There are some days when it feels impossible to get motivated to focus on your business tasks. Yet in order to achieve your goals, motivation is essential. Without it, nothing is accomplished. Responsibilities and tasks pile up. Life becomes overwhelming. Motivation becomes more elusive and harder to find.
However, with a few simple strategies you can find that motivation every day. (I am sharing seven here.) Even doing only one of them will help. Try all seven and you’ll find yourself revved up and ready to go on a regular basis!
Understand what will keep youmotivated
Some people are motivated by a sense of accomplishment, other people are motivated by praise, and still others are motivated by money. It’s possible you’re motivated entirely by something else. Understanding what motivates you will help you to stay energized. When you’re feeling unmotivated, you can tap into that desire and get the kick-start you need.
For example, if you’re motivated by money, you might kick-start your day by doing something that earns a profit. Consider looking at the task(s) you’re facing differently, thinking how they may generate income (or make an impact etc.) By connecting the task to an outcome that is important to you, you will complete the task with greater enthusiasm.
In this rush, rush, busy, hurry up world of ours, it is easy to get into overwhelm. Sometimes it feels too hard to stop and spend some quiet time to relax, unwind and find your center. And yet, this is crucial. It is in creating that space that we allow ourselves to feel at peace.
I am often called the “Queen of Busy” because I am a mom to 3 active kids, a business owner, a wife and I also teach communication classes in an MBA program and yet, I rarely feel overwhelmed . So how does the “Queen of Busy” stay out of overwhelm? I start my day by creating a space for peace. I get up early and I start my day sitting in my hot tub. I start my day relaxed and spend time to create my thriving mindset by setting intentions. This allows me to decide how I am going to experience my day. We each get to CHOOSEevery moment of every day and how we respond to what is happening to us. I choose to respond in a positive way that allows me to stay connected and focused on how I was to feel and what I want to achieve.
Values are a key component of how we think, what we believe and how we show up in the world. When you create you life and business based on what you value, you experience greater connection and passion.
What is Important to you Changes on a Regular Basis
Interestingly, your values can also be a window into how you are feeling on a particular day and thus what is important to you right at this moment. So for fun, take a look and share what are the first 3 words you see. Are you surprised? OR did they reinforce what you already know is going on for you right now. Share what you see and your reaction to it. Consider how you might use this as you move through your day. ENJOY!
I invite you to change your thinking about work/life balance because I think it is an unattainable myth.
Yep, that is right. Work/Life balance is a Myth.
There I have said it. Yes, I know it is one of the most universal sought after ideals. It is not just in North America but it is listed as one of the most important issues around the world. Everyone is seeking work/life balance.
Ah, but does seeking something automatically mean it is attainable?
I say “No!” At least not the way most people are going about work/life balance; as a “to-do” item and another thing that needs to be accomplished. There must be some secret out there to achieving it and if I try a little harder, I will achieve it also. And the game begins trying to find the secret to work/life balance.
There are plenty of people trying to sell you the secret
Everywhere you look there is a magazine article or someone else telling you “The 7 Ways to Achieve Work/Life Balance.” Again another “to do” item and boy, does it feel stressful. Not balanced in the way I want you to feel. What if we looked at balance as a “to be” item and that balance meant feeling a sense of harmony? Now we are getting somewhere that feels a little bit better.
I am not against balance per se but I think there is something much better
I just don’t think that being in balance is good enough. Once you get the seesaw of life “in balance”, something comes along to push you back out of balance. This kind of balance is static. It is a tenuous place to exist and people often are in a place of striving when trying “to balance it all”. So, I invite you to say, “the heck with balance, let’s thrive!” Now thriving in work and life is exciting and allows you experience your work and life in a way that is dynamic.
What exactly does thriving mean?
Thriving is a term we hear a lot about these days. Thriving according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary means “To grow vigorously and/or to progress toward or realize a goal despite or because of circumstances.” “Despite of” or “because of circumstances”; isn’t that another way of saying “life”. So thriving allows us to do our best work and experience our best life. For years I have talked about Thriving and I like to add that when you are thriving, you are able to take risks; you are able to make mistakes and have “do-overs” so you don’t need to be perfect.
