Rather than writing about new year's resolutions, I thought why not write about motivation. According to the dictionary, motivation is the general desire or willingness of someone to do something. More specifically self -motivation is our internal drive to achieve, develop, and keep moving forward. Self-motivation is encouraging yourself to continue making progress toward a goal even when it feels challenging. Below is a list of suggestions that remind us that action is what leads to motivation.

1. Practice daily gratitude. Gratitude increases your feelings of abundance. Gratitude can also increase your energy level. Expressing gratitude helps make you more creative which can deepen your motivation.

2. Create empowering beliefs. Change your negative self-limiting beliefs by focusing on your self-talk. Practice daily statements that increase your self-confidence. Catch yourself when you think negatively about yourself and transform those thoughts into empowering thoughts.

3. Set realistic goals. Try practicing SMART goals by Peter Drucker. To make sure your goals are clear and reachable, each one should be:

• Specific (simple, sensible, significant).

• Measurable (meaningful, motivating).

• Achievable (agreed, attainable).

• Relevant (reasonable, realistic, results-based).

• Time-bound (time-limited, , time-sensitive).

4. Spend time outdoors. Going outside and being in nature is a great way to take a break. Being in nature is a wonderful way to boost your energy and feel refreshed when returning to your tasks. Researchers have found that being in nature helps reduce blood pressure, reduces stress, and simply makes us feel happy.

5. Create an action plan. Focus on writing down your goals and create steps to accomplish your goals. Make your action plan visible so that you can refer to it often, especially when things get challenging along the way.

6. Focus on your accomplishments. Pay attention to your process and take mindful moments to notice what you have completed rather than what’s left to do. Celebrate your success which can increase motivation and refocus your mind.

If you are needing help, please consider setting up a free phone consultation and we can discuss how therapy can be helpful.