The Lazy Man's Steps to Becoming Self Motivated

I'm speaking from experience here. I used to consider myself to be a lazy person. It took great effort and careful planning for me to get off my duff and become a self-motivated person. To be successful, you must be able to motivate yourself. The steps I am about to share with you, I learned from my own experience and by observing the methods of some very successful people. Figure out your "why" Successful, motivated people always have a "why". Determine what your "why" is. What part of your lifestyle would you really like to change? What parts of your life are you really, really tired of? Pinpoint these issues. Here is my first list of "whys": * I needed to spend more time reading and learning * I wanted to make healthier choices in my eating and exercising. * I was desperately tired of being inundated by a massive debt load. * I was tired of being obligated to drive through the busiest traffic of the day and spend the best part of my day at an office surrounded by negative people that I really didn't care to spend my time with. * I was tired of telling my 12 year old son that I couldn't afford the faster racing go kart or parts that would make him more competitive with the other racers. * I was tired of hauling his kart and equipment in the back of our pickup instead of in a nice enclosed trailer like the other racers had. * I didn't want to be an "average joe", or what I call "the cream of the crap" Put a picture to your "why" Once you have identified what your "why" is, put a picture to it. What would it look like if you already had the results that you attained by achieving your "why". Spend several minutes every day visualizing those pictures. Play them in your head like a little movie. I can see myself pulling in to my parking area in the pit at the kart racing facility with my 1-Ton GMC diesel pickup pulling a 20 foot enclosed trailer. When I open the rear fold down door, I roll out 3 matching karts. All of them are brand new and each has a different style of engine to run in 3 different classes. One runs a Yamaha KT100, one runs a TaG motor, and the 3rd is an 80cc shifter kart. As I peer into the back of the trailer, I see a workbench with cabinet drawers where I keep all my tools and spare parts neatly organized.....you get the point. See things as you wish for them to be. Make some simple changes Start by making some simple changes in your routine. Don't set yourself up to fail by trying to make sweeping changes that you can't possible keep up with. Begin small, develop habits, and grow from there. Here are some suggestions that may help you get started. Drink at least 2 quarts of water every day. I couldn't believe how much more energy I had during the day after I began doing that. In addition, I have not gotten a cold or the flu since I started drinking water like that. If you have a pattern of skipping breakfast, as many do, purchase some protein powder and begin to drink protein shakes as a substitute for breakfast that you can drink in the car during your commute. It is commonly known that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. There are good reasons that you should not skip this meal. This is a quick and simple way to get some nourishment to start your day right without taking time out to prepare and eat a meal. Go on a 30 day fast from television. You would be surprised how much time can be recovered by eliminating TV. Use that time productively. It can be utilized much better on physical exercise, playing games with family members, reading personal development information, starting and developing a part time income producing activity, or working on projects around the home. I guarantee, you will feel much better about yourself when you involve yourself in these types of activities than if you spend three hours watching "Wheel of Fortune", and reruns of "Friends". Create a detailed daily schedule (and stick to it) Here is a sample of my schedule for one day during the week while I was still working at my job before my part time business had grown enough to become my full time income. 5:30 Alarm goes off. Spend 15 minutes visualizing success. 5:45 Shower, Shave, Dress for success, Breakfast drink 6:15 Scripture reading and prayer for 30 minutes 6:45 Leave the house for a 15 minute commute to work. 7:00 Job 10:00 Break time - spend 15 minutes walking and visualizing success 12:00 Lunch time - find a quiet location to read training material for business 1:00 Resume working at job 3:00 Break time - another 15 minute walk and more visualizing 4:00 Leave work for 15-30 minute commute home (any necessary errands can be run during this time before I arrive home. 4:30 Home based business for 3 hours. 7:30 Eat dinner and spend time with family (children's homework, walking, games, etc.) 9:00 Spend an hour reading self improvement material and journalizing 10:00 Sleep Write down a schedule for each day of the week. Be sure to schedule time for everything that is important. It is critical that you make time to do things with your spouse and your children. Never overlook your physical health, your spiritual health, and your mental health. Sometimes, there are unforeseeable issues that come up which require attention. Your schedule can be flexible, but only to the point that you are careful that you only change it to do something that will take you closer to your goals or rewards. Notice that there is no time set aside in my schedule for television, newspaper reading, or anything else that will not take me closer to my goals. Those activities are an enemy of success. Start over now! Everything in your life is like it is because of the choices that you have made. Everything you have done to get where you are today is already in the past and can't be changed. All you have left is the present and the future. You have heard the phrase "Today is the first day of the rest of your life." Nothing could be more truthful. Forget about the past, except for what you can learn from it. Start over today and become the person that you want to be. Begin now to create the new way of living that you desire. Your new way of life awaits you.