Staying Motivated

One of the major problems when you set out to accomplish something that requires work and practise is "staying motivated." (I'll admit that it has become a problem for me many times.) At first you're tremendously enthusiastic and excited, but as you work to accomplish your goal, boredom and uncertainty set in. Will I really ever get what I want? Will I ever finish? Is it all going to be worth it? It seems like a lot of work... You are tempted to give up.

What can you do to overcome this? One of the best things is to rejuvenate your initial enthusiasm. Think about the tremendous excitement you initially had, and the reason for this excitement. You were excited then, why can't you be just as excited now. Actually, you can be. Think again about the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow -- the reason you got excited. Go over it in your mind. Get excited about it again.

There's no doubt that it takes a tremendous amount of practise to become skilled at anything, and if you are to become accomplished, the practise can become tedious and tiresome. To avoid this, the best thing is to keep your eye on the objective.

Repetition and practise are two of the most powerful forces in the world. Only through them can you develop tremendous skills. Accept the fact that they are a necessary part of what is required for attaining these skills. When you get tired and bored, get stubborn: think of perfection. Rather than thinking about quiting, think about how you can practise better. Think about how you can do things even better. Think about what you can do to make things more perfect.

Persistence is the key. Don't let anything stop you, and don't give up. Everyone experiences boredom and uncertainty. Don't let it get to you. Give yourself little "peptalks." Tell yourself that "you can do it," "you're feeling great," "you're going to accomplish what you set out to do," and so on. It's amazing how effective little peptalks can be.

Barry Parker Website BarryParkerbooks.com