Motivation Archives

Is joy possible? Finding your purpose through active living

Do you believe joy is possible? Many people I work with feel they passively exist without joy. Depression, anxiety, trauma, etc. may initially cause this, but then it is perpetuated by a lack of engagement in life. People do better when they are actively living. In the last post, we talked about what is the meaning of life and finding your purpose in life. Today we will talk about ideas to get started increasing engagement and enjoyment even if you aren’t feeling well. Active living can kickstart positive feelings and bring in new clarity about life purpose and meaning. read more

Too good to be true? An effective goal setting process you can sustain even when motivation is lagging. Learn how!

It’s hard to sustain effort over time. Sometimes it’s easier to get started than it is to keep going. This happens all the time with New Year’s Resolutions…if you belong to a gym you are well aware of the crowds that come in January and how quickly it goes back to normal in the next month or two. People often spend all their energy gearing up to get started and forget to plan for how to keep going.

In the first 2 posts in this series, we covered the difference between dreams and goals (and why they are both essential) and learned how to set SMART goals. Now that you have dreams and a plan in place for how to meet them, ensure your success by learning from the past and using organizational tools (and people!) to help you stay organized and accountable. An effective goal setting process incorporates opportunities to reassess and refocus when needed. read more

Writing SMART Goals Makes Achieving Your Dreams Possible.

Without setting goals, we may never achieve what it is we dream. Dreams are an endpoint and don’t include the steps to take to get there. The goals we decide to work on take thought and planning to increase the chances for success. This is where SMART goal setting comes in. Writing SMART goals will increase your ability to translate thought into action and help you make the goals effective and realistic. Setting SMART goals is an effective way to start achieving your dreams.

Remember that dreams are the destination, not the journey. Goals are the process we take to get there.

Download your free SMART goals worksheet to follow along with this post. read more

Achieve Your Dreams! A Series on the Importance of Setting Goals

Goals are part of every aspect of life and achieving them comes down to priorities and proper planning. Without setting goals and objectives, life becomes a series of chaotic events that feel out of your control. This series will walk you through the why, what, how, and when of creating goals so that you have a better chance to meet them and achieve your dreams. Although both important, goals and dreams are not the same thing. The importance of setting goals becomes obvious when we think of how many dreams we have had that we have never acted on. Don’t let your dreams stay wishes! read more

Want to Motivate Behavior Change in Others? Apply Motivational Interviewing Techniques to General Life

Motivation is the fuel needed for change. Without it, it is difficult to create the inertia to move past status quo. People often gravitate to what is known rather than the unknown and live in a state of being comfortably uncomfortable instead of making behavior change. Motivational interviewing techniques can be applied, not just between therapists and their clients, but as a general tool of communication to facilitate motivation for change.

3 Tips For Exercise: How to Stay Motivated when Depressed

In the last 2 posts about exercise and depression, I discussed how to help depression. We talked about how exercise helps depression, why it’s important to exercise even if you take an antidepressant, and how to create a plan with achievable goals that are broken down into smaller action steps. Now its time to think about how to stay motivated when depressed. The motivation for exercise doesn’t come easily to many people. It is hard to get started with exercise but it also can be hard to keep going. Old habits can creep back in try to slow down your progress. Learn how to overcome depression and stay well. read more

Exercise and Depression: How to get started when you want to stay in bed

In the last post about exercise and depression, I discussed the benefits of exercise on depression and why it is worth it to push yourself even when you have no energy. Exercise helps with overcoming depression but are you wondering how to get motivated when you are depressed? Depression can make it hard to get out of bed, brush your teeth and get dressed. Daily functioning can feel like a chore and even routine activities can feel completely overwhelming. Getting to work each day can feel monumental. And now you want me to exercise to help conquer depression?!! read more