5 Ways to Apply Yourself
We’ve all been stuck, uninspired, or unable to give our best. When things things don’t go exactly the way we expected them, we also have a tendency to want to quit and give up. I know that I have struggled to get started, get motivated, and apply myself at times. Consider implementing 5 Ways to Apply Yourself — in everything that you do — to help shake things up, take on new challenges, and live the life you deserve.
1. Change Something.
You are not a tree. Your can move. You can either let thoughts and emotions dominate or you can take control of them. When you cannot get motivated — to apply yourself: shake things up! Get out of the house. Go for a walk. Changing something in your life: increases confidence, helps develop new skills, and attract more opportunities.
Change begets change. When you start to change things in your life, small changes can lead to bigger changes, which can help you get motivated to apply yourself. Take action to force your attitudes to match your actions.
2. Create Something.
Color. Doodle. Cook. Write a poem or song. Create something. Creativity improves your health: reducing anxiety, depression, stress, and more. Failure doesn’t matter. Creating anything helps: increase pride, awareness, self-expression, and your mood. Creating something, and then giving it away, can be rewarding, too.
3. Give Something.
Give to a charity, an individual in need, or simply a friend or relative. You don’t have to give something expensive or big. Just a show of appreciation will do, like a card or flower. Giving is a very uplifting experience since it frees your mind from thinking that there is not enough in the world. Whether you’re donating your time, money, and/or energy: giving promotes happiness, as well as boosts self-esteem, and attracts good things in our lives.
4. Learn Something.
Learn a new skill or language, or learn how to play a song on the piano or guitar. Just the attempt of learning something — that you know nothing about — can challenge you, which develops your nervous system and makes you think in ways you’ve never thought before. Read. Take a class. Learn! Learning something: increases motivation, decreases boredom, increases confidence, and even boosts happiness.
5. Participate in Something.
Get involved in your community: activities, a sports team, or join a club. Participating in something requires social interaction as well as creativity — both will help stimulate and inspire you to do more. Getting involved in whatever you choose improves physical and mental health.
If you start applying the 5 Ways to Apply Yourself — in everything that you do — even in small ways, you may find yourself choosing better goals, accepting greater challenges, and feeling better about who you are and what you want to do in the future. However, remember: nothing happens without taking action!