Falling at the Second Hurdle: Motivation Tips From A Fellow Failure

As I said in my first, and currently my only other, post to this blog I have so many plans for what I want to do with this platform. But what I didn’t say was that I’m incredibly lazy and can so easily get stuck in a rut meaning that these plans would probably go to waste within five minutes. And they almost did. But finally, finally, I’m here today to say I’m on it again. I may have tripped over the second, very high and difficult, hurdle but I’m back up now and trying to get back on track (see what I did there?).

I know I’m not the only one who struggles with this, “this” being maintaining motivation whether that be in your hobby, work or just general life, so I’ve took my struggles and tried to create something that can be helpful and overall just better than falling and feeling sorry for yourself.

So here are five little tips that I’ve found have helped me to keep going and what I use when I need motivation, just for you:

1. Music

Music is something that helps enhance any emotion you could possibly be feeling. Whenever I want to feel good, say if I’m getting ready for a night out, I turn to a cheesy, upbeat pop playlist. Likewise, if I feel like a good cry after a long day but it just won’t happen, I turn to the selection of songs that just hit me every time and afterwards I feel much clearer and calmer. So naturally, when I need a little motivational boost the easiest and simplest thing for me to do is turn to music. Anything upbeat, catchy with lyrics that I know and love can lift my spirits, making everything seem easier and helping me to push on through any block I have.

2. Other People

Whether it be an Instagram post of someone’s “busy morning”, success stories in a magazine or just listening to the people around me I’ve found that seeing other people being productive and simply just doing stuff, I feel more inclined and more wanting to do the same. I hate that moment when I’ll be talking to a friend, relative or colleague and they ask “so, what have you been up to?” and the only answer I have is a shrug. “Nothing, really” I’ll say. Although it doesn’t matter what people think of you and you should be free to spend your time how you want, I can’t help but feel a little embarrassed for myself in this situation and I want to avoid that as often as I can!

3. The Past

Similarly, when I look back at how I’ve spent my time throughout my life I often get a little bit… disappointed with myself. I have wasted so much time over my nineteen years on this earth and that normally hits me all at once. Often as I’m trying to sleep (thanks, brain!). Hindsight helps you see so much and with me that’s often the time I wasted on Youtube or just sitting still when I could have been writing, reading, socialising, exercising, working, learning a new language, juggling… The list seems endless when you’re looking back, but in that moment it seems like doing nothing is the only option. And that is okay, once in a while. But looking back on my wasted time encourages me to try my hardest to make the most of the time I have now.

4. The Future

As well as looking back, I also like to think about what is ahead of me. Like everyone, I have so many plans about what I want in order to achieve the ‘dream life’ but none of them are easy to come by. That thought alone is normally something that can make me want to hide back under my duvet, return to the perpetually angry thirteen year-old I still am inside and whine “what’s the point?!” But it can also have the opposite effect, if I’m able to flip my mindset. I don’t have time to waste when I think about it. There’s so many things I could be doing and working on in order to get to where I want to be in my career and overall just well-being that I always have something I can do that is more productive than watching reruns of Come Dine With Me (which you should still do by the way. In no way am I saying you should not watch Come Dine With Me, because you should. Just in moderation).

The Future also helps motivate me because as I said previously, looking back on all my wasted time is such a downer and I want to prevent that as much as I can. So by working and being productive now, I save future me the hassle of looking back and being upset. You see? Timey-whimey stuff you can do at home!

5. Pictures

…Of anything. Quotes, sunny beaches, parties, my friends and family. I’m really interested in photography and am obsessed with taking pictures of anything I can and looking back on the pictures I’ve taken myself of my friends and family, the fun and good stuff we’ve been up to helps remind me that no matter what I think I do have people out there that care about me, or at least have done in the past, and although I have spent a lot of time sitting still I have done so much and made so many memories. My phone background, something I see on a daily basis, is currently a collage of pictures of me and my nearest and dearest. I know this sounds completely random, like “wow, cheers Rachael for this amazing piece of information” but hear me out. I see this on a daily basis. That means a daily, hourly and on occasionally sad days, minute-by-minute, reminders of how lucky I am, how happy I am and have been, the people around me and the things I’ve done. So when I am feeling low or not motivated in the slightest, I look at my phone or the various images around me and feel lighter and better about my situation.

So there you have it, that’s some little tips from me to you. I hope this helps you, I know these come in handy for me a lot.

Good luck with whatever you’re working on!

Speak soon,

Rachael