Eye Of The Tiger

I’m almost embarrassed to admit just how much I loooooove Katy Perry’s new song “Roar” – it’s virtually impossible to hear it without feeling motivated, inspired, positively kick-ass and ready to tackle anything life throws at you. If you haven’t heard it yet, what rock have you been lurking under???? Do yourself a favor and give it a listen here….you’ll be glad you did.

What inspires and motivates you? I’m inspired by so many things around me, it’s not even funny. I truly believe that I have the soul of an artist trapped inside a talentless body – I find inspiration in the littlest of things, and I’m so easily amused. I’m also pretty motivated about everything – apart from housework…I hate doing that. I only know one person who enjoys cleaning her house – truth be told, I think she needs her head examined! I’m very motivated when it comes to my job – partially because I take pride in what I do, but mostly because I believe that education is damn important work…far too important to half-ass it. As well, I’m motivated to do well with my daughter, and raise her the best that I possibly can. She’s such an amazing, sweet child – I can’t believe how lucky I am!! I’m determined to give her a better life than I’ve had – mine hasn’t been all crap all the time, but there have certainly been some horrific moments along the way. I don’t want to shelter my Muppet so much that she’s clueless about life, but some protection from the harsh realities of the world wouldn’t hurt. In hindsight, I wasn’t protected enough – I experienced way heavy shit wayyyyy too early in life, resulting in me being forced to grow up far too fast. I wish that was different – but since it can’t be, I wish better for my daughter. She is the best – and she deserves the very best, too.

The best motivation in the world! :-)

While researching the topic of motivation, I came across this article – ‘How To Get Motivated – 8 Tips To Break Your Motivational Funk’…here is what the author suggests:

Remember Your Peak Moments. I used to call this being in the zone, but I much prefer the terminology from  Find Your Great Work:  peak moments. These are moments of triumph and they remind me who I am, what I am about – and why I am chasing my unique goals. : “A peak moment is a time when you felt you were at the top of your game […] Your Peak Moment connects you with that time when you felt most fulfilled, most stretched, most present[…] a moment of insight where you say: yes this is something to remember, this is a moment of me at my most essential, me at my most authentic and best.”– Find Your Great Work

Do Less. “Make everything count. Whatever you do or keep in your life, make it worthy of keeping. Make it really count.”  – from The Simple Guide to a Minimalist Life, page 8.  I often feel unmotivated when I feel like I am carrying the world on my shoulders, and because of this completing tasks doesn’t actually make me feel good – it just makes me feel anxious and worry “what’s next?”  Simplify. Let go of commitments.  By making room in my day for the things I want to do, I am much more motivated to get started on them – and I don’t worry about a large to-do list that’s waiting for me.

Nip It In The Bud – Don’t Let The Slump Start.  Often for me it’s the little things that lead to a motivational slump.   It’s skipping one workout to hang out with friends, then two.  By the next week, in the back of my mind I’m already rationalizing why today is a bad day for the gym – there is so much momentum working against me that it’s hard to get started again. Don’t fall into that trap – Take action right away, no matter how small the victory, and use that momentum for further tasks.

Get Active.  I have only empirical evidence to back this up, but I’ve found that when I’m not exercising, my other goals suffer as well. I’m not sure where in the process the magic is, but there is absolutely some relationship between productivity, running, high-energy workout music and a refreshing shower afterwards.

Remember This Moment Is Precious – And Only Here For Today.  Sometimes when I’m not motivated to do what I know needs to be done, I remind myself that if I waste this opportunity, this one chance, I’ll never get another.  My minutes, hours and days come around one time – and it’s up to me to live the life I want, right now.

Dream. This may just be semantics, but I always feel like the word “dream” is more liberating than “goal.” I enjoy having and day to day focus on my goals – they tend to be concrete, discrete and (for me) more short term.  Dreams remind me why I’m focusing on short term goals – you may have a goal of visiting Australia, but you dream of traveling the world.

Use Daily, Consistent Motivation. Get your free copy of Personal Development 101.  You’ll receive constant encouragement and motivational thoughts, as well as a free copy of the Little Book Of Motivational Quotes.

Remind Yourself. Set your homepage to this motivational start page.  You’ll be reminded daily to be motivated and keep moving forward towards your goals.

