a little baby snail on my hand

Have you ever asked yourself what motivates you? Have you ever really thought about the people you spend time with and how they have contributed to your willingness to change or stay the same? Change may be hard, but it is a vital part of growth. If we continue to stay bundled up in our comfort zones we miss out on new opportunities, relationships and prevent ourselves from reaching our full potential. If we want to become better, stronger and more successful individuals, we need to surround ourselves with people who encourage us to grow and give us a reason to change. Now, I’m not talking about those people who bully you into doing something or those who guilt you into giving in, but the type of people who don’t persuade you to change by their words but do so by their actions. When we associate with people who have ambitious goals and make a continuous effort to reach them, we tend to feel motivated to do the same.

Sometimes it is not always about the people we choose to hang out with, but about the situations we choose to participate in or avoid. We naturally tend to stick to what is comfortable when instead we should really be leaping toward the paths that challenge us.  If we do the same tasks everyday in the same exact way we make life boring and more of a ritual than an adventure. If we pass up on opportunities because they seem too scary, difficult, or not worth our time, we have chosen a predictable life that will reap little benefit to ourselves or anyone else. We need to stop wasting time going through the motions of living and spend more time improving every facet of our lives. Stop complaining about your circumstances and start doing something about them.

Motivation isn’t an easy thing to attain, but it’s not impossible either. If your motivation has been depleted and you can’t seem to get it back maybe it is time for something to change in your life. Spend time with people who are doing great things and inspire you to go further than you’ve ever been willing to go before. Set aside your anxieties, fear, and pride and take a chance in situations that you would normally decline. Of course we must never compromise our core values and beliefs, but setting our emotions aside every now and then in order to be challenged is a healthy practice. The more times we reach outside of “normal” and approach something new, the more we learn about ourselves and the more confident we will feel.

So get out of your shell and do something different for a change. It may require a lot of energy and effort, but you may find that you feel invigorated and finally ready to become a better you.

Do you have any tips for gaining motivation? Please share your comments below.

*Picture above taken and edited by me