Thriving allows you to think and grow from a place of abundance and possibility. Sometimes thriving means slowing down and nourishing yourself as a plant often does in winter. Thriving is a way of Being instead of a way of Doing and it allows room for peace and harmony to co-exist with mistakes and messiness. All the while supporting you in moving forward toward your goals. And by first “being” you can be more successful at taking action and “doing”.
How do I start to thrive?
If you are ready to thrive, I invite you to visit me here again as I write about tools, topic and tips to help you keep moving forward, because that will create success.
So, back to our myth that work/life balance is attainable. I hope you have decided that work/balance as another “to-do” item is no longer something you desire. I invite you to go beyond seeking balance to a creating harmony so your work and your life will both truly thrive.
Thought I would do something fun for today, the 23rd of the month. Here are some reasons why 23 is the greatest number of all time as stated by www.urbandictionary.com I changed # 8 to It is Tennis Day because that is important to me (see my blog post on “Why I am addicted to Professional Tennis”) and #12 because, come on, we all need to celebrate International Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day. Enjoy!
Here are 23 Reasons why 23 is the greatest number: It is…
1. a prime number, as are 2 and 3.
2. Michael Jordan’s number.
3. the NBA record for most consecutive points scored by a single player in a game, done by none other than Michael Jordan.
4. the number of chromosomes in a human sperm or egg.
5. the angle between the earth’s magnetic and rotational axis.
6. the Tropic of Cancer at 23 degrees N Latitude.
7. the Tropic of Capricorn at 23 degrees S Latitude.
8. Tennis Day
9. the most quoted Psalm in the bible (“The Lord is my shepherd…”
10. the number of people executed in “A Tale of Two Cities”
11. the smallest number of people for which there is at least a 50% chance that two will share the same birthday.
12. International Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day
13. one of the “Lost” numbers on the television show….also the sum of two of the other numbers (8 & 15)and the solution to 42-15-4=23, all of which are also Lost numbers.
14. the number of times Caesar was stabbed in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar.
15. has been prominently featured in the following: Serendipity, Futurama, Star Wars A New Hope, Monty Python The Life of Brian, Seinfeld, The Big Lebowski, The Matrix Reloaded, and Die Hard III among MANY MANY other movies.
16. the number of flavors Dr. Pepper claims to be a blend of.
17. the number of distinct orientations of Tetris pieces.
18. the sum of U2, the greatest band ever. U is the 21st letter of the alphabet.
19. the number of letters in the latin alphabet.
20. the number of the Illuminati.
21. the letter W in the english alphabet, a letter with 2 points down and 3 points up.
22. the smallest number of integer sided boxes that tile a box such that no two boxes share a common length.
23. the only US president to serve between nonconsecutive terms of another president (23rd president Benjamin Harrison serving between Grover Cleveland’s terms).
What do desktop clutter, wrinkled clothes, overflowing email boxes and troublesome relationships with friends and family have in common?
They’re all tolerations, the little and big things we put up with– often without realizing it– that sap our energy and drain our spirit. Every time we tolerate something, we deplete the energy we could be using to grow our business or make desired changes or to simply experience happiness.
It’s like living with a low-grade fever or pain that somehow dulls our experience for life.
When am I going to get to all that paperwork? Zap!
Ughhh. I wish I could get through all my mail. Zap!
My computer just froze again– the third time today. Zap!
Limiting Beliefs
At the root of our tolerations are a variety of limiting beliefs that immobilize us. For example: “I can’t take the time.” “That’s just the way it is.” “Don’t rock the boat– play it safe.” “Don’t complain or be too demanding.” “It’s not that important.” “I have no control.”.
There are countless different limiting beliefs, yet they all serve to dampen our life force and keep us playing small. And, boy, are they exhausting!
If we are committed to creating work and personal life that is balanced and fulfilling, if we intend to fully express our unique gifts and be of service, it is necessary to consciously evaluate and eliminate the tolerations standing in our way.
Here are some ideas on effectively doing that:
Appraise:
Make an honest appraisal of what you are tolerating in each of the areas of your life: environment, health, work, money, relationship and so on. Write down everything that annoys you or that you feel you are putting up with. You will likely come up with at least 100 of these tolerations!
