3 Simple Things You Can Do Today To Boost Your Motivation

The post is developed in partnership with BetterHelp.

Sadly, motivation is not a switch that you can just turn on whenever you need to get stuff done. Plus, being a mom is exhausting, and it’s not always the most appreciated of jobs, so it’s completely natural to feel depleted and unmotivated from time to time. And the truth is that finding motivation when you have none is not as easy as “getting up and getting dressed.” 

That being said, a lack of motivation is sometimes a symptom of an underlying mental health issue, like depression or anxiety. So if you are in a place where you have a hard time getting through your daily activities, like work, taking care of your kids, or staying on top of your health and wellbeing, it may be time to talk to someone about how you’ve been feeling. Many busy moms find online therapy to be incredibly convenient and helpful. Visit https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/motivation/ to learn more about how therapy can help you overcome depression and lack of motivation. 

So how do you stay motivated as a mom, whether you’re struggling with your mental health or just lost in the daily routine? It’s not enough to wait around for motivation to suddenly kick in. The first step to regaining energy and inspiration is to want to do it, which, if you’re reading this, you’ve already done. Great! To keep the ball rolling, here are 3 additional strategies for boosting motivation that you can start implementing today. 

Identify and establish SMART goals

As simple as it sounds, one of the keys to getting motivated is to think about the goals that you want to accomplish and establish SMART objectives to achieve them. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound. It is a proven way to improve productivity through measurable, trackable goals.  

Examples of personal SMART goals for moms:

• I will exercise for 30 minutes five times a week
• I will read a book chapter before bed instead of scrolling on my phone

Check out these at-home workouts from BarBend.

Examples of professional SMART goals for moms:

• To achieve my goal of being promoted, I will complete the required training within 6 weeks and schedule a meeting with my boss to discuss my progress in the company 
• I will bring 3 new clients into my business each month

Examples of family SMART goals for moms:

• We will eat dinner as a family 5 times a week
• We will put away our electronic devices and spend time as a family every night from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm

Read motivational quotes

Don’t write off motivational quotes as silly or cheesy: evidence shows that reading positive quotes produces similar feelings in your brain to that of actually accomplishing something. Inspirational words can almost instantly change your thought process and provide perspective to look at things from a different – and sometimes better – angle. Here are five great quotes to inspire you to get motivated and go after your goals:

“Everything you’ve ever wanted is on the other side of fear.”

– George Addair

“Don’t sit down and wait for the opportunities to come. Get up and make them.” 

– Madam C.J Walker

“One of the lessons that I grew up with was to always stay true to yourself and never let what somebody else says distract you from your goals.”

– Michelle Obama

“The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty.” 

– Winston Churchill

“Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible.” 

– Tony Robbins

“Think like a queen. A queen is not afraid to fail. Failure is another stepping stone to greatness.” – Oprah Winfrey

Track your habits

Tracking your habits is a great way to stay motivated because it allows you to visualize all the things you accomplish each day, helps you achieve long-term goals, and it’s a fantastic accountability tool that can help you see both positive and not-so-positive patterns in your daily routine.

There are many different ways to track your habits. But the main idea is to identify a few habits that you would like to form. Like SMART goals, your habits should be realistic (you’re probably not going to magically start working out two hours every day if you haven’t exercised in years) and specific (don’t just say “I want to wake up earlier,” set a specific time to wake up each day). 

Some popular habit tracking methods include:

• Bullet journals
• Calendars (paper or electronic)
• Excel or Google sheets template
• Habit tracking apps
• Printable templates (habit wheels, charts, etc.)

 

 

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