Have you ever started a new project full to the brim with

enthusiasm only to have your enthusiasm and motivation wane

as the months go by? When we’re pursuing something of worth

in our lives, enthusiasm and motivation are two very

important factors. They act as driving forces for us and

keep us on course to achieve our goals. So how can we

maintain high levels of both? Try these ideas:

1. The most important one: Have at least one person in your

life who is like-minded. This means someone who wants to be

the best they can be, who has dreams and goals and takes

action to make them a reality. I know such people can be

hard to find! They don’t have to be following the same

course in life as you. My best friend is studying to become

a pilot and I enjoy computers and writing, yet because we

love what we do, we help each other stay focused and

motivated. But where can you find similar people? Try clubs

and associations connected with your interests, the

workplace, and of course, the Internet. Pick any subject

and I guarantee you will find groups and forums for it

online. Be proactive – seek out positive people. What they

bring into your life – and you theirs – is priceless.

2. Watch inspirational movies. This is going to be down to

personal taste, obviously, but here’s a selection of films

that inspire me: The Star Wars films, Rocky I & II (the

rest are no where near as good!), Shawshank Redemption,

Twelve Angry Men, Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner, The Count

Of Monte Cristo – There’s many more but these are my

favourites and never fail to give me a boost. You could

also add to this videos and DVDs of your favorite sporting

moments – in fact anything that inspires you. Build your

collection and watch them when you feel enthusiasm levels

dropping.

3. Related to the first tip: read biographies about people

you admire. Again, personal taste will dictate who you read

about but here’s some people I admire greatly: Martin

Luther King, Lance Armstrong, Helen Keller, Sir Winston

Churchill, Lord Horatio Nelson, Franklin D and Eleanor

Roosevelt, Muhammad Ali to name but a few. The beauty about

this is that you read about people who achieved so much

with their lives. You are learning about people who “walk

the talk” rather than listening to people who haven’t done

anything and may well be negative about life. If you want

to achieve your dreams it is absolutely vital to stay

positive. Reading about people you admire will do for your

positive attitude what pizzas do for your waistline, i.e

expand it!

4. Have a picture board and fill it with pictures of your

goals: Type of house, views of the area where you want to

live, car or boat or bike you want, jewelry, clothes –

whatever it is you want! This is to give you a visual

reminder everyday about the goals you are pursuing and

reminds you that what you are working towards is something

very worthwhile. It boosts enthusiasm and keeps you focused

and on track.

5. Read quotations everyday. I’m a big believer in the use

of quotations to inspire and I’m always on the lookout for

new ones to add to my list of favourites. My list is 6

pages long and growing! Here’s a couple of good websites to

checkout:

www.quotationspage.com & www.motivatingquotes.com

And to practice what I preach and to close this article

nicely, here is the lastest quote I’ve added to my list and

the one that inspired me to write this article:

“If you aren’t fired with enthusiasm, you will be fired

with enthusiasm.”

– Vince Lombardi

And there you have 5 tips to help you maintain your

enthusiasm and motivation. Put all 5 to use and you will

stay positive and on course to achieve your goals!

Until next time.