Tips For Staying Motivated When You Need a Boost

When navigating fluctuating circumstances in life, sometimes your energy levels and motivation can take a dip. Maybe you are feeling burned out, or maybe you feel like your effort isn’t translating into the results you’d like to see.

As ironic as it is, these are often the moments where it’s most crucial to kick yourself back into gear. Afterall, the difference between victory and failure often comes down to giving your best effort when you feel the least motivated.

#1 Reach Into The Cookie Jar

The “cookie jar” usually refers to moments where you far exceeded expectations and accomplished something extraordinary. As much as these moments can provide you with a spark of pride or confidence, in this case I am actually using the term to refer to the opposite.

Sometimes it helps to have a few trigger words or situations to refer back to when you feel like you need a boost—reminders of habits or versions of yourself you don’t want to fall back into. It could be something simple, like a time when you were struggling financially or had to rely on someone else because you weren’t on track.

Thinking back on these things doesn’t have to have the same negative effect it might have had on you at the time. You no longer have to identify with them as being a reflection of who you are. But you can still use them to propel you forward, to prevent slipping back into the positions you worked so hard to transcend.

#2 Use Others As Inspiration

The beauty of social media is that you are able to have access to people from all around the world, and of all different positions in life. Folks that you might not see on an average day walking around in your community.

One of the best sources of motivation can be to recognize that if you work hard, you too can be in a spot similar to those you admire.

Think of all the professional athletes who came up watching their favorite sports teams only to go on to play in the same league themselves. If it wasn’t for the players before them showcasing the right way to do things, chances are they wouldn’t have made it to where they are today.

#3 Count Your Blessings

No matter what your position is in life, chances are there are things within your situation that you are taking for granted. We are all guilty of that sometimes.

When you take time to intentionally promote gratitude, it tends to boost your overall energy levels. And if you feel like you have nothing to be grateful for just go back to #1 on this list and reach into the cookie jar. Think back to the time your community was out of power for a few days when you had a tropical storm. Or the time you were sick with the flu and couldn’t get out of bed for a few days.

When you regularly take time to list the things you are grateful for, what you will realize is that your life is far greater than you probably realized. Maybe you were so caught up looking at everyone else that you overlooked the beauty of your own situation. And with that can come the enthusiasm to get back up and keep living.

#4 Reflect on Death and Old Age

One of the benefits of living in an area with a lot of older people is seeing firsthand the long-term effects of regret and resentment. It becomes clear that the effort you put in now shapes where you end up later.

Minimizing regret is a common source of motivation people talk about online. It’s something that gets me out of bed in the morning and keeps me focused when I feel like taking it easy.

#5 Take Your Health into Consideration

Keeping your health in check can be one of the most important reasons to stay motivated. And when I say health, I mean mental, physical, and financial.

When motivation and focus slip, it often shows up in habits. Drinking too much soda and not enough water, consistently getting poor sleep, or neglecting your finances can all lead to problems that build over time—physically, mentally, and financially.

The earlier you recognize this, the more suffering you can avoid in the long run. By maintaining an active, healthy lifestyle, you’re not only improving your day-to-day life, but also setting yourself up to stay in a good position moving forward.

Thank You For Reading

Thank you for taking the time to read this article. I hope it has served you well. Please continue to stay motivated, and stay healthy.