Kara Cutruzzula - Do It For Yourself (Guided Journal): A Motivational Journal (Start Before You’re Ready)

Motivation.

Want more of it?

Of course you do.

Motivation is the not-so-secret sauce to getting closer to what you want. Sure, you can dream and plan and plot, but without the motivation to see a goal through, all of your wild ambitions can feel stalledor worse, like theyre nowhere to be found.

You need motivation to blow past the roadblocks that arrive in every shape, size, and form. These barriers can halt a new project before it even gets off the ground. Maybe your roadblock is internal, like a negative voice that pops up in your head every time you attempt something new. Maybe your block is tied to envy, and youre intimidated by other people achieving goals that look just like yours. Or maybe your block shows up because you feel powerlesslike theres never enough time, energy, or money to stay on track.

All of these blocks are valid (and valuable) signals. And rather than pretending they dont exist, you can harness tools that will help you understand and untangle every one. I trust that these tools work because Ive used them myself, and they helped me develop from an insecure and indecisive writer who loved to procrastinate into one whos no longer afraid of sharing her work and reaching for the biggest possible dreams.

The process starts by finding out what motivates younot your coworker, your neighbor, or the valedictorian of your high school class. Once you get going, you will learn how to build momentum, push past hurdles, finish what you started, and look to the future.

Youre seeking change. Perhaps youre switching careers. Or embarking on a challenging work or creative project. Or you simply want to explore new ideas that make you feel less bored and more alive every single day.

Whatever your goal, isnt it time to get inspired?

Welcome to your guide for starting, finishing, andmost of alldoing it for yourself.

Lets begin.

What do you want?

This is one of those questions that fall under the simple to ask, tricky to answer category. Clearly, you want to find the motivation for something. So what is that big, shiny thing? Is it something related to your career? Your personal life? A hobby youre about to begin?

Think about it. Hold it in your mind. Say it out loud: I want _________________________________________.

(Nobodys watching you, I promise.)

Now, here is the all-important follow-up: Why? Why do you want it? Do you want to make more money? Do you want a sense of fulfillment? Do you want to quit your day job? Your reason should be as personal and specific as possible. Maybe you want to stretch your abilities, become self-sufficient, shake up your routine, or prove something to yourself.

Your why is crucialits the thread tying you to your future. Take a moment now to pick your target. This is a relaxed time, full of freedom, of preparing and percolating. Then, use the following exercises to help create the spark to light you up and go after it.

Fear is often tied to the perceived impossibility of an end goal, one thats too overwhelming to believe you can accomplish. So lets not think about the end just yet. Lets consider the present.

What is the tiniest step you can take to start? Think about itand give yourself a deadline for when it will be done.

See? Youre starting.

Tiny step 1:

Deadline:

Instead of thinking about what you want, act as if you have already achieved it. Instead of saying I want (as in I want to be a writer or I want to run my own business) change the thought to I am (I am a writer and I am an entrepreneur).

Write down your new anchor ten times and say it to yourself at set points throughout the day. (Right when you wake up is a good time.)

So lets make a vision board, but with words. Cover a piece of paper with phrases that represent the life you want to lead.

Share that thing with someone and explain why you havent tried it yet.

Maybe your day job gives you flexibility and income, or a significant other is providing emotional encouragement.

Acknowledge everything you are grateful for now, as you start this process.

Write your own Wikipedia entry from the future: Detail whats already happened, and go far into whats to come, spanning your entire life and career.

Dream big, and think about how your current project connects to that dream. How will it help get you there?

Our brains predict what might be difficult. So beat your brain to it.

Make a list of everything that could be a problem. Then add a star next to every item that doesnt have a solution. You might be surprised by what you find.

They should be your heroes in some way.

Now consider your own skills and interests. In what ways do you overlap with these people? Perhaps you have the same sense of style, the same level of ambition, or a similar background.

Find one trait that connects you with each hero.

See, you have more in common with greatness than you realize.

Dont let this energy-sucking monster hurt your progress.

Its time to get it all out.