Staying Motivated…
Devamlı uzun (ve sanki bitmek bilmeyen) bir yolda yürümektense beş adımda bir durmak ve ‘bunu başardım’ demek hem beni çok iyi hissettiriyor hemde ‘tamam, ben bunu halledebilirim’ diyebiliyorum.
Ve her ulaştığım bu minik hedefler ile kendimi ödüllendirmeyi seviyorum. Çünkü bu sefer kendimi ve başardığımı kutlayacak bir amaç oluyor. Hep demiyor muyuz daha çok minnettar olalım, halimize şükredelim diye. İşte bunu biraz daha eğlenceli kılmak için güzel bir an oluyor. Ama bu kutlamalar/hediyeler için (geçte olsa öğrendiğim en önemli unsur), seçeceğimiz hediyenin bizi amacımızdan uzaklaştırmadan, yolumuzda devam etmemize yardımcı olacak bir şeyin olması.
En mühimi ise gerçekçi olup kendimizi kandırmamak. Gerçekten ilerliyor muyuz, olduğumuz yerde duruyor muyuz, yoksa geriliyor muyuz? Biraz zor bir soru belki ama gerçekçi olup ona göre ilerlemek uzun vadede bize çok daha yardımcı oluyor. Ama bunu demişken kendimizi kırmadan, kendimize biraz şefkat göstererek ve (eğer yoldan saptıysak) ben nasıl yoluma geri dönebilirim diye sormak.
Birde tabii en basit öneri belki ama Pinterest’teki motivasyon alıntıları kimi zaman o kadar güzel işe yarıyor ki!
Biliyorum bunların hepsi aslında küçük oyunlar belki, ama sonuç olarak işe yarıyorlar - mühim olan da bu değil mi zaten. Mesela şimdilik bu ilk hafta benim için güzel ve verimli geçiyor, ama biliyorum ki bu yazdıklarıma benimde ihtiyacım olacak, ve yeri geldiğinde Pinterest’teki motivasyon tahtama bakacağım.
Since I decided to focus a bit more on myself and get back in tune with what makes me happy, I’m now working on making sure that those decisions are sustainable. And the main not-so-secret ingredient is motivation. We all know there is a vast difference between knowing something and applying it to ourselves daily. It’s easy to stay on track on a happy & sunny day, but what about when we’re stressed, having a bad day or simply just don’t feel like it? How do we stay on track and make sure that every step taken to that point isn’t moot? I wanted to share with you some tips on what helps me stay on track.
First, there is obviously focusing on the end result! But sometimes it takes a bit to get there, and not to get discouraged along the way, I like to set up mini-goals for myself. Easier to achieve, and say “yes, I accomplished this! Now onto the next.” These little steps help me keep on track, because the more I accomplish these small tasks/goals, the more I’m likely to believe in myself to reach that final goal.
And speaking of small goals, there is nothing more rewarding than rewarding oneself along the way! We always speak about being more grateful and appreciative of ourselves, our lives, and I think recognizing our accomplishments (as small or big as they may be) and rewarding ourselves accordingly helps keep us on track. Because you know there is always something good to celebrate out there.
But the most important thing is to be honest with ourselves. Are we really moving forward, staying where we are or even going backwards on our goals? It can be a hard thing to ask and answer, but the more honest we are with ourselves, the more it helps us out in the long run. Also remember to be kind to ourselves while being honest: it helps to be compassionate along the way.
Then there is the wonderful world of Pinterest, and the many motivational quotes that come with it. Sure this may be a cheesy suggestion, but let’s face it they do help, and it helps give us levity. Is there anything more true and funnier than the “you can’t make everyone happy, you’re not a jar of nutella” quote. Sometimes we just need to get lost in motivational boards and embrace the cheesy.
So, I know these are all small games that we play on ourselves, but they do work in the end. And isn’t that the most important thing anyway. If all of these small games help us keep on track to reach our goals, and keep us upbeat and feel like we can accomplish anything we set our mind to, isn’t it worth getting lost on Pinterest for an afternoon? I know that there will come a day where I need to look back on this post and remind myself how to stay motivated and if need be spend the day reading quotes.
And with that I leave you with: “remember that the reason you’re doing this is to make your life better”!