Everyone lacks motivation at some point, but if your lack of motivation and procrastination habit negatively affect your life, it’s time to make a change. Find out what it takes to stay insanely motivated every day.

Have you heard yourself saying:

“I really should be doing that,” but then end up doing something entirely different, wasting time
Or “I know what to do, but I never end up doing it.”
Or “I am so lazy and constantly procrastinate and just don’t get anything done!”

We’ve all been there, and the truth is, if you accept these things as your routine, the consequences could have quite a snowball effect on your life!

Identify the Facts:

• You studied, pulled all-nighters, and had specific deadlines back in school.
• Knowing you could have failed classes and not graduated made you push through. You were driven to succeed because of this.

Now, this pressure is no longer there, you’re comfortable, you’re not as motivated, and you procrastinate frequently.

You may find yourself guilty of the following scenarios:

• You planned on working out every day, and despite best intentions, it didn’t happen.
• You would like to get more done in your day, but you continuously procrastinate and get little accomplished despite long To-Do lists.
• If you work from home, you might find yourself frequently in front of the fridge instead of getting your work done.

It’s time to nip procrastination in the butt for good, and boost your motivation!

6 Tips On How To Stay Insanely Motivated

1) Listen to your inner dialogue

Procrastination comes in two forms.

• Starting a task is hard. You may think, “Who has time to exercise when so many other things need to be done!”
• You’re getting distracted while working on a task. For instance, when you bought food for meal prep, but then… you realize that it’s already late, and you want to watch your favorite Netflix show.

Both patterns have a similar thought process:
You tell yourself, “I need to get started on this.” You feel stressed. You feel an urge to do something else, so you tell yourself, “I’ll get started soon, but I can spend 5 minutes doing this one thing, and then I’ll get back to what I need to do.”

What’s a good-hearted procrastinator to do?
Try this next time you find yourself facing this never-ending cycle. When you’re about to start a task, and you hear a voice in your head telling you, “check your email, it might be important!”, or “just a quick look at Facebook,” tell yourself you can resist the urge, and the urge will pass!
But just to be sure, use this small tip: I always put my phone on silent and flip it over just in case, so I don’t see messages coming in and become tempted to respond.

2) Do you really want to change?

Setting yourself up for success involves a powerful exercise in visualization. First, picture your life one year from now if you continue on your current, unmotivated path. It’s a daunting image, right? Remember, this isn’t about self-criticism; it’s a reality check. Ask yourself: does this path align with your aspirations and the future you envision for yourself and your family?

Now, switch perspectives. Visualize the positive transformation one year from now if you start making changes today. Imagine sticking to your goals and persisting through challenges. This vision can ignite your motivation to embrace and maintain the positive changes you desire in your life!

Here is a good example:

You want to start exercising every day for 1 hour, but you never do. Take your journal or any notebook and write the following:

1. Why do I want to start exercising (what are the benefits)?
2. What things keep me from starting (such as feeling overwhelmed by too many chores or wasting time doing pointless things)?

3. What positive result do I get if I start?
4. What would happen if I didn’t start?
5. What difference would this lifestyle change make in the lives of the people I love?
Whether it be exercising more, feeling less stressed, having more energy, losing belly fat, or toning up… think of what it is that you really want to change!

3) Don’t try to be perfect

Success doesn’t come from what you occasionally do but what you do consistently!

Start with small, doable steps that will be less overwhelming. For example:
You plan to take Pilates 3 times per week. You feel like you’ve already failed because you haven’t stuck to that before. Let’s change that mindset to HELP you achieve your goals instead of overwhelming you and driving you away from them.
Instead, start with 3 minutes per day. I know that doesn’t sound like much, but over time you will develop a habit, which is the most crucial part to get started.

I created an exercise series just for this kind of habit-making called “The Ultimate 3 Minute Workout, which consists of short videos with 3 exercises, each of which can be done in 3 minutes. Go check it out!

After you have become more consistent in your new, doable habit, gradually increase your time up to 30 minutes 3 x per week.
It doesn’t sound like much, BUT it’s a massive step in the right direction. You can always do more, but you have to get started somewhere. Be open-minded and keep working on baby steps until they become a real habit.

As I always say: “Strive for the ideal and not perfectionism.”

4) Recognize when it’s time to declutter

Feeling stuck and overwhelmed might lead you to question the point of it all, choosing TV over hitting the trails. When you reach this level of stagnation, it’s time to declutter your life actively. This doesn’t just mean tidying up your closet. It involves streamlining your to-do lists, trimming school obligations, and reducing work functions. Simplify your commitments to create space for what truly matters.

Ask yourself these 2 questions:

• What would I do if I only had 30 minutes for exercise or meal prep today?
• What are the activities that would give me energy today and benefit my goals?

Start asking those questions and see what things you can eliminate, minimize, or delegate that don’t serve you to reach your goals.
Here are some ideas to get you started: Leave work 30 minutes early to go exercise, grab your family and play a game, have the kids or husband chop the vegetables while you exercise, and laundry can be a family activity or delegated.

5) When is the best time for your best work

Does your day start something like this:
You get up and drink your coffee while checking your email, but then you also want to see what’s going on over on Facebook. Later you realize you’ve spent hours in an endless loop of procrastination instead of doing what you set out to do.
It happens to us all, but a sure-fire way to change that pattern is to determine your best time to get work done. It might be in the morning before all of the distractions, or in the evening when the bulk of chores are done, everybody is different.
Block all distractions and get started. At first, you may only last 10 minutes, but over time you will be able to do more and for more extended periods. That is how habits start so don’t give up and give it your best effort!

6) Get an accountability partner

Most of us rely on external motivation for tasks we find less appealing. That’s exactly how we made it to high school graduation, isn’t it? So, actively seek out someone with a positive mindset who helps you achieve your goals and holds you accountable. Take, for example, a workout buddy. Meeting her every morning for a walk at the same time works wonders for motivation. You know she’ll be there, rain or shine, regardless of your mood. This knowledge that she’s counting on you significantly boosts your inclination to go.

Remember: The small things add up little by little and create enormous effects in the long term.

Are you looking for an accountability partner? Then reach out to me and tell me how I can help you today.