Have you ever struggled with staying self-motivated?

The simplest way of putting it is;

self-motivation is the fuel that drives you to do stuff…

... and I know we all struggle from time to time!

I’m going to share with you my top tips on how i stay self-motivated in order to stay creative.

So, I live a manic lifestyle (as I'm sure the same applies to you). I work a 40+ hour a week job and still try and cram in as much as i can in my free time.

I mean the list of things I do in my spare time is endless!!!

Blogging
Reading
Vlogging
Football
Gaming

… the list goes on

I actually managed to film my day to day life and create a video every day for 2 years straight. All while working full time and having a girlfriend to keep happy ;)

I managed this by staying motivated and keeping myself doing what I am passionate about.

I even managed to get promoted at work!

Tip 1 - stay positive & surround yourself with positive people

This can be easier said than done but it’s amazing how much effect staying positive in all situations has on your motivation.

I read a book recently by Stephen Richards called ‘Think your way to success: Let the Dreams run free’ and he said something that really resonated with me.

“Happiness is something we reap from the seeds we sow. Plant misery seeds and that is what you reap.”

This goes hand in hand with what I was saying. Staying positive will plant the seeds to enable happiness and happiness are the key to all things!

...Including motivation!

Tip 2 - set goals and track them

I recently took a course on Leadership and Management. One of the biggest things I took away from this was the power of smart goals.

Ok, so smart goals are really designed for use in the workplace.

Specific
Measureable
Achievable
Realistic
Time-bound

But using smart goals in your creativity can really help staying motivated as they are realistic and actually achievable.

I read a segment of a book by a Harvard researcher ‘Teresa Amabile’ called ‘The Progress Principle’.
She states that the single most powerful motivator within the workplace was small, daily progress.

Tip 3 - learning new things

Learning new things has always been a passion of mine. I’m a curious person so curiosity always leads me to learn.

By learning and having a broader knowledge of different situations, this helps feed your innovation by inspiring us to be creative and keeping us motivated!

Tip 4 - Exercise

This is my last and most important tip on staying self-motivated!

There are many studies going into detail about the benefits to exercise but a great book I read by a neuroscientist Wendy Suzuki - ‘Healthy Brain, happy life’ sums it up perfectly.

In the book, it explains how there is evidence to prove that exercise could help make us more creative and how it can also be productivity-inducing.

This directly relates to keeping yourself motivated.

Conclusion

These are the 4 steps I use to keep myself self-motivated.

Let me know if you have any other tips??

How I stay Self-Motivated!