Do you ever have a day when you don’t want to get out of bed?
If you answered “yes,” you fit in with a majority of people in society who are lacking motivation. Sleep is a beautiful thing, and some days are more difficult to handle than others. If this happens to you, reflect on the goals you’ve set for the week, the month, or the year. Then, clarify why your goals are important.

Ask yourself:

• What are my goals?
• Why are these my goals? (In other words, “What makes these goals important to me?”)

Getting to the root cause of why can be an “a-ha” moment for your motivation and mental clarity.

Do you ever wonder why some people always seem motivated?
Chapter 8 in my book is dedicated to this topic of motivation. I define motivation as “the passion to work for reasons that go beyond money or status.” Procrastination can be a huge thief of motivation. Most often, procrastinators aren’t lazy, they are just afraid.

• Afraid of success
• Afraid of doing it wrong
• Afraid of maybe they’ll get into it and they won’t understand it
• Afraid it will take too long

Fear can stop you from accomplishing the things you want most, so how do you overcome it? People with high motivation quickly act on opportunities and persistently pursue goals despite fears, obstacles and setbacks. Try to adopt this mindset and your motivation will increase dramatically. There are other techniques explored in my book, like the “if-then” technique and having an accountability partner. Stay positive to stay motivated.

Do you ever dread something at work so it doesn’t get done?
Well, I’ve figured out how to overcome this hurdle for myself. I set a timer for 5 minutes each day, and I just start doing the “dreaded thing” before I leave at the end of the day. I give myself permission to stop after the 5 minutes are up, but more often than not, I keep working. I’ve found that often the thought of the dreaded task is worse than the task itself.

So, now you have a few great ways to get motivated:

1. Ask, “What are my goals?”
2. Ask yourself, “Why are these my goals?”
3. Act quickly when opportunities present themselves, and keep pursuing your goals regardless of fears, obstacles, and setbacks
4. Give yourself 5 minutes to work on your “dreaded task” and then see where you’re at. Many times, the thought of doing something you dread is worse than actually doing it.

Find which of these work best for you and then engage your motivation for success!

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Contact Executive Coach, Karen Nutter, for more information on corporate and lifestyle skills coaching, trainings and workshops.