“Let us make our future now, and let us make our dreams tomorrow’s reality.”
It’s natural to daydream as we envision the future. Of course, everything is perfect. We’re more in shape, we’ve accomplished all our goals, we’re more grounded and at peace, we’re content, all our relationships are thriving–the list goes on. But why cant that future be now? That’s what this quote by, Malala Yousafzai, is about. Why not “make our future now,” and “make our dreams tomorrow’s reality?” Let’s try our best to live our future today.
“Only put off until tomorrow what you are willing to die having left undone.”
This quote is by the legendary painter, Pablo Picasso. It serves as a great reflection on the things we choose to put off, or procrastinate. Yes, there are things we can’t possibly get done in one day. Even if we work on them all day, we may need more time; and completion may have to be “put off” until tomorrow. However, we can still use the day to make progress. So imagine the thing(s) you constantly put off never getting done–Period. Next, consider how that makes you feel. Are you willing to live with that possibility? If not, that means the thing (or those things) you put off deserve more…
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“Happiness is a choice, not a result. Nothing will make you happy until you choose to be happy. No person will make you happy unless you decide to be happy. Your happiness will not come to you. It can only come from you.”
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“The more you lose yourself in something bigger than yourself, the more energy you will have.”
Sometimes motivation is hard to come by. The drive and energy that inspires us to action are completely gone. So, we’re left with fatigue, a dull spirit, and a whole lot of procrastination. We’re more prone to think of our goals as something we’ll get to in the future, instead of something we can work on now. An unmotivated feeling can last a few minutes to a few hours, days, weeks, and even much longer. This quote, by Norman Vincent Peale, reveals an effective technique to being more motivated and energized no matter what. The trick is to orient your goals as something bigger than yourself. Reflect on how accomplishing…
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“It’s only in our darkest hours that we may discover the true strength of the brilliant light within ourselves that can never, ever, be dimmed.”
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“Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.”
Too many of us are not living our dreams because we are living our fears.
You have a dream or life goal that’s constantly being pushed off for later. Perhaps it’s to go somewhere, see something, or do something. But you just don’t feel ready to take the plunge. This quote, by Les Brown, reminds us that what typically prevents us from chasing our dreams is fear. Basically, we’re not living our dreams because we’re living in fear of all the things that could potentially go wrong if we do go for it. And so, in the words of Langston Hughes, it’s a dream deferred. Fear prevents it from ever coming to pass. Therefore, instead of living our fears, which is a more natural thing…
The Problem of Perfectionism and “Product” Goals
Recently, I was talking to a friend about goals. We all have them. And if you don’t, get yourself some. But I digress…As we were sharing our goals, she asked me a simple question about one of mine. She asked me when the book I’m working on will be published. I had no response. Even worse, I hadn’t given enough thought or planning on it to know the answer. The truth is, I feel like it’ll never be done. The finish line seems so far in the distance that I sometimes forget it’s there. I actually stop moving toward it. The truth is, I often go months at a time…
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“It isn’t the mountains ahead to climb that wear you out; it’s the pebble in your shoe.”
“God will not look you over for medals, degrees or diplomas but for scars.”
“Stop beating yourself up. You are a work in progress, which means you get there a little at a time, not all at once.”
Motivation Part 3: Top 3 Ways to Get Past Wanting to Do Something to Actually Doing It
We’ve now gotten almost halfway through the Motivation Staircase. In Part 1, we defined what Motivation means; and in Part 2, we used that understanding to move from “I won’t do it,’ to I can’t do it,’ to ‘I want to do it.’ The question now is how. Knowing how to do something is important, as it creates a boost of confidence that motivates you to do that thing. However, it’s just as important to know how to start and continue. How do you get past wanting to do something to actually doing it? The following productivity strategies have motivating elements to them. Therefore, they increase your productivity and motivation…
Motivation Part 2: Increasing our Positive Motivation
In Motivation Part 1, we realized that at the heart of motivation are these definitions: 1. “…to want to do a specific thing more than we want to do anything else at a particular time,” and 2. “what we would rather do than not do (20). However, even with these clearer definitions, we can’t get anywhere if we don’t get past the first two obstacles to motivation: “I won’t do it” and “I can’t do it”. These also happen to be the first two steps on our Motivation Staircase. How can you increase your positive motivation? If you’re not at step 3 yet, begin by asking yourself why you won’t…
Motivation Part 1: Why We Should First Understand What Motivation Actually Means
There are countless motivational speakers, books, sayings, and support groups aimed to motivate us to start, stop, or continue something. So, it behooves us to ask the question: what is motivation? Motivation Staircase Before we begin, below is an illustration that’ll be referenced in each post in this Motivation series. The picture presents motivation as literal steps that go from having no desire to do something to getting it done. Looking at the image and the title of this post, one might say a basement should be added. That would be correct. We’re literally and figuratively starting from the very ground up when we ask ourselves: what is motivation. Why…
Procrastinator? This Is For You
If you clicked to read this with some level of intrigue, you may have some procrastinating tendencies. But you might find relief in knowing that everyone deals with procrastination–even people who you think are always on top of things. So this is for everyone. This is for everyone who wants to increase their motivation, do more, and have fewer to-do list items hanging over their head at the end of the day. This is for everyone who doesn’t want procrastination to control their life today or their future. It’s all about not letting procrastination take over your life so that you can actually live your life. There are really only…
Step 1: Motivation. Step 2: Climb
Talking about addressing our emotional, physical, and spiritual wellbeing without discussing Motivation would be a big miss. It’s like saying how food is cooked without mentioning any source of heat. Or explaining how a bowling ball hits a strike without saying anything about it being pushed by someone or something. Or how about this illustration: Imagine being stuck in a deep dark hole. There’s no ladder in sight and it seems like there’s no way out. But there is a way out. It so happens that certain actions result in a rung of a ladder to appear. With each action, another step is formed, enabling you to not only climb…
