Time To Get Ourselves Motivated

For lots of us, we have started different projects and few weeks or months after, we lose steam and discontinue the project. No one is celebrated for thinking he wants to  start attending a university, the person that is celebrated is the one that graduates from the university.

Like we say in the youth service, morale has gotten really low. People just fag out so easily. Why is this the case?

Motivation has become a popular term nowadays. There are a google number of life coaches, motivational coaches and speakers, and motivational books and articles. What exactly is motivation? Why do we need to get motivated?

Motivation is a driving force. If I will borrow the words of Terry G, a Nigerian musician, motivation is ginger. In order to accomplish anything, you need a driving force, otherwise nothing will happen. A wish is not strong enough to make you take action. A wish is a feeble desire. Only a strong desire can drive you forward, to act and accomplish aims, goals and dreams.

In order to get motivated, you need to know exactly what it is that you want. I mean, you have to have a fixed desire. Know what you want. Have  a strong desire, and to be willing to do whatever it takes to accomplish your goal.

It easier to display motivation in connection with short-term goals. for example, if you want to read a short article, there is enough zeal to finish reading the article. When it comes to long-term goals, it is not always possible to sustain the motivation for a longer period of time. Sometimes, knowing that what you are about to do is a marathon 'drains' one of energy. This is why it is wiser to start with small goals, and after gaining experience with being motivated, you proceed to bigger goals. Start with short stories before you move to bigger books.

Motivation has much to do with the emotions and the imagination, which means that if you want to increase it, you have to work on your feelings and imagination. Like a wise man once said, its what you know about that you would want, get lots of information about your desire or dream.

So how can I get myself motivated and pumped up?

1. Think and analyze your desire, to find out whether you really want to achieve it, and whether it is worth the effort and time. Is the juice really worth the squeeze? Ask yourself that question.

2. Make your goal very clear. Writing it down will help. Write the vision down, make it plain.

3. Think often about your goal or desire. What a man thinks about often really is who he is.

4. Visualize your goal as already accomplished, and shut your mind to doubts and disbelief. You gain nothing from doubts and worries, so no need for them.

5. Read books or articles about the subject of your goal. You only achieve as much as you know about your dream.

6. Read about people who have achieved success. Success stories inspire even the most uninspired.

7. Think often, about the benefits you will gain by achieving your goal. This will increase your desire and motivation

8. Visualize, and think about how you would feel after achieving your goal.

9. Repeat positive affirmations such as: "I have the desire and inner strength to achieve my goal". Repeat this affirmation often, with attention and belief.

10. Start taking small steps toward your goal right now. Don't wait for the right opportunity and time. Create the right opportunity for yourself.

Motivation is the steering wheel of the vehicle of your success...see you at the top.

5 SIMPLE MOTIVATION HACKS

Hulk Up!!!

Here are 5 simple motivation hacks. These aren’t the common ones
you’ll find on Oprah. They’re real ones that actually work – if
you’re brave enough to test them for yourself. I’m not even going
to do a boring intro on why they work. They just do. Here we go:

Hulk Up
Get pissed.
Get seriously pissed at your goal. Throw stuff. Break things. Yell.
Scream. Call your goal names and punch it in the nose.
Then go dominate it.
It works for the hulk. It can work for you.

Blackmail Yourself
Tell your friend you intend to do XYZ goal.
Set a date and bet your rent. Or twice your rent. Whatever you do,
make it HURT.
Put your money in their hands on the start date.
If you don’t do what you say you want to do by the date you set,
your friend either keeps the cash or gives it to the person you hate
most.

Create A Painful Alternative Outcome
Similar to the above but, instead of money, make a personally
painful outcome.
If you wuss out on finishing a race, make yourself do two.
If you miss your morning workout, you have to do 200
burpees before you go to bed.
If you quit, make yourself tell everybody you know.
My old basketball coach was a pro at this. Miss a play on defense
on you’ll be on the line running sprints! (Needless to say, we
focused a lot on defense).
Create a painful alternative outcome so, even if you don’t feel like
running towards your goal, you’ll want to run away from whatever
painful alternative outcome you’ve set for yourself.

Create NO Alternative Outcome
Put yourself in a corner. Make it so that your only choice is to
succeed. Make it so you that have no other choice than to fight it
out and win.
Decide that there is no acceptable alternative other than success.

