How to motivate yourself and remain productive

Motivation is the only great type of fuel you need to keep going. No matter how great your ideas are, how brilliant your plans, how exquisite your strategy, if you run out of fuel, you will fail. So, motivation is the key. But motivation never lasts, that’s why it is recommended to be consumed on a daily basis. One boost of motivation once a year, most usually because it is fashionable to make a New Year’s Resolution, means nothing.

You may have a big picture of how your business or your plans should look like, but you can never have a “picture” of all the daily little guerrilla fights you have to put up with in order to be successful in your business.

Also, don’t forget about productivity! Productivity is highly influenced by your level of motivation. Each day is unpredictable. Apart from what you plan to do on paper, a hundred other little things might happen that you never planned for, and never even wished for. These things can have a strong impact on your motivation and, thus, can directly alter your productivity for the day.

It is a very tricky business to keep motivation and productivity balanced and on high. That’s why you have to come up with some great tactics. We studied the behaviour of the most successful business people and came up with 7 tactics that you can always use to boost up your confidence and productivity:

Wake up early and work out: Very unsurprisingly, isn’t it? We all have been told that the early bird catches the worm and it is correct. Waking up early gives you a sense of “beginning” a new day, puts you in front of everyone else and, you will see, gives you satisfaction in the long run. Welcoming the day with a full smile and a light workout session gets your blood running and your high spirits on. Setting up a routine that is easy to follow will prove very useful in the long run.

Take breaks: There are always tense moments during the day. It is very important to be able to disconnect from them and go out of the office, take a walk or just lay down and free your mind for a few minutes. Let your mind wonder, let it be free. You will see you will feel better afterwards.

Don’t be too hard on yourself: We all makes mistakes. Don’t be too hard on yourself when you make them. Don’t dwell on that guilty thought, blaming yourself for something that is already done and gone. This Mistake is one of the biggest deterrents, the biggest enemy. It can lower your motivation level in a matter of seconds. Once you’ve made a mistake, be done with it and go on with your plans for the day. Don’t let it spoil all of them.

Celebrate achievements, no matter how small: A task done is a task well done. Yes, no matter how small your accomplishment is, give yourself a prize. Go get a drink, or a 10 minutes break or buy yourself something nice, you know it. But it is important to celebrate every small task you’ve done in time and as planned. Don’t go from one completed task to another without a simple, but good celebration. Learn to celebrate yourself and your work. At the moment, it might not look great, but in the long run, it sure plays a very important part.

So what? : This is not really the safest tactic in the list, but when everything else fails, you can try it. It is a very good and empowering thought. Why? Well, there are periods when everything seems to be falling apart and fear, tension, stress start creeping in and you end up doing mostly…nothing because you are afraid to not make it worse. But most of the times, doing nothing is worse than anything. In those tough moments, remember that nothing is really important, that as long as your life is not in danger, as long as you have something to eat, somewhere to sleep, there is always hope. If you cannot land that deal, if you are on the verge of losing your business, so what? The world will not come to an end. You will dust yourself off and keep going or start again. But most important, don’t be afraid!

Read and educate yourself: It is very important to always keep an eye on your goal and an eye on yourself and your development as you’re reaching that goal. Never forget about enriching yourself, not only your business. This way you will feel a sense of total achievement.

Don’t take your eyes off the road: You are driving the vehicle of your life, your business, yourself. Never forget to keep your eyes on the road, on your goal. Your final goal is where your motivation should come from.

We’re sure there might be other tactics and tricks to keep you on track, but start with these and see if any improvement is on the way. In the end, all you have to do is to believe in yourself and in your goal. Do it using the 7 tactics explained above. Safe journey!

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