It’s been a crazy year hasn’t it? Our family has definitely had a fair share of crazy between job hiring freezes, open heart surgery, and a pandemic. Through it all, I’ve worked really hard on ways to stay motivated while going through tough times for sanity’s sake. I’ve gotten stronger for Addie since she’s growing, and I’ve lost weight from pregnancy with Lawson. I’ve also amped up my businesses while enjoying what life has to offer at home. I’m not saying I’ve got it all together- far from it, but I thought I’d share the ways to stay motivated that have helped me best. Maybe they’ll help you too!
So what’re my favorite ways to stay motivated while going through tough times?
1| Create a routine- Creating a routine has been really helpful for me in staying motivated through this whole thing. We have a daily schedule and it has made such a difference in my mood. Scheduling out blocks of time for work has been vital to my routine too. I’m the kind of person that can work all day if given the chance, which was draining. Scheduling out blocks helps me stay focused and motivated on what needs to get done.
2| List + Breakdown Your Goals- The thing about motivation is that it’s intrinsic. You won’t get more work done or get stronger or have a cleaner house or whatever unless you are motivated to do them. Making a list of the goals I want to achieve and then breaking them down into things that are attainable. For me, general goals were the start. Things like “get stronger” or “create 3 blog posts a week” were on my initial list and then I broke down my goals. I know many of you are wondering about my weight loss, and I found that the app Happy Scale was really helpful. I was able to put in my goal weight and it divided it out into small, attainable goals. I’m really focusing more on my strength versus number on a scale. Still, it is helpful to have it automatically broken down for me when I do care to track numbers.
3| Find Your Why- Finding my why has been the BEST way to stay motivated while going through tough times. If you don’t have a why, you may as well forget having any motivation. My why for getting stronger and healthier is Addie. I was gaining weight with no stopping in sight. My heart was having palpitations, my toes would go numb when I was in the tub, and I was always so tired. I also noticed I was asking Mathew to pick up Addie for me more and more. It wasn’t until I realized she is going to keep growing, that I knew I needed to take back my health. I never want to worry about something happening to me and how that might affect my kids, so I decided right then and there to make a change.
Every time I don’t want to workout I think of Addie. It’s the same with my work. I want to get further in my job as a content creator and so I had to find a why for it. Now, every time I think about brands I want to work with, I work harder on my blog. Without a why, your motivation will fizzle quickly. Don’t let that happen!
4| Get Out and Moving- We only have one body gifted to us from God. It’s important for us to keep it healthy. Healthy isn’t a number. It’s just a way of living that works for you. We know that strong muscles keep us healthy, and the brain is a muscle. In order to keep our brain healthy and our body happy, it’s always great to get exercise in. Exercise helps your mental age, reduces comorbid conditions, boosts energy, and improves mood.
I personally like to do Camp Gladiator workouts. I used to do in person workouts but with my busy schedule it’s not as feasible. They have online workouts now and I love them. I hop on zoom with my mat and weights when I can. A trainer encourages me live and corrects me on form if I need. Way better than a Youtube video or DVD. I love being able to see my friends from all over the country on there too. Whatever you end up doing, it doesn’t matter as long as you do something. Get moving for at least 30 minutes a day even if it’s making laps inside your house during tv commercials.
5| Join a Community- Before the pandemic happened, Mathew and I started keto. It’s been great for us, and I love that he is my accountability partner. If you don’t have an accountability partner to share your goals, I highly suggest it. You will find that your motivation will soar with an accountability partner. Don’t have one? Join a community. Whether it’s for work goals, parenthood goals, weight loss, healthy living, or anything else, there are online communities for all these things! The amazing community we have in Essentially Keto has been an amazing motivator for me. There are tons of incredible women sharing recipes and their stories in there. They keep me going and are just one of the many groups I’m in for accountability. Another group I love is our oil group, We Can Oil It. I learn so much from the women in there! That’s one of the best parts about community, too. My best advice is not to lurk in your community groups. The more active you are, the more support and motivation you’ll have!
6| Keep In Touch With Loved Ones- When I am unmotivated I find that I just want to be alone. I become a hermit. I’m distant and depressed. It is amazing what a 5 minute Facetime with my sister or short online chat with friends can do for my mood, though! A smile from someone you love will do so much good for your soul. Social media, Facetime, texting, phone calls, and Zoom are just some of the ways to keep in touch with people. There’s actually someone I know that has monthly dinner nights with girlfriends over Zoom. They dress up to a theme and have dinner together on Zoom. It’s extra effort, but it’s an amazing way to stay motivated while going through tough times. Get creative and have fun. It’ll make a huge difference to your mood and motivation.
7| Recognize Your Achievements- As you get closer to or meet goals, don’t be afraid to recognize your achievements. There is nothing wrong with expressing joy for meeting milestones or hitting goals. You’ve worked hard! Whether it’s small recognition you prefer or something large, soak it in. As an enneagram 3, achievements rock my world and keep me motivated. You may not be an enneagram 3, but know that whatever you’ve set out to do is amazing. I hope you’ll feel encouraged and empowered. Share your achievements with others for some extra motivation! Some fun ways I recognize my achievements are:
- Telling my husband
- Sharing with my parents
- Exclaiming it to all our awesome readers online
- Buying a little treat from Starbucks, Etsy, Target, or H-E-B
- Do a victory dance
8| Sit Down With Jesus- I couldn’t complete this list of ways to stay motivated while going through tough times without including Him. Truth be told, I’ve had a LOT of conversations with Jesus this past year. Heck, the past several years. Nothing, and I mean nothing, has helped my motivation than a relationship with Him. Praying has been a huge part of my journey and I attribute a lot of my motivation from that. If you haven’t added prayer or quiet time to your day, I highly recommend doing that. Although this is the last tip, it’s the most important.
Like I said, I don’t have it all figured out. I’m a hot mess mom just like every other mom. At the end of the day I just want to do what I can to love myself. Taking care of my body and taking back control of my health is really important to me. Working and gaining recognition for my hard work is also really important to me. When you find what is important to you, I promise the motivation will get there. Have some hard conversations with yourself about your goals. Go from there. I promise it’ll come. And if you haven’t heard it lately- you’re worth it.
