We all have our down points at one time or another. A project turns out to be more difficult than you originally thought, you didn't get the job you interviewed for, or you aren't seeing any improvement in your business or the new sport you are learning to play. Trying something new can make staying motivated particularly difficult because you don't know exactly how fast you should be progressing. So how do you stay positive and self-motivated to do your best and complete what you start?

Break Large Jobs Into Small Tasks

Starting a new project can feel overwhelming. Just thinking about the energy it will take to complete the project can take your motivation right away. To stop procrastinating and make the project more manageable, break the job into smaller tasks. Each task will be easier to complete and you will feel motivated each time you complete one and will be motivated to complete the next.

Look at Your Overall Progress

This found this technique by pure accident by studying Japanese. When studying there were many times where it felt no matter how hard I was studying my Japanese just wasn't improving. I felt as if I was just a shell going through the routines and not really progressing. I would lose my motivation for a while and wonder if I would ever improve. After studying in Japan for a year, I felt I had improved a great deal but not nearly as much as I had hoped. However, when going through some of my stuff, I found my old text book I had used before I had left. I was absolutely amazed how simple the material seemed. Words and sentence structures I had struggled to understand seemed trivial and something I no longer had to think about.

When we are in the midst of learning something it can be difficult to judge our progress. Especially when we are judging it on a day to day basis. Instead, look at your progress from the time you start. realizing how far you have come can be a huge motivator.

Learn, Learn, Learn

Gaining Knowledge about a subject can be one of the best ways to stay motivated. The more you learn the less uncertainty there is to fear. Knowledge is one of the main reason that savvy investors can make big money from areas that seem to risky to the average investor. it's why one business can flourish while the business next door selling the same thing goes bankrupt.

By reading books, taking classes, or getting mentored; you are able to learn from others experience. This helps speed up the learning curve and you progress faster. Your progress in turn helps keep you motivated and wanting to do more.

Fail, Fail, Fail

Stop beating yourself up. It's okay to fail. It is one of the best ways to learn. It can be very depressing to fail, but it is more depressing to not try at all. In my high school years there were many things I was afraid to try because I didn't want to fail. As I got older I realized, that each time I failed I would dramatically improve. Not to mention that I gained more confidence by succeeding after I had failed than I did if I just succeeded the first time. There really is truth to 3rd times the charm. If they Can, You Can!

Look at the people who have accomplished amazing things in this world. Reading stories of normal people who have accomplished amazing feats helps you realize that you also can do amazing things. It is common for people to praise sports players or actors, but the truth is that anyone with enough dedication can do it. It's true that some people are gifted in ways that help them become a great athletes, scientists, or musicians, but you can also get there with passion and dedication. Just keep thinking that if someone else can do it, so can you.

I have a BS from CSUS and Waseda Univerity in Tokyo, Japan. I have worked in Sales for over 10 years in the scuba and education industries. My main interests include finance, time management, business management, personal development, and using them all to make your life happier. I currently work on my own as an entrepreneur/blogger.

You can view my website on personal development and living outside the norm here: http://simplisticthoughts.com/