Motivation. There are a number of ways in which, we can motivate ourselves to get up and get going on whatever it is we want to do. But the problem is, we often don't use them. If we were to think more consciously about creating motivation, rather than expecting it to appear naturally, perhaps we'd have done more than what we are doing today. Here are my top ten tips for getting motivated and staying that way. It might not be easy, but if I can do it, so can you! 10 - Do something even if you don't feel like it. There are all kinds of things we don't necessarily want to do, but we should anyway. Doing these things even when we don't feel like it, shows us just how resilient we really are. Then when something you really want to do comes up, you'll find yourself thinking, "If I was able to do those dishes even when I didn't feel like it, then I can do this for sure since I always wanted to do it!" 9 - Realistic goals We all have goals we want to accomplish in our lives. Unfortunately, too many of us are looking at the big picture and ignoring the small details. These small details are the smaller, more realistic goals that go towards the larger picture. By creating goals, you give yourself benchmarks to work for. Imagine if any given task is like a race, and you've got to run for five laps around the track. If you think to yourself, "Alright, I made it through two laps! Only three more to go!" you'll feel much better than if you think, "There are still three laps to go until I reach five!" 8 - Break it down Breaking a task down in to smaller pieces can make anything, no matter how difficult, seem a whole lot easier. Rather than seeing one huge task at hand, you'll see several small tasks. This is similar to the previous one, but remember that you can even break down those smaller goals further so they won't seem so daunting either. 7 - Prioritize Deciding what's important in life is essential to making wise decisions, especially when you are planning on doing something that requires a great deal of motivation and energy. If there's something you feel incredibly motivated to do and it is important to your life, put it at the top of your list. Seeing a list set up this way, can help build motivation to get going and start working on those goals! 6 - Take care of yourself Taking care of the body and mind are essential to building motivation as well as a balanced, healthy lifestyle. If you feel good inside and out, you'll want to do more. It's as simple as that! 5 - Identify the why You've decided you want to do something. Now ask yourself this: why? Why do you want to do this? Write all the reasons down in a list, and carry it with you as you work towards accomplishing your task. When you feel your motivation begin to wane, look at that list. Remember all those reasons you decided to take up the task, and let the motivation flow. 4 - Take a break Getting tired? Motivation disappearing? Take a break! It's okay to take periodic breaks from any task. Taking a short break will energize you, and get you ready to get back up and at it. 3 - Optimism Be optimistic! Surrounding yourself with happy, optimistic people will make building motivation easier. Positivity will help to keep those negative thoughts that destroy our motivation, away from your thought process. Also, if you keep yourself surrounded by optimistic people, they'll be there to support you in your goals. 2 - Lists, lists, lists Putting things down in writing helps most of us. You can write down your tasks in the order you're going to do them, all of your goals in general, when you want to do them, how you want to do them, and the rewards with which you'll treat yourself when you accomplish them. This will keep you focused and organized as well as motivated. 1 - Reward yourself! When you accomplish something, don't forget to give yourself a pat on the back! Whether it's in the form of a favorite snack, a shopping trip, a movie, or whatever tickles your fancy, no matter what it is, as long as it's something that makes you feel good about what you've managed to do. You deserve it!!