Choose:
Based on your values and goals, you get to choose. What will you say “no” to? “Yes?” Make certain the “yeses” really excite you. Commit to making them real!
Plan:
With the support of your coach, friends or family, develop a strategy for eliminating these tolerations. You don’t have to do this alone– in fact, it’s more fun to collaborate or create a support team.
Verify:
Create accountability around your goals, with specific deadlines for eliminating tolerations. How many and which ones will you eliminate each day?
Evaluate:
Examine each underlying limited belief that has kept you enduring these things. Again, get support to help you break through them. You may be so close to some of these beliefs that you can’t fully recognize them for what they are.
Appreciate:
Take an honest look at what you are getting out of keeping things as they are. There is always some kind of payoff for whatever is happening in your life. Who in your life– or what part of you– does not want things to change? Appreciate that person or part, and try to find ways for it to be win-win for all concerned.
Request:
Remember that complaints are usually unspoken requests. What requests do you need to make?
As you eliminate tolerations, you will feel the joy of being at choice, an increase in your vitality and a sense of empowerment. Then YOU will find yourself in the driver’s seat … and won’t that be a beautiful and worthwhile ride!
We are all leaders at one time or another and in order to be a good leader. you must lead by example. When your actions are aligned with what you say, you become a person others want to follow. However, When you say one thing but do another, you erode trust, a critical element of productive leadership. Here are 10 of the dozens of ways to lead by example.
1. Take responsibility:
Blame costs you your credibility, keeps team members on the defensive and ultimately sabotages real growth.
2. Be truthful:
Inaccurate representation affects everyone. Show that honesty really IS the best policy.
3. Be courageous:
Walk through fire (a crisis) first. Take calculated risks that demonstrate your commitment to a larger purpose.
4. Acknowledge failure:
Acknowledging failure allows you to learn from mistakes and defines failure as part of the process of becoming extraordinary.
5. Be persistent:
Try, try again. Go over, under or around any hurdles to show that obstacles don’t define your company or team. Moving forward, despite of or because of obstacles is the definition of thriving.
6. Create solutions:
Don’t dwell on problems; instead first look for solutions and then look again.
7. Listen:
Ask questions of yourself and others. Seek to understand. You’ll receive valuable insights and set a tone that encourages healthy dialogue.
8. Step into Your Greatness:
Identify and own your skills, talents and uniqueness. Encourage an atmosphere where you can focus on your core strengths and help others to do the same.
9. Take care of yourself:
Exercise, don’t overwork, take breaks. A balanced team, mentally and physically, is a successful team. Model it, encourage it, support it!
10. Roll up your sleeves:
Be willing to do the work that needs to get done. Like Alexander the Great leading his men into battle, you’ll inspire greatness in your company.
These are just 10 of the many ways that great leaders can lead by example. What have you been inspired to do by a great leader?
Yeah! The calendar has flipped over, and it is the beginning of a new month. You may feel excited at the possibilities. You have so many plans to create change in your life-time to get fit, get the desk clear and your schedule completely on track. Then a few days pass and you miss a day of working out or eating right, or you don’t have time to handle all of your paperwork so you begin to feel behind. You begin to feel like you are right back where you started. Oh well, there is always next month…
NO! Why do you need to wait until the 1 shows up on the calendar again? You can start ANY day of the month. In fact, you can start today if you want. When I recently decided to make a change in how I was eating, I jumped right in on the 10th of the month instead of waiting. There are just 3 things you need to do no matter what the number is on the calendar:
Determine the feeling you want as a result of the change
Make a commitment to make the change
Identify your first steps
How will your life change?
For any change to be meaningful, it needs to make a difference in your life. The best way to determine that is to consider how your life will improve as a result of taking action. Will organizing your schedule allow you to have more time with your family? Will you feel more connected to your work if you create a plan? Will you have a greater sense of security if you meet a certain financial goal? Whatever it is you want to change, you want to connect it to something meaningful for you.
For me, when I decided to change how I was eating, I at first thought it was just to lose weight. When I truly looked at how my life would change if I lost the weight, I was able to connect to a deeper meaning for me. Losing the weight meant greater sense of movement and ease with my body, a great sense of control and also confidence. I wanted my mojo back 🙂
How committed are you to making a change?
