Most of us have days when it’s difficult to move into effective action. A basic formula to get moving is to articulate some objectives, and then take some baby steps toward them. When I’m in the doldrums, I put this motivation formula into play with a three-step process:

1. I write in my journal about my longer-term goals, as well as my key objectives and barriers to overcome over the next few days. I might ask myself what I’d need to accomplish to make this a really good week.
   
   
2. I collect any relevant notes or documents, and get away from distractions, perhaps by heading to a local restaurant or coffee shop. Then I make a new, comprehensive “to-do” list, noting every project I can think of.
   
   
3. I schedule blocks of time in which to speed through as many items on the list as I possibly can. In the first two hour block I might start with 30 minutes devoted to reorganizing my desk or office. If a key project is too big to rush through, I identify simple actions – like phone calls or emails – that can move it forward in a small way.

I find that this ritual often generates enough momentum to turn things around. Challenging myself to race through tedious tasks helps me work through my negative attitude. Then the satisfaction from making a little progress is very reinforcing – once I get going, it actually becomes fun.

Here are additional strategies for motivating yourself:

• Become your own role model. Forget your limitations and fantasize about the kind of highly motivated person you’d like to be. Imagine a heroic version of yourself and visualize the way your hero self would get things done. Then look for small ways that you can act more like the heroic you.
  
  
• Motivate somebody else. When you’re feeling bogged down, a good way to recharge may be to make a sincere effort to motivate another person. If you find a way to offer support or a helpful pep talk, you may find that your own energy will rebound.
  
  
• Try the 5% solution. Get out your journal or a piece of paper and complete this sentence: “If I bring five percent more purposefulness into my life today I will _____.” Rapidly complete that sentence in at least five ways. Review the results, and decide on a strategy for bringing just a little more purposefulness into your life today. Repeat that process for a week, and you may significantly change your sense of purpose.
  
  
• Create structure. When your motivation flags, assure progress toward your goal by creating support systems. For example, a trainer or workout buddy might help you stay on your fitness program, and a coach may help to keep you moving toward a career goal. When coaching yourself, lay out a timeline and commit to reaching certain milestones by specific dates.
  
  
• Hold out rewards. Prizes and awards can be great motivators, and you may keep yourself motivated by using the same technique. The key is to identify little treats you actually want. It could be like a massage, an afternoon off or just a guilt-free coffee break. Then cut a deal with yourself to provide the treat once you’ve achieved a milestone.

Below is a brief book review and a link to that book at Amazon.com. Other helpful books and Amazon links are found on Bev’s website. If you buy any book by entering Amazon.com through Bev’s site it will contribute to the cost of distributing Bev’s Tips, and be much appreciated.

“100 Ways to Motivate Yourself – Change Your Life Forever,” by Steve Chandler, Revised Edition, 2001.

This may be the book for you if you’re looking for quick ideas about ways to get motivated. This isn’t an in-depth discussion so much as a quick list of techniques for turning around your defeatist attitudes. Chandler borrows strategies from some of the masters and distills them into simple ways to jumpstart your energy and sense of purpose.

Among his suggestions, Chandler urges you to try “visioneering.” In other words, he says that you should create a vivid mental image of the reality you would like to create. He says that “you won’t do anything you can’t picture yourself doing.”