When the financial markets are down, housing sales are less than desirable and the norm seems to be chaos, one of the hardest things for a person to do is motivate yourself. It doesn’t matter what it is you are working on or need to get done; you just can’t seem to get started.
Do you need a “jump start” to get going but don’t know where to go to get powered up. Or, maybe you feel more like a flat tire. You know the tire is flat and you know that you need to put air into it before you can drive the car, but how do you go to get air for the tire if the tire is already flat?
Is there a solution, a readily available one? Can you “jump start” or re-energize yourself to the point that you are once again motivated?
Amanda, a bright talented department head, was having a lot of trouble getting started on projects she’d ignored for weeks, maybe months. It was becoming quite a chore. She had procrastinated long enough on her given projects that they were really piling up making self-motivation and the projects seem overwhelming and insurmountable tasks.
Where Do You Begin
Amanda would say, “I just don’t know where to begin. I don’t think I have enough energy to get started.” She was even overheard saying, “maybe if I leave the stuff there long enough, it will disappear on its own.” While she didn’t need anyone to discourage her, she did need to know projects never go away on their own.
The more she procrastinated, the more unmotivated she became, turning what might once have been a routine simple project into a mountain sized sand pile to move with only a teaspoon. The only way to tackle these types of issues is head on. You eat a mile high pie (or move a mountain sized project) the same way you eat anything else, one bite (one teaspoon or step) at a time.
Re-energizing self and self motivation is really much easier than you might think when you apply some basic Feng Shui principles. There are three easy steps Amanda used to shift her energy that you can follow.
• First - decide that today is the day to begin. Once you have made that decision you have put into play all of the necessary energy shifts you will need to move forward. When it comes to personal actions, energy follows intent. By making a commitment to yourself that you will begin that much overdue project, event, un-cluttering or you fill in the blank __________, your personal energy will follow your intent. Feng Shui is all about using positive energy (in this case the positive energy of self-motivation or re-energizing) to bring about desired results (getting on with the projects, events or procrastinations you’ve been putting off). Remember, what you focus on multiplies. If you focus on getting motivated that is exactly what will happen.
• Step two - get a pencil and paper so you can make a list. Place on the paper all of the projects, issues or events that need to be taken care of. Once you have everything listed, carefully review the list to find the single most important item on that list that would give you the best energy boost if you no longer had to worry about it. Make it No. 1 on your list. Then review each of the other items on the list giving them an appropriate value of importance. Now, you have a plan. Just creating the plan is very motivating because once you see your plan; you can also see that you have become focused and energized about getting those items done that are on your list.
• NOW, get started. Begin with on item No. 1. The most important way to motivate self is to take action. You will immediately feel energized. You will also feel in control and not at the mercy of all of those projects, events or issues you’ve been dreading to tackle for months on end; or ever since the chaotic doom and gloom hit the news cycle. Taking action means you’ve taken one bite of that mile high pie or you’ve removed one teaspoon of sand from your mountain. With each bite or teaspoon you get closer and closer to completion and more and more motivated.
By applying these few principles of re-energizing and motivating herself, Amanda slowly became more and more motivated to move forward. The positive energy of completing one project was helping her focus positive energy on completing the next project as well.
Amanda didn’t need a massive make over. She simply needed to create a plan and take one step at a time to see her plan to completion. Like Amanda, once you’ve recognized what needs to be done, make your plan and “take that first step.” You will be on the road to completion. With every step you take, with every bite of your pie or every teaspoon of your mountain you move, your energy and self motivation will grow by leaps and bounds.
Re-energizing and self-motivation are all about making a plan and taking action. Positive action creates positive motivating energy which in turn creates desired results. Use this simple formula, it really works.
© Pat Heydlauff, all rights reserved 2009
Pat Heydlauff, president of Energy Design, uses Feng Shui design principles to eliminate chaos and stress at home and within oneself. More than a Feng Shui expert, Pat is a consultant and speaker who helps remove clutter and negativity while encouraging personal growth, improved relationships and prosperity. Her book, "Feng Shui: So Easy a Child Can Do It” shows how small changes can lead to a big improvement in one's personal and professional success. For information on her consulting, speaking and artwork, visit: http://www.Energy-by-Design.com or call: 561-799-3443.