Five tips on how to find motivation

Hi everyone, long time no blogging. The last time I posted something on this page, I think it was around March, and a lot has happened since then.

We celebrated Easter, we had our spontaneous trip to Amsterdam and with my friend Laura we edited and published four new children’s books for Neos. Oh My GOODNESS – that was an entirely new journey, but we DID IT. Because on top of all the editing and publishing, we launched everything in two cities, and we also organized a Christian literature festival for 100 and something kids. We did it, or better said, God showed mercy towards this project once more.

I will never take the sacrifice of a volunteer for granted, and we couldn’t have done it without the volunteers from Youth With A Mission, Cluj, and Adoram church, Arad. So massive THANK YOU, everyone.

At the moment, a lot is happening in my life. And what I noticed over the past few years is that the more effort and energy I put into completing something (writing a new book, recording a new podcast series or Neos), the harder it is for me to bounce back into carrying on with my lists.

I know it’s normal to take breaks, celebrate wins and so forth, but when six months have passed, and you haven’t posted the photo album from your second novel book launch (Instagram), I would say ”Houston, we have a problem.” I’ve done zero marketing for volume two – I couldn’t do it, mentally.

However, this is not a place where I want to be stuck in. As there is no time to waste, let me share five tips currently helping me move forward.

As the one and only Simon Sinek put it: START WITH WHY. I checked my intentions and wrote in my devotional about my why. This exercise brought me perspective and clarity.
Write down your plans – it keeps me accountable and on track with my goals. I have a schedule where I can plan my days, weeks and months. Yes, I might have ten tasks to complete, but not everything is urgent for today or this week. When you have a full-time job and are doing a lot extra, prioritizing is key.
Action – I recently watched something on this topic, and at some point, the girl in the video said that motivation starts with action. I couldn’t have said it better. You need to go for that run, post that new quote, or just do your groceries cause you’ve been living on ice cream for the past three days ?.
Cut out the negative – it’s important how we talk to ourselves and see ourselves. Victoria Beckham, yes, I am quoting Victoria. At some point in an interview, she said: I don’t have time for gossip or any negative thoughts or talk. That stayed with me.

When I start working on something, in my mind, I already see the result. For me, that’s already accomplished. Faith plays such a massive role in this. The hardest part is the in-between. You’ve moved past the 1st step, but the finish line is nowhere in sight. That’s when I need to believe and work the most.

5. Set realistic goals – at the end of the day, we are humans and have our limits. Someone recently told me that when you work hard towards something, even if everything looks great and successful, you can still feel disappointed. That’s why it is essential to be happy with the journey. Rest is necessary, and enjoying what you do is also important. The destination often might look different than we expect.

Motivation is often the result of an action, not its cause. Even in small ways, getting started is a form of active inspiration that naturally produces momentum.

And one more thing I always do when starting/completing something new. I read encouraging Scriptures. God’s still working today, and those faith stories of Abraham, David, and queen Esther are more relevant than ever. I constantly repeat myself; He has done it for them; He can do it for me.