How to Find and Keep the Motivation to Change
We all desire to improve and see positive changes in our lives, but for most of us, our daily habits have become so ingrained that we’ve gotten accustomed to staying inside our comfort zones. We rarely challenge ourselves, and it limits us in reaching our full potential. Oftentimes, when we do desire to change, we find it hard to see it through. Whether it's going to the gym to get in shape or doing meditation to refine our mental state, we tend to find excuses to not commit to our goals. The reason is that we lack the motivation to change. Here's some advice to help you light that fire inside you and keep it burning, to bring the power of positive change into your life. How to Find and Keep the Motivation to Change Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything. -- George Bernard Shaw Find someone to look up to It becomes easier to change yourself and develop good habits when you have someone to look up to. Be it your father, an uncle, or even someone you don’t know, their success story is a good source of motivation to try and convince you to change. I used to be a really thin dude and I didn’t care much about my fitness almost my entire life, until I started following this certain guy who inspired me to transform myself. From there, I made the really firm decision to change myself physically, and all because of that person. Now I’m lifting weights and have gained a few pounds to the point of being the heaviest I’ve been my entire life. Looking up to someone allows you to push yourself outside your boundaries so that you too can achieve the results they have. Cultivate patience and dedication Imagine that you've achieved the really great body you’ve always dreamed of, or that you finally stopped smoking that last cigarette. I bet it feels pretty good, right? Now, what if it were to actually happen? You would feel ten times better. The thing is, change doesn’t happen in an instant. There are growing pains throughout the entire process, and you need patience, discipline, and an unbreakable determination to keep progressing. READ: The Psychology of Habits: How to Become a Master of Change It took a while before I got results when I first started lifting weights, but once I began to see the change in the mirror, it motivated me to do even more. I’m certainly a far cry from the physique I want -- but that’s a good thing, because I’m even more determined to chase it now that I’m finally seeing the results. You’ll feel the same way too once you start noticing that you’re not running out of breath as easily as before you stopped smoking. It’s about the willingness and perseverance to change despite the inevitable setbacks and shortcomings along the way. Do it for yourself Lastly, if you really want to change for the better and improve your overall quality of life, do it for yourself. It’s not about being selfish, it’s about taking care of your own personal well-being. You have to want this badly for yourself more than anything else. You’re not doing this to please other people or make them proud of you, you’re doing this because you’ve decided to actually improve and make a positive change in your life. It takes a lot of effort to see the results. You just have to be patient, dedicated, and willing to do whatever it takes to get over that hump and finally be a better version of you.
Loving Solitude: Why Quality Time Alone Is Essential to Your Well-Being
In a world where our lives are constantly revolving around busy work schedules and responsibilities, it can be quite a challenge to find some quality time alone. We’re constantly surrounded by people in our daily lives, like our families, relatives, friends, and workmates. That’s okay, because as humans we evolved as social beings, and connecting with other people remains an essential need within each of us. But there are times when the noise of the outside world ends up cluttering our minds. Even for extroverts, prolonged interaction with others can zap our energies after a while, making us feel exhausted and drained. These are the perfect moments to recenter -- to retreat to your own personal space, take a deep, long breath to relax, and evaluate things from a renewed perspective. There is a sense of comfort in spending some alone time with yourself; a state of ease which allows you to free your mind from all external distractions, and be yourself fully. Once in awhile, it’s very important for us to find the time to enjoy solitude, because it keeps us intact and in touch with our inner thoughts and emotions. Loving Solitude: Why Quality Time Alone Is Essential to Your Well-Being A man can be himself only so long as he is alone, and if he does not love solitude, he will not love freedom, for it is only when he is alone that he is really free. - Arthur Schopenhauer Spending time alone allows you to reconnect with yourself Moments of solitude provide a great opportunity to delve into parts of yourself that you lose touch with sometimes. Being alone allows you to contemplate who you want to be and what you want to become. I’ve always relished spending time alone because I find that it’s the perfect time to learn more about myself and what my true desires are. It’s a time where you can listen to your own thoughts and feelings and just be completely honest with yourself free from the distractions and expectations of others. Keeping in touch with yourself is essential to discovering your correct path in life. Dreams and ambitions are often uncovered in moments of solitude, and you’ll most likely find your true passions by taking the time