Make no Plan B. Bet it all on Plan A.
Then figure out how the hell to make it happen.
Become The Goal
Own your goal.
Stop trying to accomplish the goal and make it a part of who you
are – your identity .
You’re not trying to work out 3 days a week – you ARE the
guy who works out 3 days a week. That’s what you do, not
what you try to do.
You’re not trying to learn Spanish. You SPEAK Spanish. No
matter how terribly, you speak it.
You’re not a “freelancer” trying to start a business. You run
____ business and you’re making $____/year.
You need to have some gall. In order to achieve what you want to
achieve, you have to become the person who’s capable of
achieving that. Stop trying to become it and start acting like it’s a
part of your identity from the start. You’ll get there faster.
—
Notice what most of these “motivation” hacks aren’t. They’re not
“go watch this video” or “go buy X.” You don’t need that crap. You
need to tap in to the animal part of your mind in order to
accomplish stuff. PAIN is an incredible motivator. Use it. Create
painful alternatives with TEETH that make you change OR ELSE.
Nothing happens until the pain of staying the same
outweighs the pain of change.” – Arthur Burt
Stop trying to be “normal”, and accomplish something impossible.
If you want to do something uncommon, you’re going to have to
do things uncommonly. Stop running from it – embrace it.

Courtesy: Joel Runyon

Here's How Your Mobile Phone Can Make You Obese

According to the study, in adults, afternoon light led to an increase in weight while daylight led to a decrease in weight.

A recent study conducted by researchers in Australia said that children exposed to light earlier in the day tended to gain weight while those who were exposed to light in the afternoon showed a decrease in weight. According to the study, in adults, afternoon light led to an increase in weight while daylight  led to decrease in weight.

The study was conducted by the Sleep in Early Childhood Research Group at the Queensland University of Technology. 

What types of light can affect our body weight?

It's not just natural light from the sun, artificial light such as the ones from the tablets, mobile phones, night lights, and television can impact our body mass. "Modern children are exposed to more environmental light than any previous generation. This increase in light exposure has paralleled global increases in obesity," Cassandra Pattinson, from the university, explained.

How can light affect body weight?

According to the researchers, our internal body clock, also called the circadian clock, depends on exposure to light and the timing of the exposure. The circadian clock impacts our sleep patterns, weight gain or loss, hormonal changes and our mood.

So, it looks like it is not just food or exercise affecting your body mass index. Improving your lifestyle by decreasing your time in front of TV and tablets can help you keep in shape too.

Courtesy:dna Web Team

How to Motivate Yourself to Work Out…Especially When You Don’t Feel Like It

Sometimes getting motivated to start a workout can be just as hard as the exercise itself. There are days it seems almost impossible to muster up the energy to do anything other than veg out on the couch. Yet there are people who squeeze in at least a little exercise every day. How do they do that, and can everyone else get some of that magical motivation?

You might be in luck. Researchers may have finally figured out how to get people more excited about exercising. The trick? Just stay focused on the here and now.

“People will not commit to exercise if they see its benefits as distant or theoretical,” Dr. Michelle L. Segar, author of No Sweat: How the Simple Science of Motivation Can Bring You a Lifetime of Fitness told The New York Times. “It has to be portrayed as a compelling behavior that can benefit us today.”

In her book, she talks about using exercise to enhance happiness, rather than a way to achieve a physical goal in the future. This study published in Psychological Healthfound that 335 older adults aged 60-96 exercised more often when they placed an emphasis on how it increased their quality of life, as compared to those who exercised solely for health benefits.

In other words, thinking about going for a run today in hopes of being 10 pounds lighter in two months, is less likely to help you wake up for a jog before dawn than if you think about going for a run as a way to see a friend or exploring a new part of town. It’s these kinds of immediate rewards that researchers say are more likely to keep you coming back for more exercise. Rather work out indoors? Put the focus on increasing your energy, improving your mood, or lowering your stress level, and you might be more likely to push play. “I like to think of physical activity as a way to revitalize and renew ourselves [and] as fuel to better enjoy and succeed at what matters most,” says Dr. Seger.

Courtesy: Hannah Rex

Procrastination to Motivation

Mark Twain captured the essence of procrastination in his famous quote: “Never put off until tomorrow…. What you can do the day after tomorrow.”. Many of us live by this maxim almost religiously…. When we find that the results are less than wonderful we usually decide to stop putting things off…. Starting tomorrow. There are 14 million Google listings about procrastination and statistics show that 20% of people consider themselves chronic procrastinators.

