1 January 2023
We’ve got so used to having busy lives and always being on the go, that it become easy to forget how taking time for ourselves and spending time with others can help keep us motivated. It stands to reason, that the very lives we lead can take a toll on our concentration and focus without us even realising.
We may find we’re motivated when it comes to work, but not say, exercise. Or we may start a new project around the house full of enthusiasm, only for it to inexplicably drop by the wayside.
One thing is certain, being motivated is a quality we all seem to want. Basically, it’s the desire to do things. It’s deciding what we want out of life and finding the energy to make it happen. Motivation is what gets you up and out of bed in the morning, pushing you to go for a run, work on your business or prepare a healthy meal.
If motivation is so important, then why do some many people struggle to find it? There are many reasons why we don’t always manage to do the things we want. In our pressured lives, we are constantly juggling the many demands on our time – work, Zoom calls, family, home, etc.
Keeping on top of all the details in our lives can leave us feeling as if there is never any time to focus on the things we want to do. Or, when we do have free time, all those pressures make it difficult to focus on taking the action we want.
When it comes to making changes in our own lives, whether it is a personal project (such as writing a book or decorating the bedroom), living a healthier lifestyle, controlling anxiety or achieving professional ambitions, we first need to understand how this is important to us and what has stopped us from achieving it so far.
Setting clear goals is the first step to improving motivation. The right goals make us feel excited and confident we can achieve them. As we recognise ourselves succeeding at the goals we have set ourselves, our confidence increases. We then become more willing to commit to new challenges. In this way, motivation creates more motivation. Over time, this helps us to change our old habits and improve our sense of achievement and satisfaction. For more, have a look at https://www.blossomhypnotherapy.com/creating-self-confidence/
When I work with clients who want to be more motivated, we work together to develop the skills and strategies they need to achieve what they want. We look at the beliefs and patterns holding them back and how they can change them. Together, we find way to make goals clear and easier to achieve. We also look at improving self-confidence and assertiveness skills, so they have techniques in place to support them to make changes that last.
Check out https://www.blossomhypnotherapy.com/how-to-have-healthy-habits/
It’s possible to take action to become more motivated.
Take Maria, for instance, a 33 year old manager who was working long hours from home. Her life centred around work and she was struggling to find time and energy for other areas of her life. She felt constantly drained and couldn’t motivate herself to do anything after working all day.
We worked together to identify how worrying about continually proving herself at work was taking a toll on the rest of her life.
Together, we created a plan to improve Maria’s work-life balance. With support, she gradually implemented strategies to introduce activities that energised and supported her.
In Maria’s words,
Celia really helped me to understand why I was experiencing the feelings I described to her. She gave me the tools to understand myself and why I was acting and reacting the way I did. It really helped me to normalise everything.
As well as the hypnotherapy, Celia gave me tools to use in everyday life and I find myself using these regularly to keep on top of my emotions. I’m so much more motivated now and have energy to do the things I want.
Celia would always adapt a session based on what was needed that week. As a result, after a handful of sessions I felt equipped to tackle all of my triggers.
If this sound like you, https://www.blossomhypnotherapy.com/how-to-stop-being-a-people-pleaser/ can help you.
Sustaining motivation can take time. Each step can be learnt and built upon. By taking these steps you can start to live your life on your own terms.
If your goals don’t represent what you truly want, they’re difficult to achieve. Knowing what you value provides direction. Once your values are clear you can focus your time and attention on what’s important to you. Try this exercise to help clarify your values.
Find a quiet and comfortable place to sit. Close your eyes, take a few deep breaths and relax. Pretend you’re in a favourite place where you feel totally at ease. Now imagine you’re ninety years old and you have lived a long and full life. What did you most enjoy experiencing and doing? What did you most appreciate accomplishing or having? Write down your answers. Now relax and take yourself back to your favourite place again. This time you are your own age. Imagine you have a rare illness that has no symptoms but you will only have six months left to live. What do you want to experience in that time? What do you want to change, do, and have now? Write your answers. Now compare the two sets of answers. Take both lists and order your values from the most to the least important.
For more on values have a look at https://www.blossomhypnotherapy.com/why-values-matter-what-ive-learned-from-covid-19/
The values at the top of your list are the experiences, qualities and principles you’d most like to have in your life. To achieve them you need to set goals. Goals are what you you want to achieve. It helps to think about what you want to devote time and energy to in your life? Is it consistent with your values? Is it something you can start here and now?
Next start with one goal and think of the specific steps you need to achieve your goal and make your plan. A plan will start with a clear and realistic goal that is important to you, and a list of the resources you will need and how you will access them. Focus on small steps to take to meet your goal. If your goal is to run 5k, your plan will start with finding running shoes, running for five minutes, building up to running for longer, finding a running partner, etc.
Your imagination is a powerful tool which you can use to motivate yourself. Imagine you have already achieved your goal. How would you feel, look and behave? How would other people respond to you? When you have a clear picture of what you want and the positive feeling it will create, start thinking about what steps you need to take to achieve it. Focusing on positive feelings improves motivation and helps you plan.
For more on your imagination read https://www.blossomhypnotherapy.com/how-can-hypnotherapy-help-me/
If you find you can’t motivate yourself for an activity just try and do a small part of it. So, rather than focusing on eating healthily all the time, focus on eating one healthy meal or snack. Rather than thinking about writing an essay, focus on writing the first sentence.. You may find its more enjoyable than you thought, and want to do more. If you don’t, it doesn’t matter. Tell yourself “I have taken the first step towards my goal”. Recognising and rewarding your action will help improve your motivation to do more.
Would you like to make living life easier, right now? Get your free Live Life on Your Terms recording here and begin to live your life with confidence.
Back to blog listing
You can use the link below to book your free telephone consultation, for any other enquiries feel free to leave me a message