Motivation – What I Must Do to Live a Happy Life

A good part of the world adjusted its clock to Winter Time at the end of October which added light to the morning, but made staying up late at work even more challenging. Motivation, like many other things, fades away [sometimes] more quickly than it has come. If it is not fuelled regularly, anxiety and uncertainty easily substitute confidence and satisfaction.

The question “Why cannot I be happy?” keeps terrorising our minds. We tend to put too much attention on what is missing in our lives rather than focusing on what we already have (and oftentimes we do have a lot).

If we can concentrate on the copiousness we already possess, we will steadily chase away the adverse feelings that come from lacking something.

The guru of motivation and human elevation – Anthony Robbins – teaches us that “Whatever you attach the words ‘I am’ to, you hard-wire yourself into becoming after enough time and repetition.”

In this article, he goes into detail that if we change the phrase “What I should do” with “What I must do” and raise our standards higher than before, we are making the first steps to an inside shift to mastering our quality of life.

If we want a sea change in our lives, we have to be willing to do our best to achieve it. It all boils down to honestly answering the question “Who am I?”. We are innately determined to pursue what we truly believe we are.

Let me now give you some ideas on how I charge myself on a daily basis in order to live a happy and motivated life:

1. I kick-start the day with a dose of motivational quotes (see photo below), which I either repeat to myself (for instance, my favourite one is “Wake up and be awesome”) or read from the numerous some small notes that I have dispersed around my flat to inspire myself further during the day.

   

2. When I am feeling down (yes, it happens to the best of us and it is perfectly normal; do not succumb to it, though), I do the following. I look back at things that have already passed and I start thinking how I handled them then. I almost always end up with the belief that I could tackle a problem (I prefer the word “challenge”), which I have encountered in the past, in a better way. This gives me an immense amount of confidence and it means that I am marching in the right direction.
3. In the evening, I will take a pen and a paper and start writing what I have learnt and achieved during the day or how I have helped somebody or the whole world to become a better place (I put down at least 3 things regardless of their importance). You can also do that for the week (month, year) that has passed and see how well you feel after that. I have recently read an article about an elderly lady (who is 90 already but looks like a 65-year old) who, on a daily basis, thanks for her life and what it has brought her. I find expressing my gratitude every day to provide me with a gigantic amount of content.

Achieving the appropriate motivation is a challenging task, but as with any other thing in the world – regular practice and patience help you master it.

So, instead of admonishing yourself harshly for something that has already happened and is usually beyond your control, take a deep breath and think about the words of Michael Jordan, “I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed.”

Get rid of the drivel and jabber that have cosily nested in your head and be audacious enough to face the next challenge. Good luck!

What is motivation for you? Do you have any others tips on how to motivate yourself? Share them with me in the comments below.