to think about them very carefully. It will spark the creativity within you Having the time and the freedom to do the things you actually love doing will help you be more creative and passionate. We have the chance to explore our thoughts freely when we're spending time alone. Our imaginations can begin to run wild, providing the spark for our inner creativity. You'll be able to push your ideas to new boundaries, and most likely continue developing and harnessing your creative talents. For me, having some alone time is perfect for exploring my thoughts. It’s like my brain is being flexed to come up with new ideas, especially when I’m about to write. That's why I really appreciate some peace and quiet whenever I can get. Being alone can clear your mind from stress When you spend a few hours of quality time a week with yourself, you’re essentially clearing your mind from all the stress and anxiety that has built up over the course of the week due to heavy workloads and constant interactions with other people. Inner and outer peace is very important for us as human beings, and the road to finding that state of calmness starts with embracing solitude. If you find that there’s too much information overload and you can’t handle all the stress that’s building up, just take a step outside for a moment and find some place where you can be all alone, preferably in an open area. Take a few deep breaths, and let it go. I find this really helpful when there’s too much going on in my head, especially when I’m trying to accomplish something and my surroundings are full of distractions. How much time do we need to spend alone? It all comes down to you personally. It could be a few hours to a few minutes, because all of us have busy schedules. What’s important is you get to spend some quality time with yourself and relish every single second of it. It soothes our mind and rejuvenates our soul. So embrace being alone from time to time.
Unlock Your Potential: 3 Keys to Harnessing Your Hidden Aptitudes
As human beings we are born with innate abilities that differentiate us from others. Being the unique individuals that we are, our own set of skills are important building blocks for achieving our greatness. It’s how we make use of these very talents that will allow us to unlock our full potential and strive for success as we continue our progression here in life. Some people have done a tremendous job of unveiling their hidden abilities while others have yet to discover their true strengths. The question is, how do we find out what skills we possess and what are the steps needed for us to harness this inner power? Unlock Your Potential: 3 Keys to Harnessing Your Hidden Aptitudes With realization of one’s own potential and self-confidence in one’s ability, one can build a better world. -- Dalai Lama (more quotes) Identify what you’re really good at The first step to unlocking your full potential is to find out what you’re really good at. Figure out what skills have helped you thrive and what made you stand out from the rest. Are you a physically gifted individual who excels at a certain sport? Or are you the type of person who displays intellectual proficiency in a certain area? The key is to highlight your skills so you have a good grasp of what to focus on. I always had a knack for expressing myself through words when I was a kid and growing up. I realized that writing was one thing I’m really good at. We are generally good at a few things, but there’s always that one area where we do exceptionally well. That’s where your potential lies. The results tend to be better when we focus on doing what we’re naturally good at. The road to harnessing your inner power starts with identifying your strengths and putting your time into developing it. Master your craft Once you have a good idea of what specific skill you need to focus on, it’s time to master your craft. This is where dedication, hard work, and patience come in. Investing your time, effort, and energy into developing your talents is vital to achieving your fullest potential. Ever wonder how the greatest athletes and world champions achieved greatness? It’s the countless hours they’ve spent training and mastering their craft that put them in a position to succeed. They were wholly dedicated to sharpening their iron, and the results speak for themselves. It’s the work you put in when nobody sees it that matters. I remember when I first started out I was willing to stay up late at night just so I can perfect my writing. The results won’t be immediate, and it will take some time before you see your hard work come to fruition. In the end though, it’ll all be worth it. Perseverance and determination will make it happen. Turn your talent into passion Now that you’ve taken the time to identify your craft and perfect it, the last thing you need to do to reach your full potential is to turn your talent into passion. You have to love what you’re doing in order to succeed at it. It will spark a huge flame inside you that will push you to keep doing better and going further on the path to achieving your goals and ambitions in life. It’s this very motivation and love for your craft that will allow you to transcend your limits, and to live up to what you were supposed to be. To be able to do what you love and be successful at it -- that’s what we’re all aiming for. Identify your skills, master your craft, and turn your talent into passion. Soon enough you’ll be on the verge of breaking out and blazing your own trail. Remember, the sky’s the limit, and now is the time to spread your wings. Fly high and aim upwards.