Putting things off consistently means things don’t get done, goals remain in the far off future (eternally). Happiness is constantly postponed. Putting off what needs to get done feels good in the moment. You pay for it later. And those who have mastered the skill of procrastination struggle endlessly to change their ways…. to no avail.

Yet it'll come as a surprise that procrastination is a useful skill when applied in the right context. If you're good at procrastinating you can put off anger, disappointment, frustration and anxiety. You can postpone giving up, being self-critical or even overeating. All those things can simply be left until later if you're good enough at procrastinating! When I work with clients who tell me about their tendency to procrastinate I always ask, “Do you ever put that procrastinating off until later?”

It’s a common mistake to think that procrastinators are just lazy. Actually, maintaining the pattern of procrastination requires a great deal of hard work!

There is a strategy to procrastination. Those who tend to procrastinate function based on a pattern of avoidance. They tend to focus on what they don’t want and are motivated to move away from or avoid things. When the consequences of not doing aren't important or not immediate, they put things off until later. As deadlines come closer, inner images of potential consequences get larger and more real. They see vivid pictures of getting fired, flunking school. A call from collectors. The internal voice of warning gets louder and more insistent. “you've to do it or you’ll get fired!”. “Do it now or else!”. The more unpleasant it's, the more motivated they're. Their internal dialog is full of shoulds and have to’s…most of which simply don’t get done.

This strategy can cause one to get a lot done provided the consequences of not doing are important enough…. Even though it can be a very stressful and unpleasant way to motivate oneself.

Procrastinators begin procrastinating as soon as they wake up in the morning. They love to sleep in and the way they get themselves out of bed is a great example of their strategy for motivating themselves. Upon waking, the internal voice fires off, saying “I should get up.”. Then they focus on the warmth of the covers and that feeling of tiredness and say, “Just another five minutes.”. After five minutes the inner voice pipes up again. A bit louder and more insistent. They then begin to see images of the consequences of not getting up. Missed busses and trains, angry bosses and disapproving teachers,…. They think, “Just a bit longer.”. This continues as that voice gets louder and louder and the images get bigger and brighter until a feeling of urgency forces them out of bed. It works. It’s not how I like to wake up!

The other problem for those who use this strategy is that the worse things get in any area of life, the more motivated they're. When their relationships, finances or career are bad enough, they become extremely motivated to make changes. As they move away from these things, meaning as things get better, they've less to move away from and motivation drops, until they end up back where they started and highly motivated once again. With this type of strategy, motivation in inconsistent. This isn't the strategy of a high achiever.

Those who are able to maintain their motivation and seem to find it easy to get things done are motivated by what they want. they've a clear vision of their goals, aims and objectives and constantly work to move toward it. They focus on what they want and they think of how good it'll feel to attain it. When it comes to unpleasant tasks, such as cleaning or doing their taxes, achievers focus on the end result –. Instead of focusing on the grueling process they concentrate on how good it'll feel to have it done. For large projects that can seem overwhelming they mentally break the project down into small steps and feel good about completing each step. When talking to themselves they replace should and have to’s with “I'm going to…”. “It’s time to…”. “I get to…”. All in all they feel good about getting things done.

So how can we overcome procrastination? To turn it around. Fast, a procrastinator needs to use his own avoidance strategy to avoid procrastination itself. When you think of all the negative consequences of putting off a certain task, you'll be motivated to just get it done! Then, you can compound this with all of the positive consequences of getting things done so you've something concrete to move toward. So you can begin to learn a new, more pleasant and more effective strategy for motivation.

One day as I was considering something I needed to get done and I caught myself say, “I don’t feel like it”. (with a very unencouraging tonality!). I realized that not feeling like meant self-sabotage. If I were to give in to this on a regular basis, it'd prevent me from achieving my goals. I decided to make a change. Now, when I hear myself say “I don’t feel like it”. I finish the sentence with, “and so I’m going to do it now!”. Not feeling like it's become a trigger for motivation.

If you want to be the type of person who simply gets things done, whenever you think of something that you need to do, take immediate action toward it. It can be one small step, a moment of planning or putting something in your calendar. If you practice this consistently, it'll become so automatic that putting something off until later won’t seem right.

So what have you been putting off that you can do right now?

Train your mind for superior performance and success with the most effective coaching methods and tools for change.

