You’ve gotten yourself neck deep into that project and suddenly there you are, the motivation wholly gone. What do you do? If you’re like most people, the lure of a new project might already be teasing at you. It would be so easy to quit and go on to do something else. Getting motivated seems impossible. What do you do?
The problem is, we’ve gotten so used to instant gratification, that larger projects or tasks do lose their impetus quickly – unless you can stay motivated once the newness wears off. So how do we do just that?
1. Remind yourself who’s the boss. Hey, remember back when you started this project? Yes, that was you that began it. Even if you’re feeling powerless right now, the truth of the matter is, you were the one who stepped into this, and it’s still your decision about what to do next. That means that whether you decide to quit, change direction, or keep moving forward, it up to you to make the decision. That rewrites the script to put yourself back in charge.
2. Take a look back. Sometimes we get so caught up in staring at where we are right now that we’re failing to see the progress we’ve already made. Taking the time to recall the steps along the way that you’ve already accomplished goes a long way toward improving your mood, especially when you see how far you’ve already come.
Also, remind yourself of other projects you’ve finished. You’ve done great things before; you can do them again! Even if you haven’t done something similar in the past, chances are you’ve taken on some project that had multiple steps to achieve a goal. Looking at those kinds of accomplishments reminds you that you can accomplish big things – and have.
3. Remember why you’re doing this. The problem with staring a project in the face for too long is that you get so hyper-focused on the task at hand that you’ve forgotten why you’re there. Why did you choose this project? Ask yourself what goal are you trying to reach. REMEMBER THE DREAM. And then remind yourself of this often. By taking a step back and looking at the big picture, you’ll be able to recapture that initial excitement that led you to take on the project in the first place.
A project doesn’t have to lose its excitement just because the newness has worn off. By following these three steps, you can easily stay inspired as you go, thereby keeping up not only your energy but your momentum as well.