No Way to Go but Up: 3 Things to Remember When You're Down
The journey of life is full of winding roads, and these seemingly narrow paths we tread can sometimes lead us to success or failure. Throughout this adventure we will encounter numerous obstacles along the way that will hinder us from moving forward, but it is up to us to decide if we just pack it up and turn back or keep pressing forward to discover what lies ahead. It can be a challenge to keep our spirits high when things start to fall apart. Your self-esteem is bruised, your thoughts are constantly revolving around the negatives, and you’re having a tough time picking up the pieces. But remember, it’s these very difficult experiences that will make you stronger if you learn to view them from a different perspective. No Way to Go but Up: 3 Things to Remember When You're Down When life knocks you down, try to land on your back. Because if you can look up, you can get up. - Les Brown It’s all about perspective How we look at things will inevitably affect how we view the world as a whole. Do you see the glass empty or half full? It’s all about perspective, and when you change yours, it will make a huge difference in your life. One thing that greatly affected how I handled my personal struggles was seeing them as opportunities for growth and as challenges to further improve myself. What are my weaknesses and how do I address them? What possible solutions can I come up with that will help me conquer these tribulations? These questions ignite a fire inside me, and it challenges me to better myself in times of hardships. Think of it like a whetstone that sharpens your blade every time you are backed up against a wall. Changing your perspective when things look bleak is a daunting challenge in and of itself -- and that’s where you should begin your path to rise up again. Don’t look down, look up We often hang our heads in shame whenever we commit a huge mistake or experience a distressing moment, especially when we’re at a low point in our lives. But looking down actually makes things a lot worse because it constantly reminds you that you’re stuck in a rut, convincing you that you have nowhere else to go and that it’s all hopeless. Once you start to look up, things begin to change. You realize that there’s a way out of the mess you’re currently in and that there is a light above you. The blue, crystal skies are proof that we can escape the dark surroundings we’re in. Whenever I feel down and out, I take my time to look up at the skies and just take a few, deep breaths. It helps me to relax and it gives me hope. The peacefulness of the white clouds and blue skies are a perfect cure for troubled minds. I found this to be quite soothing because think about it: our urban surroundings are full of distractions -- the stop signs, signal lights, and buildings; the roars of car engines and conversations of people around you. But when you step outside and look up at the sky, the winds blow and the calmness finds you. Sometimes all we need is a moment of solitude to contemplate and figure out what we really need to do. Think of mistakes as lessons learned Some of us make the mistake of constantly dwelling on the errors we’ve committed and beating ourselves up because of it. Let’s face it, we’re all humans. We’re bound to make mistakes, and all of us are prone to slip here and there. And once we do commit errors, we tend to regret our decisions. Despite our best efforts, we may fall down sometimes but that’s completely okay. It’s an empowering thought to look at one’s own mishaps as forms of lesson worth learning, not as mistakes worth regretting. Questions like “How do I avoid making this mistake again?” and “What should I do to make sure I don’t slip and fall next time around?” will train your mind to better yourself so you keep improving as you move forward. Remember that mistakes are lessons learned, and then you won’t have to regret dwelling over your faults when things get rough. Nowhere to go but up Just because you’re in a tough spot now doesn’t mean you have to stay there forever. The arrow is pointing upwards so remember this: when you’re down, there’s no other way to go but up. Reach your full potential and overcome each trial that comes your way. Life’s journey doesn’t stop when you stumble upon a road block. Instead, you push your way forward and conquer it.