Here is the moment of truth. On a scale of 1-10, how committed are you to doing whatever it takes to make the change? If you are not able to state at least 8 as your level of commitment, then perhaps this is not the right goal. You will need a certain amount of resources in terms of time, perhaps money and knowledge or expertise. Are you able to commit the needed resources? If not, again this may not the right time for this particular goal.
You need to Make A Plan
Now that you have identified how you will benefit from reaching your goal and you are committed and able to make the change, it is time to make your plan. It is important to set the goal as a project to be achieved. This is accomplished by having the end in mind, having milestones to measure your progress and breaking your goal down into smaller pieces. You can read more about the exact steps here: http://bit.ly/successfulprojects.
So, no more waiting until the 1st of the month to get started on any of your goals, you can start today. What are you going to change and how will it change your life?
You can feel it in the air as the nights get cooler and the days get shorter. It is that sense of anticipation; anticipation for the Holidays, for the new season and for the New Year. A New Year brings a sense of new beginning, of “starting over” and possibilities abound. However, before you go rushing into the New Year, STOP and take a moment to give Thanks. Yes, a simple thank you can help you move you forward with greater ease and flow.
Time to Give Thanks
This week, in the United States, we are celebrating Thanksgiving, holiday dedicated to giving thanks. However, often in the rush to make the perfect turkey, “handle” the relatives’ visit and watch the football games, you may miss the opportunity to reflect on what you are grateful for; to review what is working in your life and to create a space for Gratitude. Yes, create a space and process for gratitude. The process of being grateful is one of the secrets of the super successful.
Simple but Not always Easy
No matter how you say it; being thankful is one of the simplest acts to do while also being one of the most difficult places “to be” at times. Practicing gratitude makes it easier. So let’s all practice saying it,together now, “Thank You! Gracias, Merci, Danke, Toda, Grazie, Arigato, Takk and Spasibo.”
Feels good huh!
The Connection between Happiness and Gratitude
Did you know that there is scientific research of the effects of gratitude on happiness? Robert Emmons, a Professor at the University of California and a leader in the area of Positive Psychology, wrote a book called Thanks!:How the New Science of Gratitude Can Make You Happier. Studies were performed on thousands of people by a number of different researchers around the world. These studies showed that gratitude is one of the strongest contributors to happiness and meaning in life. In addition, gratitude has been shown to strengthen people’s social relationships, improve people’s physical health, and motivate people to act in ways that enhances the quality of their moments, days, and lives. Makes “Thank you” all the more powerful, huh!
Working the Gratitude Muscle
Now you might be wondering, “Are there ways to increase my ability to be grateful?” Why yes, there are. I mean, we can all say “thank you” when life is going well, business is booming or someone is being kind to us. This is one of the first things we teach our children, right. All parents tell their children “say _________” whenever they are given something. So you probably have that down and say thank you all the time. Hmmm…. No? Have you forgotten to say thank you for all your blessings lately?
Write it Down
One of the easiest ways to increase gratitude is through writing in a gratitude journal and using it consistently. Some people like to write in the morning so they start their day off in gratitude; others like to end the day writing all that they are thankful for. Either way works; just be CONSISTENT.
If you are stuck and are not sure what to write, here is a simple way to start: Set a timer for two minutes and just write. Don’t stop yourself to think, just write and let the words flow out of you. If the timer goes off and you have more to write, keep going. You can begin by just filling in the blanks. And it can be as simple as this:
I am grateful for my bed I slept in last night
I am grateful for my children
I am grateful for this cup of coffee
I am grateful for having a business that allows me flexibility and choice
Now you try: Just fill in the blank: I am grateful for ____________________
GREAT!!!
This works when you are feeling super thankful and in the flow. And guess what, it REALLY works when you are not so happy, when you are feeling frustrated, when you are not so thrilled with the way your life is going. This is when you need to really sit in the place of gratitude for what is working, for what you do have. It is out of this space of gratitude that new ideas and new energy and new forward movement will happen.