Courtesy: jmga

How To Get Motivation for Running

Running isn't only a physical activity. it's also a mind game when it comes to staying motivated to run. A lot of people started with their plan to run by buying all the needed running gears only to lose interest after a few tries. It might be necessary to seek first the motivation to run before spending hard-earned money on buying gears. The desire to run and the commitment to stay running will easily follow.

The first thing you've to ask yourself is why you need to run. People run for various reasons but running just because it's a fad or your friends do it'll lead you nowhere. You need a more serious reason which will be your motivator for running.

Running for health reasons such as shedding excess weight could be a good motivation for running. Running, as a form of weight management, can be effective only if you're going to commit yourself to a long-term running program. Your goal of bringing your weight down to your desired level could be your greatest motivation to run. However, be warned that there will be no tangible result in the first few weeks of running so you mustn't be discouraged if your weighing scale will show the same result for quite a stretch of time. Running isn't a quick-fix solution to a person’s weight problem. it's a new lifestyle that requires a life-time commitment.

Setting a goal for yourself, which you can monitor on a regular basis, is a great motivator for running as you see your progress in your new activity. Your enthusiasm will rise as you see tangible results in your weight-loss goal. Make a record of your progress on a daily basis. You can record the distance you run each day and how much you weigh each morning. As you notice that your distance is increasing, you may notice also that your weight is beginning to drop, no matter how small it may be. you'll be motivated to run if you see that there are tangible results in your weight management plan.

Another motivator for running is setting a goal on how you progress in your running. it's given that there will be so many difficulties in the beginning of the activity. The joint pains and the muscle aches that you'll experience at the beginning could be daunting but if you're really determined to reach your goal, those hardships can be overcome. The distance that you can gradually add to your daily running will encourage you to run even harder. Of course, you can't aim to win the marathon after a few weeks of running but a few yards added to each day to the distance you cover will slowly bring you closer to your goal.

A goal that's unrealistic will result to loss of motivation because you may never reach it. On the other hand, a goal that's easily attainable could lead to boredom. it's important then that you must set a goal that's attainable but at the same time challenging.

Valik is a jogging enthusiast. For more great tips and advice on motivation for running, visit http://www.jognrun.com.

HOW TO BUILD ENORMOUS SELF CONFIDENCE

7 Surprising Brain Hacks to Build Enormous Confidence

Courtesy of Philip Pape

Are you ever held back by a lack of confidence? Does this prevent you from achieving your goals and becoming ultimately successful?

I've collected the findings from recent psychology studies and distilled them into these 7 "bio hacks" you can use to build enormous confidence.

1. Be compassionate...to yourself

Psychology researchers found that treating yourself with compassion during a low point in your confidence (after making a mistake) is the most helpful way to motivate yourself.

This strategy was found to be superior to positive affirmations and recalling pleasant memories.

Be kind and sympathetic to yourself. Avoid harsh self-criticism and instead think about how things will improve from here.

By showing yourself compassion, you will more objectively identify your weaknesses, have motivation to move forward, avoid repeating the mistake in the future, and spend more time improving yourself.

2. Change your posture

Do you slouch? Then sit up straight!

Do you fold your arms? Then open them up!

It's true that your posture and body language show others visually how confident you are. But more surprising is the fact that open body language helps you believe you are more confident.

This study showed how when you have a more confident posture while performing an activity, you actually feel more confident.

In her TED talk, Amy Cuddy explains that if you hold a confident body posture for two minutes, you literally change your hormone levels to become more comfortable and confident. As she puts it:

"It seems that our nonverbals do govern how we think and feel about ourselves, so it's not just others, but it's also ourselves...our bodies change our minds."

The next time you're about to enter a high-anxiety situation (such as a job interview), try "power posing" for a few minutes to get those hormones cranked up and boost your confidence!

3. Create a ranked list of your values

Try this 10-minute self-affirmation exercise:

Write down a list of 10 personal values that you aspire to. Examples include family, education, confidence, attractiveness, and health.Re-order the list in order of importance.Write 2-3 paragraphs on why the top-ranked value is most important.From these paragraphs, write down the top two specific reasons the value is most important.Now answer two questions: (1) To what extent does your top-ranked value influence your life and (2) To what extent is your top-ranked value part of your self-image?

According to this study, participants who performed this exercise felt more secure and confident for up to 2 months later. Try this quick exercise next time you're feeling insecure. Keep the list with you for inspiration.

