Find Motivation That Lasts

Motivation is a funny thing.  When I first feel the zing of a new idea, I am completely energized.  I could go out and conquer the world in that split second that I feel that zing.  I fall in love with this new baby idea and it grows new ideas and spawns beautiful dreams.  The sky opens up and a beam from heaven shines down on me.  Angels sing and birds chirp!  You hear me.  Those of you that are idea people know just exactly what I'm talking about.  It could be a really good idea, too.  This is the one.  People will come clammering to you in droves...And then you have to do the dishes, or change a load of laundry.  In other words, life on planet Earth comes back into the forefront of your mind.  

I still like my idea, but it will have to be dealt with later.  It's definitely roller coaster-like in the way it shoots me to a high and then drops me down and makes my stomach drop out.  I love this idea!  Now I have to work at it to make it happen.  I don't dislike work.  In fact, I really can't sit still for too long before I need to go do something.  That "something" might be any number of things, though.  

Just stay on this motivational high!  

Go do it!  

Make this dream happen!  And then I fall off the motivation wagon, again.  All this is to say that I need motivation all the time.  Motivation is short lived and fickle.  That's why I love my business.  It's words.  It's motivation.  It's in your face...and on my walls...and on a canvas...all over my house.  This is my latest creation.

This is on a shelf right by my front door.  I read it before I go out the door--everyday.  It takes discipline to go out the door and work at my dreams.  It takes work to change the "I can't tell people about my inspiring business" into "I can talk to everyone about my inspiring business." I put my motivation right in front of me, on purpose.  I won't be "up" all the time.  That's just not how life works.  Jesus told us in John 16:33, "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” So I choose to put "up" reminders in front of my face to remind me that I can do it.  Jesus has already overcome the evil this world.  I no longer need to listen to the negative reminders from the enemy.  I'm getting on with the dreams that God has given to me.  I changed my can'ts into cans and my dreams into plans.

To have motivation that lasts, I realized that I there will be ups and downs.  I just can't stay down.  I need to look around me.  Look at my beautiful kids and my amazingly patient husband.  Look at the gifts God has given to me, and put those into words to motivate me.  I need to verbalize why I am doing this.  I need to verbalize what it is I'm doing.  I need to remind myself of these things daily...and then go do it.

Just a little aside here...dealing with ups and downs in life is normal, but it's very different from dealing with actual depression.  That is something that needs to be dealt with in a more direct way: a doctor's prescription, counseling, etc.  Those are tools to help you get back on the road to living your life--ups, downs, and everything in  between.

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What motivates you to stay consistently working your dream?  Comment below.