How we can stay motivated

We need to be willing to say to ourselves, "I'm on the right road.  I'm doing OK.  I'm succeeding."  We too frequently become adept at pointing out our flaws and identifying failures. We need to become equally adept at citing our achievements.  Identify things we are doing now that we weren't doing one month ago… six months ago… a year ago.  What habits have changed?  We should chart our progress.

Doing well once or twice is relatively easy.  Continuously moving ahead is tough, in part, because we so easily revert to old habits and former lifestyles. Over the long run, we need to give ourselves regular feedback to monitor our performance and reinforce ourselves positively.  Don't wait for an award ceremony, promotion, and friend or mentor to show appreciation for our work. We can take pride in our own efforts on a daily basis.

By keeping the end results in sight.  Always see the big picture of the ultimate goal we're working for and the benefits that come with it.  During World War II, parachutes were being constructed by the thousands.  From the workers point of view, the job was tedious and repetitive.  (Like making "cold calls" on the phone or in person.)  It involved crouching over a sewing machine eight to ten hours a day, stitching endless lengths of colorless fabric. The result was a seamless heap of cloth.  But every morning the workers were reminded that each stitch was part of a life-saving operation. As they sewed, they were asked to think that this might be the parachute worn by their husband, brother or son.  Although the work was hard and the hours long, the women and men on the assembly line understood their contribution to the larger picture.  The same should be true with our work. Each thing we do benefits the health and well being of adults and children throughout the world, not just generally, but specifically.  These are the visions that drive us through tedious details to the top.

Set up a dynamic daily routine. By getting into a positive routine or groove, instead of a negative rut, will help ourselves become more effective.  Why is the subway the most energy efficient means of transportation?  Because it runs on a track.

If we think of the order in our day, instead of the routine.  Order is not sameness, neatness or everything exactly in its place.  Order is not taking on more than we can handle, without still being able to do what we really choose.  Order is the opposite of complication; it's simplification.  Order is not wasting a lot of time trying to find things.  Order is avoiding a lot of recriminations because we didn't do something we promised.  Order is setting an effective agenda with others, so neither of us is disappointed. Order is doing in a day what we set out to do.

Order frees us up.  Get into the swing of a healthy, daily routine and discover how much more control you'll gain in your life.