4. Invent your superhero alter-ego

Even the toughest Mixed Martial Arts fighters face fear and need the occasional confidence-booster. Sociologists found that they do this by creating a fantasy alter-ego.

One fighter explained how he visualizes and inhabits his virtual avatar:

"I pretty much think of it as a video game. He has a little energy bar and a stamina bar above his head and every time I hit him that bar goes down. I try to think about the fact that every second that I don't hit him that energy bar may be going back up. I think of myself the same way, except I pretend that my energy bar never goes down. It's just like I am in invincible mode."

Try imagining your superhero alter-ego before you "go out on stage." What's your super power? Are you Unstoppable Confidence Man? Are you a Tony Stark + Richard Branson super-hybrid? Get creative!

5. Deceive yourself into self-belief

Although you always want to be genuine and true to yourself, a recent study shows that deceiving yourself into believing you're confident will make others believe you're confident. And apparently self-deception is a natural evolutionary trait.

The researchers focused on overconfident people who are overrated by others, but underconfident people can use this as well to tip the scales back.

If you lack confidence, why not use this principle to restore your confidence? This is the classic "fake it till you make it approach," but it works really well when you're feeling low.

To develop self-belief, try practicing in a fun, low-pressure, and supportive environment where you receive positive feedback.

Here are two solid ways to do this that worked for me:

Join ToastmastersTake an improv class

6. Sweat for 10 minutes every day

Ever since I started working out regularly (CrossFit twice a week, sprinting once a week, lots of walking/hiking), I've had much more confidence.

There's science behind this, but you don't need studies to tell you that exercising has benefits. It gives you energy, floods your body with feel-good endorphins, and improves your self-image.

Successful billionaire Richard Bransonsays working out is the single most powerful productivity and confidence hack he's come across.

Try to sweat for 10 minutes every day. When I want a super-efficient workout, I run Tabata sprints---you sprint all-out for 20 seconds, stop for 10 seconds, repeat. Do this for 10 minutes  (that's 20 quick sprints). It's easy to do and provides all the benefits of a tough workout.

7. Keep your goals secret

When you achieve your goals and realize success, you naturally build confidence. But it can seem like a struggle to meet your goals in the first place.

This study found that people who revealed a goal to someone else actually lost motivation to accomplish the goal.

It sounds counter-intuitive. You would expect that telling others would hold you more accountable. But by sharing your goals, you prematurely feel that you've already accomplished them.

Another reason to keep your goals secret is to avoid being discouraged by nay-sayers in your life, according to Dr. Robert Anthony: "Many would-be achievers have lost out before they even got started by letting others...talk them out of what they really wanted to do."

The lesson? Keep your goals secret if you want to achieve them!

We can learn a lot from human behavior. Which of these "bio hacks" will you try? Reply below!

If you liked this article, you might also like howtoattainsuccess.com.

————

Philip Pape is an author, public speaker, and Success Coach who helps smart people become confident and self-disciplined athowtoattainsuccess.com. He’s here to help you transform your approach to life—while making it all feel like it’s who you were meant to be. Checkout his free giveaways here. Follow Philip on Twitter@philip_pape

The post 7 Surprising Brain Hacks to Build Enormous Confidence appeared first on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement.

Three Steps to living intentionally

A vessel is a container that is used to hold something. A chosen vessel is chosen based on the likes of the person choosing it. Acts 9:15-16 What kind of vessel you are is based on the user and maker of the vessel. Features of vessels are: 1. Vessels are molded 2. Vessels have no authority of its own. Jer 18:4. It always obeys the user. It depends on how you want to use it and they will obey you. 3. It is used to contain an object. Chosen vessel is one that is valued for a particular purpose, it is guarded jealously. Who is a chosen vessel of the Lord? He is someone God has separated for his own work. Examples are Stephen, Paul, Samuel etc. Characteristics of chosen vessels What made them to be different from others?? God makes them holy. God shapes them the way he wants to use them. 1Peter 2:9 Be obedient and willing Even if its convenient and inconvenient, be obedient and willing. Faithfulness Chosen vessels are faithful. In little things like money, etc. Faithfulness is not about money alone. It includes impartiality. Commitment Be committed to the things of God. Be lover of God and his people. Titus 1:8 Be a problem solver and hospitable person. Rom 12: 13 Summarily, be ready for God to work on you.