5 tips to staying motivated

Working for myself and being able to do it from home is fantastic.

But there are some downsides of course, and one of them is a lack of motivation on the odd
occasion. The surf might be calling or the kids hollering, but you know you need to bunker
down and keep working. After all, that thing called ‘income’ is kind of important!

So in this article, I’ll share 5 tips that I use to motivate myself when lack of motivation
strikes.

Everyone has their own way of pumping themselves up on days when you struggle to get
going, but here are some of the things that I like to do when I feel a little unmotivated:

1. I read an old email from a satisfied client, a valued colleague or a supportive friend.
   They always seem to put a smile on my face and motivate me to get back to work.

2. I re-visit my business goals or dreams and really take a moment to think about what
   they mean to me. I focus on how I’ll feel when I achieve them and that’s usually
   enough to get the blood pumping again.

3. I grab the nearest picture of my loved ones and remember why I’m working so hard
   towards a certain goal. I think about how proud they are of me. This then motivates
   me to get cracking again. After all, there’s nothing more important than family.

4. I look at my last mortgage statement. That always motivates the hell out of me!

5. I write a motivational statement at the top of each page of my diary.

Think big and re-ignite your motivation
In regards to tip number 5, I read a brilliant book a little while ago called “The Magic of
Thinking Big” by David J. Schwartz. Schwartz uses proven methods to show that you don’t
have to be highly intelligent or have innate talent to attain great success and satisfaction.
What you do need however, is to adopt the habit of thinking, believing and behaving in ways
that will get you there.

In short, there were so many positive and motivating tips in the book, that I summarised a
whole bunch of them into a list. When I bought my new diary for 2009, I wrote one positive
statement at the top of each page to read at the start of my working day. And believe me, it
works a treat.

So next time you find yourself lacking a little motivation, try one of the suggestions above to
get you back on track. After all, most of us don’t bound out of bed every single day yelling
“C’MON!!” and pumping our fists in the air like Anthony Robbins.

Steve Manning is a freelance copywriter who works with businesses and agencies to create
compelling copy for websites, brochures, print ads, direct mail, newsletters and more.

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