5 simple tips to stay motivated when faced with a challenge

How do you respond when faced with a challenge? We tend to freeze like a rabbit in the headlights – we suddenly find ourselves incredibly busy doing washing up or filing or we run like crazy in the opposite direction. It’s the fight or flight response.

However facing a challenge doesn’t need to be like that. Today I’ll share 5 simple tips to keep yourself motivated when faced with challenges, whether personal or professional.

5 Simple Tips To Stay Motivated

1- Create a vision

It’s much easier to stay motivated if you are working towards a goal that is really important to you, or that you understand the importance of that goal for others.

When you set out to achieve something, be sure that it is something that YOU want.

Create a vision in your head and then get this down on paper. Draw a picture of it. I talk about this more in an earlier blog. When you put the vision somewhere you can see it every day, this has a big impact on your motivation.

2 – Make your goal realistic and achievable

Your goal needs to be realistic and achievable. For example, if the challenge you want to put yourself up against is to run ten marathons in ten days (and yes there are people that do this), and you are starting from zero running experience, it might be unrealistic to expect to achieve that goal next month.

However break this goal down into smaller steps (I’ve shared this strategy a few times in the past on my Facebook page), and YES absolutely you can do this.

3- Remember your strengths, skills, and achievements

It is important to remind yourself of your strengths, your skills and your past achievements. To remind yourself of what you are capable of. Think about similar challenges you have faced before and how you succeeded.

Consider keeping a Gratitude Journal or an Achievements Journal. I find it very helpful to look back at mine when I’m feeling stuck. It helps to remind me of the challenges I have overcome in the past and therefore I WILL find a way now.

4 – Dance

Yes put on some loud happy music and just dance for 5 minutes or so. There’s nothing like a bit of joyful movement to stimulate your creativity and give you energy. If you want the neuroscience, it’s giving your brain a little dopamine boost!

5 – Browse your testimonials or appraisals

Browse through your client testimonials if you are running a business (you do keep these, right?). Or reflect on the positive comments that friends or family have said to you or about you. Or look back at appraisals or other positive feedback that you have received. Remind yourself of the positives as seen by others.