Weeks 4-6

How to stay motivated

• Take it one day at a time.
  • When I first started this, I got really excited. I felt really inspired and motivated and ready to take on the world. Nothing was going to stand in my way. And for three weeks, that was true. But in week four, my full-time job got busier. I started working more hours for my first contract. And my motivation changed. I made up excuses. And then I got frustrated with myself for losing my motivation. I had made so many goals and to-dos for myself that I got overwhelmed, and as I got behind in checking things off, I got even more overwhelmed and just stopped working. Reminding myself to take it one day at a time helps me celebrate the little wins and be more realistic with my goals and timelines.

• Surround yourself with positivity.
  • Besides making changes in my professional life, I’m making changes in my personal life. Focusing on eating healthy. I started a workout program and exercise every day. I’ve made a commitment to limit/eliminate complaining from my conversations. I try to see the positive in every situation, even if it doesn’t seem possible. My friends and family are supportive and believe in me. Positive life = positive results.

• Create a vision board.
  • About 10 years ago I created a vision board. It was full of the average 16 –year-old vision of my college degree, big houses and engagement rings, lots of money and success, a family and a dog. Today, my vision board would still be very similar: health and positivity, a home, a family, my own LLC. My board will be hung up in my office space at home so I can be reminded every day what I’m working towards and why.

• Make SMART goals.
  • One of the first things I did when I started down this path was set goals. Without goals, you don’t have anything tangible to think about or strive for. It’s something to keep yourself steady against so you know if you’re falling behind or pushing ahead. And it feels so good to cross those goals off when they are accomplished!

• Reward yourself.
  • I’m not great at this. I love doing things for others but I am pretty stingy when it comes to doing things for myself. It’s important to reward yourself, though, in order to stay motivated. Maybe you set all of your freelance money aside to save for a vacation. Or maybe you splurge on a new desk or notebooks or a bookshelf after you get your first assignment.

• Believe in yourself.
  • Why haven’t I started a blog or kicked off a freelance business before now? I didn’t believe in myself. It took years of studying, working and practice before I had enough confidence in myself to go out on a limb and take a jump. I wish I did this years ago. If you don’t believe in yourself you’ll never get started – and you’ll be missing out!

• Acknowledge your positive attributes.
  • Write down five reasons you want to do this, and write down five reasons you WILL. What are the positive things about yourself that you’re proud of, and what will help you accomplish your goals?

• Recognize your progress.
  • When I look back at the past six weeks, I think about what I have and haven’t accomplished. The ‘haven’t’ list seems to be longer than ‘have.’ But I got my first contract. I’ve submitted four articles so far, logged dozens of hours, and made some money. I put myself out there and it paid off – literally. So while I still have a long way to go, I started. And that’s what counts.

• Visualize accomplishing your goals.
  • Whenever I feel overwhelmed or like I’m not making progress, I read my list of goals and repeat them out loud. I think about how great I will feel when they are accomplished. I envision being able to quit my full-time job to work for myself at home on my own time. I practice the conversation in my head when I tell my family.

• Be kind to yourself.
  • Even when I don’t feel as accomplished, or I should have logged hours and didn’t, or I don’t work on my blog for longer than I should, I have to remind myself how far I’ve come. That I stepped on that ledge and took that leap. It’s farther than I was 3, 6, 12 months ago. And I’m so proud of myself!

• Don’t compare yourself to others.
  • It’s easy to look at friends or people you know or work with and think about how much more successful, wealthy or accomplished they are. But everyone has downfalls, negativity, or unsuccessful moments in their life. They may hide it well, but no one is perfect! Continue to work hard and work towards your goals. Every day you are better than you were the day before and closer to your goals and success. Keep working!