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Mastering the Art of Self Discipline

June 13, 2011 By Lena 1 Comment

SuccessDoes your day start with a host of good intentions? Do you plan to accomplish everything on your list, yet find yourself getting distracted more and more as the day goes on? If so, you’re not alone. In fact, I could say welcome to my world!

Self-discipline and focus are qualities we all want to have, but seem to be increasingly elusive in our fast-paced, gotta have it now, world.

Fortunately there are actions you can take in order to improve your sense of self-discipline. Here are a few examples for you:

1. Write down what you plan to accomplish.

Whether it’s long- or short-term goals, plans, or just the day’s to-do list, writing it down will help you get it clear in your mind and have a visual reminder. It’s a lot harder to get distracted when the list is sitting right in front of you.

2. Get help when you need it.

If you have a support group, or even one person you can go to when you need help staying on track it makes the job much easier.

I have an accountability partner, and I would be totally lost without her. (She might say I’m still lost, even witih her help, but that’s a story for another day!)

I email her my goals in the morning, every morning, and if I don’t get them done or if she sees me going off in another direction during the day, she doesn’t hesitate to give me a virtual butt-kicking to get back on track.

After years of working in isolation in front of my computer, I can’t tell you what a difference it makes to my own self-discipline to know that help is just a skype or an e-mail away if I feel myself floundering. It’s also a real boost when I achieve a goal, to have someone there to share the success!

Just because you have a strong sense of self-discipline doesn’t mean you have to go it alone.

3. Most importantly, have enough faith in yourself to know you can do what you set out to do.

You do know you can do whatever you put your mind to, right? If you have any self-doubt on that score, think back to when you were a kid and were determined to have the latest and greatest. You knew without a doubt that you could do it, and nothing was going to stop you.

Tap into that sense of self-belief again and you will find yourself achieving your goals in no time!

There is no secret science to self-discipline. It really is nothing more than a combination of the ability to stay focused, the strength say no when you have to, and the determination to take action and to say yes to doing what needs to be done. We often make it harder than it has to be, but by putting these strategies to work for you, you will find that staying disciplined comes much easier, and those good intentions you start the day with become your reality.

Filed Under: Ezine Issues, Success Tagged With: , , , ,

Six Ways To Find and Keep Your Motivation

January 10, 2011 By Lena 2 Comments

daybreak just before sunriseMotivation can be an elusive animal. We know we need it in order to successfully achieve our goals, but there are times when it is nowhere to be found. And when that happens, everything else feels “off” too. Part of the reason for this is that, like with many things in our lives we have been socialized to look for our motivation outside of ourselves. In truth, motivation comes from within, and we must learn to keep ourselves motivated.

Your motivation is as unique to you as your DNA. What motivates you and what motivates me will be completely different. But even so, there are things we can do to find and keep our motivation. And although we can both use the tips in this article, I’d be willing to bet that the way in which we use them and the results we get will be as different and as individual as we are.

Here are six things you can do to find and keep your motivation…

1. Brainstorm new ways to get things done.

One of the major reasons for losing motivation is boredom. (I can speak from experience on this one.) Routines and everyday tasks get boring after awhile, and it’s very easy to lose your motivation to do them. Even tasks you like doing can sap your motivation if they get to repetitive. Brainstorming new ways to do things can add a new depth or perspective that will make them interesting again. And when you’re interested in what you’re doing, it’s much easier to stay motivated to finish it.

2. Set goals.

This might sound like a no-brainer, but it’s a common reason for lacking motivation. If you don’t know where you’re going or what you’re working toward, it’s very hard to stay motivated. A big goal can be broken down into smaller bite-sized goals, and as you complete each one and cross each it off the list you will feel your motivation increase. Checklists and to do lists are good for this because at the end of the day you can actually see how much you have got done.

3. Be accountable.

Being accountable is another way to find and keep your motivation. If you can be accountable to yourself to make progress every day, that’s great. But many people need a little outside push, so don’t feel bad if this sounds like you. It’s much easier to be accountable to someone other than yourself because it’s human nature to not want to admit failure. I know I’m much more motivated to get things done when I work with an accountability partner because there’s no way I want to be the one that says I didn’t get anything done because I didn’t feel like working that day.

4. Be more spiritual.

It can be a very motivating experience to delve into your spiritual side. Meditating, journalling, or any other type of spiritual practice can provide clarity when it comes to answering life’s bigger questions. This in turn can help to motivate you to keep working toward achieving your goals and living your dreams.