Going Inside to be “Great-ful”
By now you understand the importance of giving thanks for things that you have. If you are like most people, that gratitude is usually for things external; meaning things or people outside of ourselves. So I want to shift gears a little and talk about being “GREAT-FUL” or full of great. I want you to look inside and see what makes you great so that you can be in gratitude for your own greatness. Wow – that is a whole lot of Great!
So how do you that? Well, I want you to take a moment and step into your own greatness. We all have it. It is my belief that every person is born with innate greatness and either forget it or you just plain take it for granted. And if you have taken it for granted, most likely you have not been thankful for what makes you unique in a while. Now is the time to change all that.
Time to Own Your Greatness
“Greatness may take the form of a great endeavor, or it may manifest as a fullness of life, a living out of one’s Essence self. Essence is neither a place nor a time, an insight or a state of mind. It is the deepest part of our nature, an actual presence that is innate and inborn. Absolutely everyone has the capacity to be great, but few notice or own it.” Jean Huston
WOW! I agree with Jean. Everyone has innate greatness and yet fewown it. So, how about we change that right now. What is your inner greatness? I mean what are you REALLY good at? Perhaps you feel uncomfortable tooting your own horn. Now is the time to put that discomfort aside and toot away. You may be taking for granted something that makes you unique.
Begin here: what skills or talents did you use today? Did you listen well to your friend, spouse or friends? Were you patient with someone? Perhaps you inspired someone? Did you tell a great story? The list can go on and on. In fact, I invite you to make that list for yourself. When you do, you will be just scratching the surface of what makes you great.
What do others see as your Greatness?
Sometime over the next week or so, ask five people in your life what they see as your strengths. This works really well if you ask five people from different areas of your life (work, home, friends, committee members). Don’t be embarrassed; just ASK. Then listen and take in what they say. This is how you are showing up to others. Some of what is said may be old news to you; maybe you hear it all the time. Are you listening? Are you fully using your talents to support yourself and others? Perhaps you heard something that was a surprise to you; let that in also. Reflect upon what about hearing it surprised you. Our greatness is often at our core and we don’t value it because “that’s just who I am.”
The World needs Your Greatness
It is that, “Who I am” which makes you unique and the world needs your greatness. Yes, YOUR greatness. Imagine for a moment that all those around you mentioned kindness as one of your strengths. What if, all of a sudden, you did not honor kindness and showed up to those people as unkind. Imagine the impact! Imagine how your interactions would change because you were not honoring what makes you great. Take a moment and look at some of the strengths on your list and imagine showing up tomorrow without them. Feel strange and uncomfortable?
Why am I making a big deal about noticing and honoring your own greatness? Frankly, because the world needs your greatness right now. You just imagined how things would change without your unique greatness. This is true for every person in this world. You have the ability to change someone else’s life simply by being who you are. Here is a simple experiment to prove it. All of us can smile. Some do it easier than others but I know you can all do it. Go out today and smile at everyone you pass by, perhaps even say hello. Notice what happens; just notice. You will effect change in others.
The Gratitude Journal re-visited
Now that you know that you are “full of great”; how about we take another look at gratitude by revisiting the gratitude journal. Powerful tool. Now, when writing in your journal, not only include what you are externally grateful for; also include what skills, strengths and talents you are grateful for. When you recognize and honor them, they will flourish and support you even more. This will in turn make you happier, more productive, healthier and with greater meaning in your life.
A Challenge for You
So you can really receive the full benefit of having a gratitude journal, I have a challenge for each of you, should you choose to take it.
Here is the challenge: Write in your gratitude journal and send a brief note to me at sue@thrivingentrepreneur.com saying “I wrote today” every day for 30 days. At the end of 30 days, you will have a consistent behavior AND you will receive a gift from me. Statistics show that only 3% of you who are reading this challenge will take action and do this. It is those 3% that will truly benefit. Will you be one of the 3%? If not, what is holding you back?
I am thankful for you
In closing; I want to express my gratitude for you. I am gratefu for being able to write about and teach ideas which help inspire and transform people. I am grateful to know that as people grow and step into their greatness, they connect and touch so many more people in this world. I am blessed to do the work that I love every day and I am grateful for my clients who are brilliant and offer such gifts to others. And finally, I am grateful that you spent your time reading to the end of this article. THANK YOU!
