Motivation

Do you ever feel like you’re surrounded by thousands of people passing you by, rushing to work, to school, or to their otherwise highly successful endeavors? All having a goal and eagerly applying their skills to succeed? All filled with energy and enthusiasm, plans and purpose – all, that is, except you? Sometimes motivation is a moving target, and we don’t always see the path clearly or realistically.

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How to Get Motivated in Life

There are many causes for the need for extra motivation. A lack of motivation may come after a major loss in one’s life. It may be following an illness, the loss of a loved one for whatever reason, or perhaps being terminated from a very good job, or even the loss of a goal or dream.

We may hit bottom in enthusiasm and in self-worth. Perhaps we begin to doubt our skills and our ability to thrive in the workplace. Often, we withdraw from friends and social groups, losing all motivation to make a new life.

If this is you, perhaps it is time to move forward! Time to get out and into groups where positive people congregate; time to get your life plans back on course. Positive people exude energy, happiness, and purpose.

The initial awkwardness of mixing with such a group will soon dissipate, and the contagious high spirits will be welcomed. This first step opens a world of hope, new friends, and new opportunities.

Need a little push? A little help from a friend can be such a lifesaver for us. We may need to let our need be known, and that’s okay! Don’t be too proud to ask to be included.

It is time to set goals, establish a routine, stimulate your brain with new interests, perhaps join a support group. Professional help may sometimes be necessary to get us going. It will be worth the effort to have a life of joy, motivation, generosity, and satisfaction. Don’t wait another day. Make a plan!

Philippians 1:6 “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”

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Depressed and Unmotivated

Statistics show that the pandemic has only added to the number of depressed and unmotivated people. Working alone from home, unable to join friends in a classroom, or parenting children while also burdened with this change of lifestyle has taken its toll.
Great care should be taken in families to make allowances for these added stressors. Getting outside for walks or cycling reduces stress and lifts spirits.

Being confined at home can give opportunities to teach and learn new skills such as cooking or dance or making videos. Involving every member of the family encourages camaraderie and lifts spirits.

Take time to share dreams with someone you trust. Seek their help in setting goals for which to aspire, to study, and to prepare. Having a partnership where each party grows enriches life. It also offers a better opportunity for the emergence of more hopeful and motivated individuals.

Remember, you are:
Braver than you believe
Stronger than you seem
Smarter than you think

James 1:5 “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.”

No Motivation To Do Anything

Why did I lose all motivation? I seem to have no motivation to do anything. Here are some common reasons for a lack of motivation: 

Avoidance of discomfort. Perhaps you don’t want the feeling of boredom when doing a mundane task, or perhaps you are trying to avoid feelings of frustration by dodging a tough challenge.

Self-doubt may have entered the picture. You are a procrastinator and have made lack of motivation part of your identity. You may feel overwhelmed and not know how to begin. Your resilient spirit may be hiding. You have not determined what you want in life.

Depression and lack of motivation are related but can be separate issues. Depression and lack of motivation are seen in many young people. If you are always tired and afraid to face the day, please seek professional health care. You can be helped by meeting with a mental health professional. Help is available.

Try making a list of the things you would do if you were motivated. This may stimulate you to try something. Or tell yourself you will do something for ten minutes to test it – and that you can quit if still not motivated. Treat yourself kindly, as you would if a friend had these feelings.

Make another list – a list of small things you need to do. Mark through them as you accomplish the task. This can serve to give you a take-charge attitude and give you a plan and then a feeling of success.

Fresh air and exercise work wonders to improve our mood and rid ourselves of feelings of depression. Getting dressed and meeting a friend for lunch beats a morning of robed TV on the couch.

Life is to be lived with anticipation of good things. Talk with family, a friend, a counselor, or a doctor if you are not improving. Remember, you are not alone – many are experiencing similar feelings. Remember – you are loved.

Remember – there is help available. Just ask someone to help you or go with you. Again, you are not alone. Let someone know.

John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”

May you know this peace of having Jesus in your life.

