You Can’t Expect To SUCCEED If You Only Put In The Work On The Days You Feel Like It
10. Jump Out of Bed – Begin your day with a flourish and that intensity can follow you the rest of your day. Give yourself a great reason to get out of bed every morning, then attack the day with a high level of passion and intensity. Every day holds at least one exciting thing. Ask yourself, “What will today’s be?”
11. Use Measurable Objectives – You can accomplish any goal by breaking it down into a series of smaller steps. Set a long-term goal for yourself, then create milestones to measure how close you are getting to achieving it each day, week and month. Mark your milestones down on a calendar and hang it somewhere that you will see it each day. Celebrate victories and course-correct when you fall behind your objectives.
12. The Power of In-TEN-sity – You can do anything for 10 minutes, right? Whenever you are feeling tired, beaten or worn out, or are facing an unpleasant task, commit to working intensely for just another ten minutes. Usually, by the time the ten minutes are up, you will have found a new solution or something else to inspire you to keep going. Pushing yourself to get started can give you the momentum to push past obstacles.
13. A Mighty Oak Comes from a Tiny Acorn – Remind yourself that the small tasks you perform each day are leading toward your ultimate objective. Focus not just on what you are doing, but why you are doing it. What will be the long-term result of the thousands of tiny short-term tasks you perform each day? You can motivate yourself during the “small stuff” by thinking about how they will shape you as a person.
14. Always Be Grateful – Say “Thank You” more often than you do now. People appreciate it when you appreciate them. Being grateful creates humility, and humility leads to grace, which is a fullness of the heart. By practicing gratitude until it become second nature, the list of things in your life you are grateful for will grow larger each day. Gratitude is also the opposite of complaining. So being positively grateful, you can avoid the negativity of complaining.
15. Use Internet Research to Make Yourself Better – One of the greatest things about living in the 21st Century is that you have access to virtually unlimited resources right at your fingertips via the Internet. During free moments, go online to look for motivational blogs, forums, articles and other resources you can use to get tips on living a happier, more productive life. Bookmark the places you like best so you can return to them whenever you need inspiration.
16. Prep for Success – Whenever there’s a big job ahead of you, get ready by doing all the advance work you can ahead of time. Gather the tools and resources you will need and set them into place so they are ready when you need them. The very act of preparing can reduce the anxiety of being unprepared. Plus, you will be able to dive right in and get started without stalling when it’s time to get the job done.
17. Clarify Your Thoughts by Giving a Speech – It often helps to work through a problem by pretending to give a speech on the subject. This requires you to frame the problem in a recognizable structure: Outline what the problem is, what’s causing it, what are the possible solutions, and which solution you recommend. Not only will it help you find ways to work through problems, but you will already be prepared whenever somebody asks your opinion on the subject.
18. Make It Easy to See Your Goals – If your goals are hidden under a pile of papers or stuffed into a drawer, it will be harder for you to stay focused on them. Make your targets highly visible: Print up colorful signs or write them on Post-Its and leave them around your workplace, car and home. Set up your planner to send you daily reminders to keep you focused. Do whatever you can to keep your goals in the forefront of your attention.
19. Don’t Forget to Relax – Nobody can succeed if they are stressed out and anxious all the time. Take an occasional “breather” by using deep breathing techniques to relax your mind and body. Inhale deeply and slowly through your nose, then exhale slowly through your mouth, pushing all the air out of your lungs. Repeat this three times and the additional oxygen it pushes into your bloodstream will help you relax and achieve mental clarity.
