goal or just to stay positive during the pandemic, I know they work for me. I’d love to hear how you get so please connect with me on Instagram or Facebook to let me know! You can also listen to my podcast Tara Talks for more nuggets of mindset, positivity and productivity wisdom!