Too Overwhelmed to Get Anything Done

Moaning, groaning, weeping, cursing, crying! Do circumstances have you too overwhelmed to get anything done? With all the demands upon you, it is understandable.

Do you carry your own load as well as that of another? Are you weary and worn out? Are the chores and the bills, the dishes, and the laundry, piled high? Are you under-appreciated and overworked? No “thank-yous” coming your way? Seemingly no hope?

Take a deep breath. Be of good cheer. There is light in the darkness. Cry out to the Lord Jesus and trust him when he says he will help bear your burden and lighten your load.

Take it one step at a time. Get organized. Yes, we live in the real world. I have trouble functioning at my highest level when things are a mess: when calls have not been returned, when the house is in disarray, and my car needs a run through the wash!

But also, when it is a more serious concern as well as just a mess, I have learned to lean on Jesus. Not only is the weight of the load lightened from my shoulders, but clarity and order return to my mind. I can organize all the paperwork, load the dishwasher, throw in a load of clothes, hug the little ones, and still get a pot of soup on the stove. Some semblances of order return. The family is again relaxed. The tension fades.

God is a God of order. Not confusion. Now things are once again orderly – my mind clears. Joy has room to dwell and be shared. I can make plans, encourage others, love the one feeling unloved. Because I acknowledge the love that Jesus has for me. I am his. He wants me to have peace. It is then that somehow even I can be a blessing to others.

Don’t try to make it in this world alone. We all need a savior – and Jesus the Christ is the true Savior – throughout eternity. Throw your crazy, messy life into his hands. And see what victorious living is all about.

Philippians 4:6-7: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

How to Develop Motivation Skills

Motivation is what pushes us to achieve our goals and to feel more fulfilled and satisfied. Motivation improves our overall quality of life. It is important to know how to develop motivational skills.

Elements that make up motivation may include:

Personal achievements – the desire to succeed, to excel
Commitment – to a personal, organizational, or humanitarian goal
Ability to take initiative – make those goals happen
Resilience – the ability to bounce back and try again if initial plans fail.
Follow-through – the ability to critique results and analyze success ratio.

The ability to concentrate on goals as well as follow-through is essential. Being organized and able to manage time, while avoiding being distracted, bodes well for the committed and motivated.

Self-Motivation Techniques

Here are 5 self-motivation techniques:

  1. Wake up giving thanks for life itself. Say it out loud! Think of someone you love and are thankful for. And for God’s beautiful world where you live. Thank God for loving you.
  2. Drink a glass of water before you prepare breakfast. Clear your mind. Tune in to the day and start making plans for the day. Include something enjoyable like lunch with a friend or meeting someone for a walk. Always have plans, or plan to make plans. It is essential to have things to look forward to.
  3. Recognize that you are responsible for your motivation. Encourage yourself, groom yourself, compliment yourself, and expect positive outcomes.
  4. Take responsibility for yourself. Decide who you are and who you want to be. Circumstances will intervene but basically choose to be responsible, dependable, honest, fair, resourceful, kind, and agreeable. No one can do that for you.
  5. Accept the challenge. Take up the gauntlet.

Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

I Need Fitness Motivation

The need for physical fitness for high performance is perhaps the most popular subject online. The benefit of being physically fit is touted to improve mental health, social relationships, job opportunities, and to improve just about every aspect of our life. I need fitness motivation!

Gyms, spas, parks, and trails are within easy range of most of us. Workout videos, guided exercise, and stretching classes are available on TV and the internet for becoming fit in the home setting.

You may want to pay an individual trainer to guide, teach, and encourage you. Accountability is a great motivator.

Once a fitness program is a part of our life, the benefits come quickly. New energy refreshes us. Thought processes are quicker. Our spirits are lifted. The mirror reflects our progress. Why then are some people so quick to drop out?

It does take time. We must see the importance and then acknowledge the great benefits before we will make that a requirement of our day. Signing onto a class and being accountable to others may be the key that locks us in. Having an accountability partner may be necessary at first – someone who won’t let you cop-out.

Your body is a fantastically constructed container of life. Handle it with the care and concern you would afford a new Tesla. It was gifted to you for care and keeping.

