1. High-five Yourself
Go on, high-five yourself! Or give yourself a pat on the back because you deserve it. We humans rarely acknowledge ourselves in this way, and perhaps we should. (Bonus if you say something along the line of “Way to go!” along with it.)
2. Practice Positive Self-talk
Positive self-talk is a great way to relieve stress, increase your self-esteem, and gradually strengthen your mind. It will train your brain to think positively, which will be the source of your future attitude. Not sure where to start? Try these:
I’m awesome because __________. I’m proud of myself because __________. Even though _______ didn’t work out, I am moving forward. One of my strengths is _________. I am thankful for __________. I can do it because _____________. I look up to my role model, _________. I am a role model to __________. I believe in my abilities to ________. I will triumph and ___________. I rock more than Elvis Presley in the Grand Canyon.
3. Write Out Lists
Specifically, write out a list of– All of the above will help you to not only regain focus and map your own path to your goal but also maintain a positive mindset throughout the process.
4. Treat Yourself
Sometimes, you can be really hard on yourself… so make a change, and do the opposite. Need motivation to finish that gruesome textbook chapter? Promise yourself some TV free time afterwards, or treat yourself to a chip after every page. Feeling particularly down? Give yourself some “me” time and get back in touch with what makes you smile. No matter what purpose or back story you may have for giving yourself a pep talk, you can always work this one in somehow. Ultimately, treating yourself creates an incentive system that will help your pep-talk locomotive get going.
5. Get Inspired Online
These days we have the world at our fingertips… so use it! There are countless treasure troves of motivational information online. The following hyperlinks will take you to a few sites and videos that will enhance your self-pep talk experience, depending on your particular situation. So click away… If you have a dream. Go get it. (Most universal) If you need to hear a pep talk from a kid, a younger perspective. If you’re feeling down and just need a pep talk (general) If you need motivation to go that extra degree in your pursuits. If you need a talk on life, failure, and the future – (JK Rowling Harvard Commencement Speech) If you’re thinking big, on leaving a legacy. If you need motivation to get back up after falling down. If you need an inspirational pep talk for sports If you want to get particularly inspired on any topic (TED). If you’re feeling blue and just need to know everything’s OK.
Finally, A Pep Talk From Me to You.
You got this. You know it’s in you somewhere. Even I know that, and I don’t even know you. Look. Maybe things aren’t going too well right now, or maybe everything’s relatively OK but you’re feeling uninspired, or maybe you want to do great things but don’t know where to start. Whatever the situation, you will rise above it. Simply by reading this Lifehack article, you’ve already taken the first step. You CAN get to that goal– say it out loud– and you WILL. So get out there. Featured photo credit: Mark Davis via flickr.com
