Are you wondering what to do when your motivation level is down when you cannot focus on your work? Are you in need of solutions on how to regain the motivation needed to move on with your plans and pursue your goals? With experience over the years with the issues of motivation and staying focused I write you these practical solutions on how to stay motivated and focused.

1. Start your mornings with exercise or at the gym

Waking up from the night long rest can be so tiring sometimes. When you finally do that, don’t place yourself in front of your computer and jump into your emails or other things on your computer. Make it a habit of exercising or going to the gym every morning. Not only is a workout extremely healthy, but you will notice your energy level rising to a new level, giving you the ability to power-through even the most hectic and stressful days.

Regardless of how much you try to stay motivated, feeling tired and gloomy is a motivation killer. Regular physical exercise is vital to get you into shape every morning.

2. Prioritize your task and make a list

One of the greatest quality of a successful entrepreneur is understanding the value of time. Prioritize the things you want to do and must do. Make a to-do-list and stick to it. Avoid activities that are urgent but not important. Also, starting out your day early has so many benefits. If possible make your to-do-list the previous night before you retire to bed, get to work on it once you are awake.

3. Minimize contact with negative people

Negativity has never been a good quality. Although this is not completely possible, you have to try as much as you can to avoid negative people. They have a way of influencing your thought pattern. If this continues, the influence on your motivation and determination can be disastrous to your goal.

4. Listen, watch and read positive things

Personally, I avoid listening to the same news in the morning due to the bad reports it always present. If you are feeling down, read a positive book. Listen to an audio-book or podcast with a positive message. Watch something that makes you laugh. Surround yourself with some things you love to be influenced by. Let that into your life as much as possible. Just as I had advised earlier that you should avoid negative people, avoiding other negative things is also of great importance.

5. Visualize the success you want to achieve

After reading The Secret, a book by Rhonda Byrne, I came to understand better that visualizing that much-needed success is important in order to achieve it. See yourself achieving it, what will it feel like, what will you do when that time comes. Just as Napoleon Hill rightly said, “Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.” If you conceive something in your mind and you believe that you can achieve it, then no obstacle can stop you.

6. Give yourself and your family time

Most times, you hear people complain about busy schedules, meetings here and there, I don’t have time for myself not to talk of my family. All these are what we all pass through daily but making out time no matter how small for yourself and your family will help keep you together after the long day’s work. Do what makes you happy outside of work: explore personal hobbies, spend time with your family, read a good book that is not related to your business.

7. Meet with people that rekindles your energy

This particular strategy works perfectly well. I have been using this for years and it is very effective. Take out time daily or weekly, hang out with people who make you want to “do” and “be” better, with people that motivate you with their achievements. Set some meetings with them. Go to some business events together – anything that puts positive people around you.

The list of what you can do to stay motivated and focused is inexhaustible. There’s plenty more we can do to generate motivation, but I believe the list above is a good start.

This article was originally published on my blog @ Cocreatit