5. Make changes.

There is nothing wrong with making changes when things just don’t seem to be working. If you’ve tried everything else, maybe a change is what you need because the direction you’re heading is not the right one for you. It’s very hard to stay motivated when you can’t shake the feeling there’s something else you should be doing.

6. Stay positive.

Finally, keeping your thoughts positive will go a long way to keeping you motivated whatever you decide to do. It’s no secret that negative thoughts can lead to a lack of motivation. By keeping a positive mindset and getting rid of any negative thoughts that come your way, you will find it much easier to stay motivated and focused on achieving your goals.

Being motivated brings with it a self-fulfilling cycle of more energy and a more fulfilling life, which in turn helps you stay motivated to keep moving forward. Using one or more of the strategies outlined here can help you find and keep the motivation going while you’re busy achieving your goals and living your dreams.

Filed Under: Motivation Tagged With: , ,

10 Quotes on Motivation

December 21, 2010 By Lena 2 Comments

Stephen Covey Motivation QuoteStick around long enough and you’ll see just how much I love quotations. Many times, it’s that one little line spoken or written by someone else that give me the ah ha! moment that I need to put everything into perspective. And for me, staying motivated would be pretty much impossible without these reminders. So here are ten of my favorite quotes on motivation and being motivated. Enjoy!

  • Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going. ~Jim Rohn
  • “Be miserable. Or motivate yourself. Whatever has to be done, it’s always your choice.” ~Wayne Dyer
  • “Walking your talk is a great way to motivate yourself. No one likes to live a lie. Be honest with yourself, and you will find the motivation to do what you advise others to do.” ~Vince Poscente
  • “You can motivate by fear. And you can motivate by reward. But both of these methods are only temporary. The only lasting thing is self-motivation.” ~Homer Rice
  • “Desire is the key to motivation, but it’s determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of your goal – a commitment to excellence – that will enable you to attain the success you seek.” ~Mario Andretti
  • “Wanting something is not enough. You must hunger for it. Your motivation must be absolutely compelling in order to overcome the obstacles that will invariably come your way.” ~Les Brown
  • “Motivation is like food for the brain. You cannot get enough in one sitting. It needs continual and regular top ups.” ~Peter Davies
  • “Motivation is when your dreams put on work clothes.” ~Author Unknown
  • “Life takes on meaning when you become motivated, set goals and charge after them in an unstoppable manner.” ~Les Brown
  • “When we are motivated by goals that have deep meaning, by dreams that need completion, by pure love that needs expressing, then we truly live life” ~Greg Anderson

    • Have a wonderful, motivation-filled day!

    Filed Under: Motivation, Quotations Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

    Are You Hard To Motivate?

    December 20, 2010 By Lena Leave a Comment

    The topic for this week is Motivation. The New Year is fast approaching, and with it the inevitable round of resolution making and intention setting. It’s important to understand why you want to set that particular intention and to know what motivates you to work at being successful.

    Three Factors To Think About When You Find It Hard To Stay Motivated

    It’s easy to make a New Year’s resolution or set an intention. It’s a little harder sometimes to stay motivated enough to see it through to a successful conclusion. Losing weight is a good example of this. I can’t even begin to count the number of people who say their resolution every January is to lose weight, and then by February they are back to their old habits. It creates a sense of failure that’s hard to get over. Just this weekend I heard at least a dozen people say they don’t bother making weight loss resolutions anymore because it just sets them up for failure. If this sounds like something you might think or say, you could be a person who is hard to motivate.

    For myself, I know that I am definitely hard to motivate. Even when I think I have a really good reason why for my intentions, I often lack the real drive that comes with a true sense of motivation. It’s something that I really have to work at every day if I want to achieve my goals. In thinking about what makes me hard to motivate, I’ve found that there are three factors that play a major role in the process. These are my mindset, comfort zone, and past experiences.

    Mindset is a biggie when it comes to being motivated because it pretty much has an impact on everything related to how you think and why you think it.

    Going back to the weight loss example, it doesn’t matter how strong a reason you have for wanting to lose weight, if your mindset is that you’re fat, you’ve always been fat, and this isn’t going to change much, then you’re not going to be able to motivate yourself to get to the gym every day because you don’t believe that it’s going to make a difference regardless of how much work you put in.

