5 Ways to Get Inspired EVERY. SINGLE. DAY

Want to listen to this article instead? Tune in here.

We often complain about not having enough motivation. 

“I really want to write the book I’ve been dreaming about, but I’m just not motivated.” 

“If only… I could motivate myself to make those important business calls.”

So we wait. And wait.

To be motivated for real, and by that I mean, the kind of motivation that is sustainable and doesn’t flame out easily, we need to be inspired at first.

Most of us believe that inspiration is an occasional occurrence. We hear someone’s heroic story, visit a new country, or watch an extraordinary athletic performance, and suddenly, we are inspired!

But for how long?

Not very… unless we take charge and embrace the concept of inspiration as a force that we can allow into our lives on a daily basis.

Once we are in a general state of “being inspired”, we find that we no longer need tools and techniques to keep us motivated. The transformation happens from within, and it feels easy and effortless.

Here are 5 ways my clients and I allow inspiration into our lives on a daily basis:

1. Stopping comparisons.

Comparison is the number one killer of inspiration. 

When we hear our favorite musician, athlete, or coach, we have two choices. We can let ourselves be inspired to take purposeful action, or we can compare, which more often than not, leads to apathy and lack of action. 

Every single “unique” and talented human being draws inspiration from numerous others who remain unseen. 

When Leonard Cohen wrote what is arguably his most famous verse, “There is a crack, a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.”, he was inspired by Ralph Waldo Emerson who wrote, “There is a crack in everything God has made.”

2. Slowing down and observing.

Frequently, inspiration shows up right in front of our busy faces, but we miss it because we're moving too fast. 

It's like being in a car speeding at 80 miles per hour on the freeway. At that pace, how can anything be more than a passing blur?

3. Identifying the people that inspire us. 

I’m not talking about folks who inspired us just once, but the ones who continue to inspire us every single day.

I’m talking about family, friends, children, partners, pets, teachers, mentors, coaches… I’m talking about the happiness givers. Fill every available hour with their presence.

For me, a big happiness giver and inspiration is my aunt, Melody. If I have the chance to be in her company, you better believe I will make it happen!

4. Knowing our own unique “Inspiration Recipe”. 

Is it books, music, art, sports, nature, intimate conversations, laughter and comedy, animals…? The list is endless and so are the combinations! 

We change our lives when we get into the habit of scheduling activities that revolve around our Inspiration Recipes or their many combinations. 

When we make time in our schedules for inspiration, the same way we do for work, parenting and other “obligations”, we begin to live in the flow of inspiration and won’t find ourselves ‘waiting” for it.

An excellent book that can inspire you with various sources of Inspiration Recipes is The Artist’s Way. Read it and take yourself out on regular Artist Dates.

5. Cultivating inspiration through creativity. 

Because what we give our attention to grows, using inspiration to create something new — ideas, art, conversations, business, money, health, etc. — something that lives out in the world and positively impacts others, will keep the river of inspiration flowing.

Historically, we first decide we want to create, then we wait for motivation and hope for inspiration. I invite you to try a new formula.

• Decide ahead of time that you will cultivate inspiration intentionally.

• Practice doing so by using the 5 ways mentioned above until you achieve a measure of mastery.

• Open yourself up to the experience of effortless motivation.