There’s some good stuff there, friends – I love the idea of a mantra or slogan, but I’m even more enamored with the idea of getting a great theme song. I know people who use “Eye of the Tiger” as their theme song – and, while a great choice, I feel it’s rather tired. I’m more partial to songs like “Hot Stuff” (a great song to play in your head when you fancy walking with a bad-ass strut), “You Sexy Thing” (ditto), “Teenage Dream” (for when you want to feel all-around awesome), “I Will Survive”…and now “Roar”! What’s your theme song?

Roar, kitty!!!

I’m also a big believer in the idea of remembering your peak moments – I know that when I feel kicked down by life, it helps to remember the good things that have happened, when everything has gone my way and I have been doused in awesome sauce…after all, if I was good once, I can be that way again, right? The next suggestion – Do Less – is a profound one for me…I have been on a quest to simplify my life, and while it probably appears to those that know me that I haven’t even made a dent in this one, I SO have. I have cut way back on a lot of things, have focused my energy on the few things that truly matter…and I’m really embracing the idea of not sweating the small stuff. For a girl like me who is an obsessive fretter, this is SO hard, but…I’m going to get it under control, and I just know that it’s going to make a massive difference in my life. Yaa!

Life simplification begins with wine :-)

Nip It In The Bud and Get Active are both good suggestions – everybody knows how a crappy mood can snowball, and a bad day can become a national disaster in under an hour if you obsess over it, so…why bother? I like the idea of getting active – I, however, am not about to go for a run (whether I’d like to or not, it’s not much of an option due to my rack), but I know that bike riding always makes me feel better, as does playing Just Dance on the Wii, or even going for a walk in da’hood.

L♥VE :-)

I’m real big on the next one – remembering that each day is only here for a short time and is precious. I’ve seen far too much death in my life, so I have a real understanding of the fleeting nature of our existence – an understanding that has grown exponentially since my daughter was born. I never used to fear death (and often engaged in STUPID activities that almost taunted death and dared it to come my way – like a dumbass), but since the Wee One arrived, I am petrified of dying and not getting to see her grow up. I live more deliberately and carefully now, and I do things more purposefully…I like that. I love the idea of always dreaming – I’m big into that, whether it’s through my list of 50 Things To Do Before I’m 50 (see below – the ones in bold have been accomplished, and I’m currently accepting offers to help with any of the remaining items), or any of my other constant dreams and fantasies (Bali, winning a lotto, getting a promotion, winning an award for something – anything). I truly believe that without dreams we are nothing – and, I don’t know about you, but I have NO interest in being a nothng.

1. Own a house	26. Write a book
2. Have a child (or 2)	27. Ride on a pogo stick
3. Get my Masters degree	28. Learn to cook Thai food
4. Scuba dive somewhere tropical	29. Play strip poker
5. Go to New Orleans	30. Go to Las Vegas, baby!
6. Learn to salsa dance	31. Dance in the moonlight
7. Visit a hot spot for a vacation	32. Be kissed on a beach
8. Learn to play guitar	33. Try on a pair of expensive shoes (Manolos)
9. Master the recipe for Moules Marinières	34. Learn to knit or crochet
10. Golf under 100 on 18 holes	35. Go to a spa for a facial
11. Try surfing	36. Be debt free
12. Drink beer through a tube attached to a hat	37. Own a vehicle out right
13. Learn to play tennis	38. Swim with dolphins
14.  See KISS live in concert	39. Plant a tree in my own yard
15. Learn to make vinetarta	40. Learn to play the bagpipes
16. See Willy Nelson perform live	41. Take a cross-country road trip for fun
17. Go camping	42. Sing karaoke
18. Own a pair of cowboy boots	43. Have someone feed me grapes
19. Learn to make balloon animals	44. Convince a man to wear a kilt
20. Learn yoga	45. Visit the Grand Canyon
21. Have a dog	46. Throw a costume party
22. Put all my pictures in albums	47. Send a message in a bottle
23. Drink tequila in a shot glass off someone’s body	48. Take a picture a day for 365 days (I’m almost halfway through this one!)
24. Wear a tiara out for dinner	49. Visit New York City
25. Learn a bit of Spanish	50. Have a star named after me

Sage advice that hangs on the wall in my office :)

What makes you feel motivated, friends? Do you seek external influence, or are you lit from within? I’d love to hear from you!! In the meantime….look out….’cause you’re gonna hear me roooooooar!

Xxx