Refreshing focus
Whenever I get so swept up with all the challenges of life and my discipline starts to wane and I need a boost I know it’s time to give myself a little jumpstart in motivation. While my go to is attempting a challenge with a friend where we can both be accountable, sometimes I’m on my own. In those instances I like to watch some videos or re-read books that will help me get back on track.
I recently re-picked up Conquer Procrastination a book written by my friend Nadalie Bardo. “Deep work” is another inspiring book I mentioned several blogs ago that deserved a relisten. Last month I finished a new one called “The Compound Effect.” I completely enjoyed listening to it because it spoke about the positive and negative effects of habits, routines and rhythms in one’s life. The emphasis is that the little does matter down the line and so you need to be strategic about what your “little” is and you can be encouraged about the small things you do that are aligned to your goals. This book reminded me of others I read earlier this year. “Tiny habits” and “Automic habits”.
Staying motivated and on course when it comes to the dreams on your heart can be so hard at times. I find that breaks and time away help to put things in perspective. Taking time to regularly re-evaluate where you are and where you want to be is necessary. When you look daily, weekly and monthly at your life it allows you to make sure your habits and intentions are taking you in the right direction. In “The Compound Effect ” I loved the idea that what you do doesn’t necessarily have to be a lot of effort at the beginning to take you where you’re going as long as you are being consistent. But consistency is what we all struggle with right?
In case you’re wondering, I use the Libby by Overdrive app on my phone to listen to free books from the public library. It’s helped me so much in the last few years. I listen while on short walks, but mostly on long drives. I previously used Audible which was very handy because most books can be found there if you don’t mind paying each month. It’s more than a netflix subscription but you will get a book of your choice each month for the cost and you can choose to purchase extra books. I didn’t usually need to purchase books because I found listening to one book a month to be doable for me. The best part is even if you unsubscribe, the books you’ve purchased remain in your permanent library so you can re-listen anytime.
With my attention span suffering as much as the next person and my natural desire to do nothing I need these little boosts to help. They help me check in with myself to make sure I’m still on track with my vision and priorities. It isn’t always pleasant especially when I do feel unmotivated or like I’m falling behind but it does help restore my perspective.
What are some of your motivation boosting techniques?
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