You’re midway through a project, and you’re losing interest. Your motivation is waning and it’s about to go out the window. That’s a helpless feeling, right? We have all been there! How do you stay motivated, so that you’re able to stay on track through the remainder of the project? Here are 5 tips that I’ve used. If you’re losing your motivation, give these 5 tips a try…

1. The first thing you need to do is to visualize your success.

Before you take another step, visualize yourself at the end of the project with everything accomplished to satisfaction. Why? Because “visualizing” yourself succeeding helps your mind believe that it can – and will – happen. So if you’re caught up in thoughts of failure, you’re already likely to crash and burn. Likewise, if you see yourself at the finish line, with the project completed, you’re much more likely to succeed. Keep a positive image in your head, and keep going.

2. Next, stop worrying.

If you are like me, worrying is something I am ‘hard-wired to do. But I have found (the hard way) that the more you worry, the more you derail not only your motivation, but any energy and enthusiasm you still have for the project. 

To stop worrying, you’re going to have to look critically at what you’re doing and ask yourself if there are things you can change. If so – change them. If not, then let them go. Something that I recite to myself over and over is The Serenity Prayer. I was introduced to this prayer many years ago when my son was hit by a car. (He was a bit bruised but not seriously injured ~ Thank Goodness!)

God, grant me the serenity to ACCEPT the things I cannot CHANGE,
Courage to CHANGE the things I CAN,
and the WISDOM to know the difference.”
                                                       ~The Serenity Prayer

Motivated people don’t allow themselves to get caught up in worry. Instead, they make a habit of looking to the future instead of dwelling in the past or present.

3. If you intend to stay motivated, then you need to be consistent in action and set positive goals.

Motivation fades when it is neglected. Be sure to keep your energy and motivation focused on where it will do the most good (on that important project, perhaps). Keep moving forward!

That means checking your motivation levels daily and then taking action to keep those levels up. Even if you’re taking the weekend off from work, you should take at least a few minutes to think about your project, and remind yourself that you’re looking forward to jumping back in on Monday morning. That keeps motivation and interest high even when you’re not working.

For a step-by-step guide on how to set S.M.A.R.T goals, read our previous blog, 5 Steps to Setting Solid Business Goals. Always remember that goals will guide and direct your behavior, provide clarify, reflect on what’s important to grow your business, help improve your performance, and give you motivation to succeed!

4. If you’re still having trouble with motivation, check to see who’s hanging around.

Is there lots of negative energy around you? Try to surround yourself with only positive people, who are also highly motivated, especially when your motivation needs a boost. Positive energy is contagious!

5. Lastly, keep a positive environment where motivation can thrive.

Listen to music that motivates. Use positive affirmations, read motivational books or listen to podcasts that make you want to jump right back into your project. A lot of our motivation comes from feeding ourselves with a steady diet of things that motivate.

Medicine Net posted an article with some good (and simple) examples of positive affirmations. They suggest repeating the affirmations every day for at least 5 to 10 minutes per day. Writing them down a few times can also be helpful. They have found that the best times for affirmations are in the morning, before going to bed, and during stressful or negative situations. Be creative and make your affirmations into posters or sticky notes.

Staying motivated doesn’t have to be an impossible task. Paying some attention to the details will keep you on track as you work and help you to get to the finish line. Be mindful of what you’re doing, and try to surround yourself with a variety of positive influences. This will help you get to where you want to be!

Here’s to getting (and staying) motivated!

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