Every once in awhile, I find myself wondering.
Wondering if all the changes I’ve made in my life starting in 2014 have been for naught. Wondering when the work I’m putting in will pay off. Wondering if my husband and I are making the right decision for us.
Most days, I’m great. I have faith that I’ve made the right decision to quit my job and embrace uncertainty. I don’t ask if the platforms we’re building will be successful; I generally believe it’s a question of when.
But we all have bad days.
For this week, I wanted to share how I keep myself motivated when working towards a longer-term goal and other areas of meaningful progress in my life. Let’s face it—sometimes progress is painstakingly slow even with your best efforts. Delays happen, emergencies come up, distractions abound. There are times when you don’t feel like you’re making any progress at all. During these times, you may feel exasperated or consider giving up.
I’ve been feeling lack of momentum recently with to-do list items around the house, projects in my contract work, tasks with my husband’s website, and new content for Uncoveries. There are some big changes happening for my husband and me on the income front, and a lot of uncertainty. Add in taxes for the year and it’s a recipe for overwhelm. At least it was last week. Last week was tough, and sure enough, the stress from falling a little behind on this and that resulted in forgoing some routines that keep me grounded.
It was a reminder to go back to a practice that calms my tendency to worry and revitalizes my motivation and self-belief.
The exercise is called Kylego (created by transformational comedian Kyle Cease). It’s my favorite exercise for staying motivated.
It’s the act of envisioning the future as it’s already happened out loud, in writing or in your head—like visualization but with the added validation of thinking it’s been realized. It’s pretty awesome. I’ve put together my version of a guide—based on my interpretation and personal tweaks that work for me—to help anyone who wants to learn and give it a try.
For a while, meditation and Kylego used to be my daily practice. Afterwards, I felt amazing. Even on sluggish days, the combination was so effective I was able to launch into a task with renewed vigor and speed. I cleared the sneaking entrails of despair that sometimes hovered in the recesses of my mind. I go back to the not-if-but-when belief in what I’m doing.
I’d highly recommend trying this out if you’re going through a challenging period while working towards a long-term goal. While the exercise certainly doesn’t replace the hard work and time needed to produce results, it will help you stay committed and confidant in your vision.
What’s your favorite exercise in staying motivated? What are other tips work for you? Let me know!