    Your mindset also has an impact on the second factor that could make you hard to motivate — your comfort zone. Everyone has a comfort zone — that place where we feel safe, in our element, and, well, comfortable.

    Pushing against the boundaries of that comfort zone can be really easy for some people, but for most of us it’s a very scary experience. Every limiting belief that you possess comes screaming into play when you get close to those boundaries you mind has set for you. This is why so many people, myself included, have such a hard time trying new things. The fear of change that comes along with the fear of moving out of your comfort zone can also make you hard to motivate no matter how badly you want to make those changes.

    The third factor that can play a role in how easy or hard you are to motivate is your past experiences. This may well be the most important of the three since your mindset will often be influenced by things that have happened to you in the past.

    Every experience you’ve ever had plays some role in how you think now, and how open you are to change and being motivated to change is a direct result of how well you have dealt with these experiences. I can tell you from experience that when I least expect it, some random thought from my past shows up and has the effect of blowing both my self-confidence and my motivation to smithereens. The usual result is a round of “what’s the use” questioning that distracts me from my goal and makes me very hard to motivate.

    By now you must be thinking “what’s the use” yourself. I know I’ve painted a pretty bleak picture here. But there is hope, and you can train yourself to be more easily motivated. One of the keys is to start small, deal with your mindset and the past experiences that influence it before you start making big changes. We’ll talk more about this over the course of the week.

    For now, know that you are not alone and that you CAN change your mindset and put those days of being hard to motivate behind you.

    Photo credit: Big Stock Photo

    Filed Under: Motivation Tagged With: , , , , ,

    Happiness, Motivation, and Other Acorns

    March 21, 2010 By Lena 7 Comments

    I’m finding lots of new blogs today as I start my new system of using Google Reader to keep informed and organized.

    One of the best so far today is Annabel Candy’s blog “Get In the Hot Spot.”

    Here’s a couple of posts that I really found useful:

    101 Ways To Feel Happy

    How to Use Twitter as a Motivational Tool

    Wanna know how I found Annabel’s blog?

    Here’s the trail…

    First I read a guest post by Eric Watermolen on the Dumb Little Man blog.

    That led me to click on Eric’s link at the bottom of his post to check out his blog. The first post I came across there was The Campfire – A Collaborative Discussion of Happiness. This really caught my eye since the last issue of The Acorn Stash that I sent out was about Happiness so of course I had to see what everyone else has to say about the topic.

    This led me to checking out everyone else’s blog who had contributed to the post, and that’s how I ended up at Annabel’s blog.

    It’s also how I ended up at Patty Bechtold’s “Why Not Start Now” blog. This is another great find that I wouldn’t have stumbled across if I hadn’t been following trails and gathering acorns this morning. Her post Life As a Work of Art really made me stop and think about my writing and photography, and my relationship with my audience. (Or more accurately at this point, my lack of relationship with my audience.)

    So how did all this come about? Well, I’ve been following along with Susan James’ Manifesting blog. I had planned on playing along when she started this way back in January and I completely forgot about it until just the other day. And one of the first things she says to do is to ask to be led to something to read each day. So I asked, and the result is that by reading one post on a blog I normally read, I ended up finding three new blogs and authors to follow, found four very helpful and thought-provoking articles, learned a new way to use twitter, and have the basic outline of a new article.

    Not bad for a morning’s play, huh?

    Hope you’re having an amazing day too!
    Stay Happy!

    Filed Under: Happiness Tagged With: , , ,

    10 Quotes To Inspire You

    October 2, 2009 By Lena 2 Comments

    Stick around here long enough and you’ll find out just how much I love quotes. They pretty much run neck and neck with affirmations as my favorite tools for motivation and inspiration. So to start the weekend off right, here are ten of my favorite inspiring quotes.

    Enjoy!
    lena

    • Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones that you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. – Mark Twain
    • Well done is better than well said. – Benjamin Franklin
    • Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go. – T.S. Elliot
    • Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step. – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
    • All that we are is the result of what we have thought. – Buddha
    • People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily. – Zig Ziglar
    • Begin with the ending in mind. – Stephen Covey
    • If you don’t go after what you want, you’ll never have it. If you don’t ask, the answer is always no. If you don’t step forward, you’re always in the same place. – Nora Roberts
    • Experience is not what happens to a man, it is what a man does with what happens to him. – Aldous Leonard Huxley
    • Don’t go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

    Franklin-800x600

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