“Everything comes to he who hustles while he waits.” – Thomas A. Edison
The western calendar year is winding down and nearing an end. For most, this is a time for reflection on what the past year has meant, and what the future holds. It’s amazing what the scope of a single year can mean to an individual’s life. For me, it’s meant that I’ve moved from one continent to another. I’ve launched a freelance career and am balancing my personal aspirations with raising two beautiful young children. Granted, it can all be overwhelming. There are moments of accomplishment, self-doubt, uncertainty and triumph (and dubious self-doubt again). As 2010 winds down and you plan for a New Year, here you’ll find what helps keep me motivated and moving forward, even during moments of uncertainty.
Stop Thinking
Yes, you read right, stop thinking. Huh? Well, you may find yourself thinking something to death without really doing anything to get this “thing” done. The outcome of this tactic is usually a headache, increased levels of stress and nothingness. You’ve accomplished nothing except for giving yourself a migraine.
The only way you’ll reach your goals is if you’re working toward them. Learn to think in terms of action. Stop living in your mind and find out what it will take to reach your goals. It’s taken me a while to get out of the thinker mode (one of my dear friends will insist it’s because I’m a Pisces), but I’ve learned it’s a lot less stressful to learn through mistakes as opposed to just thinking about all of the “what-ifs”.
Dream Big
I may be biased because my name actually means “dreams” in Arabic, but I think one major way to get moving on your goals is to dream big. Think about what you want out of life, what kind of legacy do you want to leave behind, and how will you find peace? Think about the big picture. I know this gets harder with age and responsibility, but if you lose sight of your dreams and what’s important to you, you’ll just get bummed out with reality.
Get the Negative Duds out of Your Life
I’ve learned this the hard way, but negative energy has to be pushed out of your life. If you’re expending yourself worrying about negative people or circumstances going on around you, it will be very hard to find peace within yourself. If you’re not at peace inside, you’ll be sure to feel the static in your life. Think about it, if you’re on a mission to make your dreams come true, you simply don’t have time for negativity that will slow you down.
The opposite is true as well. There is nothing greater in the world than having family around you that loves and supports you. If you’re not so lucky in the family department, keep good friends in your life. If you have both, count your lucky stars.
Have Your Bad Days
Of course, there will be days when staying motivated is hard. Everything seems to be going wrong. You’re scattered, and all over the place. So, what do you do? Just let it be. You’re gonna have these days, its part of the process of reaching any kind of goal. Give yourself some time to relax and step back. When everything seems to be going wrong leave it alone for a while. You’ll be surprised how things fall into place when you stop freaking out over how much you want to be in control.
Believe in Yourself
Yes, you’ve probably heard this before, but unless you really do believe in yourself you don’t know the power it can have on you.
…Getting to where you want to go can seem like a never ending journey, a journey that needs a constant supply of motivation. Don’t let your insecurities stop you from trying. Make this year the year for success. Make this the year you take control of your life.
This is the year where you not only promise yourself things will happen, but the year you start translating these promises into part of your reality. You’ll be so happy that you decided to get off the sidelines and actually play the game.
…What gets you going and keeps you motivated? Share your comments and let us know!
Ahlam Yassin, M.A.Ed. 
The Big Dream of my life began for real in college when I studied Eastern religions and gained the concept of life as a series of stages, beginning with childhood, young adult, older adult and finally old age. I’ve gained a lot of courage and optimism by thinking of my life as a stream that will not stay the same, that will evolve as my life situation evolves. Each day is another day to learn about the world, and how my life is moving forward to gaining a deeper understanding of life outside myself and inside myself.
I see too many folks here in the US using their children as the obsessive focus of their lives, as if they’re stuck in their own personal realms, so they use their children as a diversion from life and its bigger problems. When I was a mother, my central challenge was providing for my children, but I wanted them to be proud of me, too, not just grateful that I had worked hard for them. I wanted them to see me as a person who took a genuine interest in the world and its affairs, a person with informed opinions. Now that my kids are on their own, I am more free to take action, if my dream shows me the way. Meanwhile I volunteer at the community library for the satisfaction of doing good and the pleasure of interacting with other people like me who appreciate books – many of them hold strong opinions quite different, from mine,yet we have a basis for sharing our differences in a way that is not antagonizing. And I read and write, read and write, and think, but as you so well put it, not to think Too Much – not to make thinking a black hole of worry and frustration. — Kitty Bryant