I Want to be Motivated to Improve My Life But I’m Stuck

There are times when we get stuck with making plans, then redoing plans, then planning to rewrite those plans. We want to make changes in our life because we feel stuck, unappreciated, or unproductive. Certainly unfulfilled. At some point, we must step out and begin to put our plans into action.

Decide on two or three things you have identified in your life that need changing for you to conquer your world. Select one of those at a time to grasp, to own, and to execute. Change your overriding thought of I want to be motivated to improve my life but I’m stuck into the theme of the little red caboose of “I think I can, I think I can.”

Developing and following a schedule for the day is a great start. This is essential in my own life. Sleeping until noon does not energize nor motivate anyone. Set an alarm – only allow one snooze – then go through your morning schedule with enthusiasm – forced if necessary. Make your bed, shower, make a coffee, dress, eat a healthy breakfast, etc.

Take ten minutes for quiet time and to read a scripture. Allow for time to listen and just talk to God. Ask him to empower you for the day with a zest for living. Determine to see the beauty and opportunity that is yours for the taking. Call on your inner strength to show up and show off.

Looking our best, exercising, walking with purpose, and connecting with people are components of the desired zest capable of getting us out of ourselves. And it very well may get us unstuck. Actively look for another job if that is what is holding you back. Reconnect with people who are living an optimistic and generous life. Determine what you are missing.

What is your goal? What are your gifts? What is holding you back? We must identify the enemy in our life that is causing us to fail, causing us to be depressed. Allow freedom of your inner self that wants you to be joyous.

Remember Jesus came that we may have life and joy. We rob ourselves of all that is offered us when we do not claim the gifts from God that are ours for the receiving. Claim this promise and let it direct your life.

Phil 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

Psalm 139: 23-24 “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! “

How to Bounce Back and Get Going

After an injury, illness, layoff, or just a period of lackluster in one’s life, we may need a bit of help in knowing how to bounce back and get going again.

Perhaps you need to pause and take stock of what is going on in your life and determine how best to handle it. Have we just let ourselves be driven by circumstances rather than piloting the ship? Can we convert the inertia to a burst of joyous energy?

Recall your history of resilience. The times you have bounced back. Strategize on how to rebuild and recover. Be kind to yourself. You are not alone – seek help for feedback.
It is a sign of strength to know when you need help.

The development of resilience gives us the ability to assess the situation, take a calm and resolute approach, and make plans for renewal rather than collapsing – and then bounce back stronger and more resilient than ever.

Psalm 26:2 “Prove me, O Lord, and try me; test my heart and my mind.”

The ancient Greek moral philosopher Socrates wrote: “An unexamined life is not worth living.” Comparing where we are now to where we want to be is a beneficial exercise from time to time. Determine if you are on a path for the life you envision. Take time and expend effort to steady the course in order to reach your intended goal.

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” Colossians 3:23-24.

Are we still on course for the life we plotted with that verse in mind?

Lamentations 3:40 “Let us test and examine our ways and return to the Lord.”

How to Find Your Purpose in Life

Clarifying our thinking and strengthening our commitment can lead to a new sense of understanding how to find your purpose in life.

Being strong in purpose adds zest to our living and bounce to our step, culminating in the best life we were intended to live.

Being dependable in delivering what others may need, through the gift of purpose that is ours, will give a satisfaction and sense of fulfillment to each of us. We are all called to be kind – so I should be kind. We are all called to be dependable and truthful – so that should be a goal.

When we believe what Jesus Christ did for us, his Spirit enters and lives within us. From that flame bursts other pure and noble things into the world – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. And we find peace in knowing our purpose.

“The majority of us lead quiet, unheralded lives as we pass through this world. There will most likely be no ticker-tape parades for us, no monuments created in our honor. But that does not lessen our possible impact, for there are scores of people waiting for someone like us to come along; people who will appreciate our compassion, our unique talents. Someone who will live a happier life merely because we took the time to share what we had to give.
“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have a potential to turn a life around. It’s overwhelming to consider the continuous opportunities there are to make our love felt.” Leo Buscaglia, Professor at USC.

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