I’m not sure about y’all, but staying motivated is not as easy as it sounds. Also I’m not a self help guru, but I can add my voice to what’s out there. 4 decades on earth has given me some gray hair wisdom.

To put this in context, I am natural creator – my head is always bursting with all kinds of ideas that I can birth, and the jovial, optimistic side of me wants to do them all. Technically, I try to do them all, practically – somewhere along the way, reality sets in; the drudgery takes over and suddenly motivation becomes the most wanted item to get me to the finish line.

So, here are my top 5 ways to keep my head in the game:

1. Remember the why. Sometimes the noise around us can get too loud – the fatigue, the self doubt and the weight of the task can get too heavy. Going back to the drawing board to center why you started in the first place can renew your purpose and motivation. Keep the why close to your heart.
2. Curate your tribe – Infuse it with positive people. You need people that will lift you up, who believe in you and who are willing to come alongside you as you work towards your goals. My favorite people are the ‘yay sayers’ -the ones on the sidelines that cheer you on when you need it the most. Nothing against ‘nay sayers’ but you know what I mean.
3. Reflection and Review, my R² formula. The key element with steady growth is taking some quiet time to reflect on and celebrate how far you have come. Then review what works or does not work and switch up your tasks accordingly. R² is where the magic is – always reflect and review.
4. Break down your goal into bite size chunks. Any task can look real big and super intimidating. Breaking it down into smaller milestones and manageable goals makes it easier to achieve and leaves room for celebrating the small victories. For instance if I want to be more active, I can start by incorporating a 15 minutes walk into my daily schedule. Once that has become a habit, it’ll turn into a 30 minutes walk a day – then a full hour walk and finally into a hike. All this happens in small manageable chunks over a period of time. So break down dem goals.
5. Keep it fun. I’m not talking about the ‘jumping off the walls kind of excitement’ – this can be kinda nice if you have that bouncy energy. All I’m saying is make room for laughter – it’s ok to laugh at your mishaps. Reward yourself to celebrate every victory, however small. Add music and a little dancing to the task depending on whether it can fit. Keep the fun rolling.

*MM*

Changing the narrative. Telling my African story