Some mornings, it’s really easy to get out of bed, get dressed, and attack the day. I’m up and going with very little effort, know what I need to do, and have a high degree of focus. Other mornings are like today…I start out sluggish and it takes a while to shake off the feeling of lethargy. On days like today, I wish that I was having one of those go-getter days. I know that if I’d worked out earlier, I would have gone to bed earlier. I also know that I would have had my post workout snack earlier, so I would have slept better. Or I might have skipped the post-workout snack entirely.

I didn’t do those things last night, so I’m suffering the consequences today. I also know that I’ve got to motivate myself a little bit more today than I would have to if it was a go-getter day. Yet even on the go-getter days, I sometimes feel the need for motivation. I guess when you get down to it, Zig Ziglar had it right…

I’m a stickler for showering. I take a shower every day as part of my morning ritual. If I’m going to workout first thing in the morning, or go out and mow part of our 14 acres (getting filthy in the process), I still take a shower first, do the workout or mowing, and then take another shower. On the extremely rare occasion when I don’t shower in the morning, I feel like something is off all day long. Without that shower my day seems out of kilter.

The same goes for being motivated. I need a daily dose.

In his blog post, Jeff Stephens at CrazyDadLife.com talked about needing to get motivated at work after the recent long holiday. He tweeted about his post, and I jumped over and read it. When I popped back into twitter, Farnoosh Brock had tweeted about how she stays motivated. Just as Zig Ziglar says in his quote…we need that daily dose of motivation. Without it, the day just isn’t the same. It’s somehow hollow.

Farnoosh has some really great ideas on where to get your daily dose of motivation. She’s not a coffee drinker, but I am, so I would add keep the coffee flowing to my list. I’m also a huge proponent of reading positive writings. I like motivational quotes, hence my addition of those to my Instagram account on a daily basis. I also like to listen to some of the motivational speakers on Youtube or in my collection. Two of my favorites who don’t get as much attention are Keith Harrell and Loretta Laroche. When Keith passed away in October of 2010 it left a huge hole in the universe, but his materials are still very much available. I would highly recommend pretty much anything of his. Loretta cracks me up with her wisdom dipped in humor. On those occasions where I’m feeling both unmotivated and kind of down, she’s the prescription. I’m sure to be laughing at the end of her audio. I might be laughing at myself, but at least I’m laughing.

The other thing that I find really helpful is to talk to younger folks. Teenagers, when they’ll talk, have some of the best ideas in the world. As we get older, that idealism is beaten out of us, but many teens are still intending to change the world. When you find a talkative teen who has a passion, whether it’s Minecraft, sports, members of the opposite sex, cars/trucks, or whatever they’re full to the bring with energy. It can’t help but rub off.

I regularly talk about making it a great day, and it truly is something we have to do. Some days it’s easy to make things happen, but other days you might need a kickstart. Take a look at what Jeff, Farnoosh, my Instagram, Keith, and Loretta have to say. Search out other ways to get motivated. Find what works for you and then do it.

Make it a great day!