Motivating Yourself – How Do You Look at Challenges?

There are many things you can do to keep yourself motivated during uncertain times. One of the most important is to reframe your perceptions of the challenges we face.

Challenges as Opportunities
How many times have you heard this statement? “Let’s not think of this as a challenge. Let’s consider it an opportunity.” Sometimes you feel like you have had a few more “opportunities” than you can stand. Most of the time a challenge feels likewella challenge, a pain in the neck, something to get through.

When this is the case, then go ahead and simply get through it. Break the challenge into manageable pieces, find little ways to reward yourself as you complete each piece, and keep your perspective throughout.

When it is over look for two things: lessons learned and successes achieved.

Lessons Learned
When you don’t meet a particular challenge in a way that makes you proud, ask yourself, “What can I learn from this that will help me grow?” Look for the lesson. It’s a more motivating perspective than focusing on your short-comings and can help you rise to similar challenges more effectively in the future.

Successes Achieved
Sometimes you come through a challenge with a huge success. Other times the success seems insignificant, but it’s a success nonetheless. When you achieve a success of any size, what do you do? If you are like most people, you ignore it. Big mistake!

To motivate yourself, you have to be willing to recognize yourself. Tell others about your accomplishments. There is nothing wrong with announcing in your team meeting, “I’m happy to report I have finished my certification training,” or telling a friend, “Wow, that was a difficult job interview, but I think I presented myself well.”

Look for other, more subtle ways to recognize yourself. For instance, you can recognize your value and potential by providing yourself with opportunities to learn and grow. When your employer provides the training you want, don’t you feel they are recognizing your value to the organization? You do the same thing when you invest in your own training.

Keep a journal of your accomplishments. If you are feeling particularly unmotivated, force yourself to note at least one success every day. It doesn’t have to be huge. Every success is noteworthy. It might be nothing more than connecting with two people in your network or cleaning off your desk.

The important thing is that you note something. At the end of the week, go back and review what you have written. Forcing yourself to identify your successes is motivating. So is rereading past successes. They can build up your confidence when you need it most.

Remember, when reviewing a challenge that you have just completed, resist the urge to focus on what went wrong. Instead, look for the lessons learned and the successes achieved. You’ll feel better prepared to take on the next “opportunity” that comes your way.