Ways on how to stay focused and motivated (looking for that lost spark in yourself)

Working for five years in the corporate world, I never thought to leave the comfort zone that I have built around myself. Being at the office for nine hours every day, five days in a week has been a norm for me.

Not until I decided to part ways with the BPO company I am working with because of some personal reasons that most of you can surely relate to. The travel has become taxing and time consuming to me and I was left with no motivation and inspiration. And also not to mention the feeling that with the work and commute that you are doing every day it seems like your salary was never enough.

I was so down and depressed, I sought help and counsel from my family, friends and from my partner. This is one of those times that I am really glad that I have them. Hearing words of encouragement from them gave me strength and I have decided to take a break for a while, regroup my thoughts and refocus on my goals in life. I have decided to focus on the things that I love doing like writing and programming and maybe make a fortune out of it. But I faced a hard wall on where to start. Even if I have the skills, the motivation is not there to jump-start my journey.

Thankfully, the internet nowadays is full of articles that one can read and browse to help individuals like me to regain that lost motivation.

Below are a few of the ways I have learned on how one can stay motivated:

Work with your strengths

Know what you are good at and focus on it. Make your strengths a habit and focus on it.

Look for intrinsic motivation

Look for the benefits and rewards of doing something. Upon finishing your goal, that feeling of satisfaction and fulfillment will surely follow.

Set “Big Hairy Audacious Goals”

Give yourself time to think and to set what your “Big Hairy Audacious Goals” (also known as Bee-HAG) are in life. Small, achievable goals are good but having a BHAG which is intended to be very difficult but not impossible to attain gives a sense of excitement for the next 10, 20, or even 30 years allotted to it. Working on your BHAG will eventually transform you nonetheless if you work hard for it.

Set the mood

Always make sure to work on places with good ambiance. The scenery will not only look good but will also give you a more positive outlook on things.

Set your schedule

There is no standardized schedule that works for all. Everyone has something unique in their everyday routine. Try juggling with yours and look for the best flow of routines that would work for you. While most of you start your schedule upon waking up, I suggest you start by scheduling your sleep. Getting enough rest is the best preparation you can do to start your daily battles.

Stay creatively fueled

Do not be afraid of occasional challenges. Face it head on but with preparedness. The discomfort you may feel will be the fuel that your creative self needs. Upon working on it over a couple of dozen times, you will eventually get it easy using your abilities and skills.

Stay accountable

Deadlines are surely frightening especially if you are not meeting it and will pile up when no action is done. Be sure to have a sense of urgency and regularly set hard deadlines and stick to them. Having someone who knows you or who is not afraid of calling you out when you are slacking will surely help to get you accountable for the things you do.

Say no to procrastination

All of us at one point is a victim of procrastination. It’s OK, it happens. But have you thought about what would have been if you didn’t procrastinate? Momentum is important here so make sure to start doing tasks that are easy to you. Then visualize the accomplishment that you would feel upon finishing all your tasks.

Persevere

At the end of the day, we are only human. We have different learning capacities. There would be times when you will be disappointed and frustrated and that will be essential for your growth. After every failure always remembers to stand back up and be stronger/better than what you are before. Commit to your goals even after failing. Remember that failure is not the end of the road.