Alright… I’ve got a confession to make…
I’ve heard that admission is the first step to recovery, so here goes:
My name is Justin, and I’m addicted to motivation! There – I said it!
Wait… That’s not a problem.
Seriously though, I am on the motivation train. I mean heck, I’ve been known to do some motivational speaking myself.
The only issue I have with motivation is that it’s fleeting. It comes and goes like the wind. Sometimes you got it, and other times you don’t.
The problem with that, is most people only produce or take action in the direction of their dreams when they’re “motivated.” You can see why that’s a problem.
Should you address the issue of learning to take action even when you’re not motivated? Definitely!
But, another thing you can do is learn how to create motivation when you need it.
There are some strategies you can use to get motivated anytime you need to be. To learn my top 3 strategies, keep reading.
How to get motivated any time
Have a power playlist
I’ve yet to meet a person yet who’s said that they hate music. Not a one.
Music evokes emotion. It has a way of impacting our mood in an instant.
The good news about that is that inspiring music can put us into an inspired, hyped up state.
You know exactly what I’m talking about. I know you’ve had one of those moments when you were dog tired or just not feelin’ it, when one of your favorite hype songs came on.
What happened?
Admit it! You got fired up. You started signing the song and moving your body!
In other words, you got motivated.
That’s the power of music. So my first recommendation for how to get motivated is to create a power playlist.
A power playlist is a collection of your favorite songs that get you hyped up any time you hear them.
Are you an Eye Of The Tiger guy or gal? Does hip hop do the trick? Or maybe you’re a sucker for some classic rock like me.
Go through and compile a list of your favorite hype songs and create a playlist. Then, anytime you’re feeling unmotivated, bust that bad boy out and crank up the volume!
One key thing to make sure of in order to make this effective is, don’t listen to these songs on a regular basis.
If you do, the songs will lose their impact.
So, instant motivation step 1: create a power playlist.
Move your body
A big cause of a lack of motivation is being tired.
Think about it – are you very motivated when you had a long night followed up by an early morning? Uhh… unless you’re some sort of cyborg or complete weirdo, my guess is, NO!
That’s okay. It’s normal.
But, just because you’re tired doesn’t mean you can’t generate motivation.
The best way I know how to get motivated when I’m tired is to move my body. It gets your blood flowing and stimulates your brain. And that creates energy – energy that’ll fuel your motivation.
Tony Robbins has talked about how he bounces on a trampoline to get himself in the zone before any activity that requires himself to be at his best.
So whether it’s bouncing on a trampoline like Tony, doing some quick jumping jacks, or hitting a punching bag, moving your body will go a long way in helping you to get motivated whenever you want.
A couple things to keep in mind here are:
Make sure it’s not something you dread doing. If you hate doing whatever the thing is, it’s just going to make you even more unmotivated.
Also, it needs to have some intensity to it. There’s a time and place for slow, graceful movement, but this ain’t it.
When you’re trying to get yourself fired up and in the zone, you gotta move with some purpose. So make sure whatever movement you do is upbeat and gets you breathing a little heavy.
Instant motivation step 2: move your body
Strike a pose – a power pose
When you’re unmotivated, what does your body language look like?
Is it tall and expansive, screaming, “Hey, look at me, I’m a total badass!” Or, is it barely muttering, “Ah… Please don’t look at me, I kinda suck at life right now.”
Chances are, it’s probably closer to the second one than the first. Our body language is almost always a direct reflection of how we’re feeling physically, mentally, and emotionally.
Which means that our mind can directly impact our body. Why does that matter? Because, according to research done by Amy Cuddy, a Harvard Business School lecturer, the reverse is true also – our body’s can impact our mind.
Just like with moving your body that I mentioned above, the position in which you hold your body, is believed to significantly impact your mind and mood.
According to her research, Cuddy said that “high-power posers experienced elevations in testosterone, decreases in cortisol, and increased feelings of power and tolerance for risk.”
In other words, striking your best power pose can almost instantly take you from an Eeyore-like state and transform you into a name taking, ass kicking rockstar.
The key to power poses is that you want to get up and hold the position for 2 minutes. Poses like Wonder Woman – standing tall with hands on your hips, or standing up straight making an overhead “V” are great examples of power poses.
The pose you choose needs to be one that creates a sense of confidence and power. When you do that, you’ll find the boost of motivation you’re looking for.
Instant motivation step 3: strike a power pose
Wrapping it up
Now… you may be reading this and be completely skeptical. And if that’s the case, that’s completely fine. But, I will push back and say that pessimism tends to be the enemy of motivation. So, perhaps that’s an underlying cause of your lack of motivation.
The truth is, it’s your mindset that creates motivation. Yes, all of these physical things you can do will absolutely create energy that will allow you to find motivation. But, none of them will do any good if you’re not actually wanting to be motivated.
And, if you’re taking an attitude of pessimism into the practice, they’re all completely useless before you’ve even tried.
But, I have a funny feeling that if you’re here reading an article from a guy talking about “Being UNCOMMON,” you’re probably someone who is up for trying to better yourself.
So, my encouragement to you is, be willing to lean in and really try these techniques. Afterall, that’s what UNCOMMON Lifers do!
Be UNCOMMON!
P.S. Do me a favor and comment below with your favorite instant motivation hack. I’d love to be able to update this list and credit your awesome tip.