Motivate YoSelf: Creating a Motivational Cheat Sheet (Dear Wednesday)

Greetings all. The theme for the month of November is Fear-LESS. Be reminded to fear LESS. Fear can spread like a cancer and impact your thoughts, words, and behaviors. What are you currently believing or doing in your life that is promoting more fearlessness, courage or bravery?

---

Get Motivated

Dear Wednesday,

I found myself distracted by a peculiar young lady on Youtube who goes by the name “Vee”. Vee is a student at the prestigious Oxford University in the United Kingdom. I happened across her videos during an attempt to make myself feel better about the pile of homework I needed to complete. LOL, you may understand the struggle.

I watched as this young Lady completed a 2500 word paper in 4 hours, that is also including the books, yes book with an “s”, that she hadn’t read. She ended up getting her paper in on time and did well. Somehow (even though I myself was procrastinating by watching this video) I wound up feeling more motivated to get through my own work. I felt that if she could get through all of that in 4 hours that I could as well. I guess I felt like I was not alone, that I was “in it” with someone else. The concept seemed so crazy to me, why would watching a video of someone else struggling and overcoming motivate me?

Well let’s begin with the word “motivation”, what does this mean exactly…. Motivation, according to Psychology Today (2019), is “the desire to act in service of a goal.” So what then does it mean to “act in service”? Copyblogger.com said it best: “Being of service to something means that you have chosen to engage without expectation or reciprocation.” This idea may sound familiar as we think about famous servants such as Mother Theresa or organizations such as Samaritan's Purse. Those are great examples of servanthood, but have you ever considered that maybe you need to be a servant to yourself?

If motivation is about acting in service to a goal and service means to act without expectation, then maybe motivation begins with the deep desire to accomplish, achieve or affect something or someone in spite of the outcome or sacrifice.

Going back to my story, all I needed was some motivation - a reminder of why I was doing this and that it is possible. I have the ultimate goal of successfully completing my course which is a good thing; however, if my only motivation is to get an “A” I would probably burn out very quickly(which kinda happened lol, hence watching youtube). What I realized from watching Ms. Vee’s video was that my work will one day positively affect someone else just as her video did for me. My motivation, my root, to help people live better lives is the force that pushes me to complete my degree. Therefore I must act in service to that root desire which means learning as much as I can in class and making good grades in order to graduate and work with those in my field.

Moral of the story, get motivated and if that seems too hard or not doable consider taking the following steps…

First you must define your root.

• What is/are your goal(s)?

• What is the thing that drives you to keep going each day whether its at work, with family or at school? This particular type of drive goes beyond the need to provide basic necessities so think deeply.

• You must also check your intentions during this time. It can be too easy to SAY you are motivated towards something but in reality you are just infatuated with a potential outcome or what you saw someone else achieve.

• Develop a strategy QUICKLY. I will not profess to be the strategy Queen so I will introduce you to one… check out Dr. JoyWell’s (@drjoywell) page on FB and IG for information and strategic mentoring opportunities.

• You also have to recognize that being in service requires a sacrifice. Maybe it is your time, money(school is not cheap and neither are business startups), mental capacity and so on. Serving your goal will require more of you.

Now you can create a motivation cheat sheet

Include all of the steps above.

1. Write them out and put it in a place where you will see it (wall, mirror, phone, desk top, tattoo it on yourself you necessary… just kidding don’t do that).

2. Include things that get you excited to make progress.

3. Find a good youtube video, ask a friend or family member to allow you to call them when you are stuck, ask them to remind you of your root.

4. Research someone who has achieved similar goals and overcome similar trials, use their story as a reminder of why you must push on.

5. For the music heads, create a “get motivated” playlist.

6. I have a friend who has essential oils including one named “forgiveness” so go and find a “motivation” oil. Fruity scents like lemon and wild orange can help to motivate and increase concentration.

Write it all down and do it. Trust me, you want to have this tool before you need it!

So why talk about motivation for FearLess November?

Because knowing “why” you are doing what you do is a powerful tool that will allow you to keep going even when you encounter those fears that want to keep you from your destiny.

Until next week, with love and fearless courage,

AshleyMarcel (@anwilli7)

“We do not simply exist just for ourselves, our lives are guiding lights for others who are stuck in the dark.” ~Life Quote

Subscribe now to"That Wednesday Life" blog by clicking here.

Share your motivational sheets with us so we can cheer you on and hold you accountable by sending us an email.

Share this email with friends and ask them to subscribe at bit.ly/freshjoy for midweek inspiration.

Until next week, with love and fearless courage,

AshleyMarcel (@anwilli7)

“We do not simply exist just for ourselves, our lives are guiding lights for others who are stuck in the dark.” ~Life Quote

Until next time, Be good to yourself and others!

Evaluate your relationships!

Check your thought life!

And, invest in opportunities that increase your quality of life.

Brought to you every Wednesday by your DWL Lifestyle Strategists

---

This Dear Wednesday Letter was hand-crafted by Ashley Marcel. Ashley Marcel is a lover of people, daughter of God and Public Health advocate. Currently, Ashley is working with students in the medical and dental fields who provide service to the underserved regions in her area. At the same time, she is studying Public Health at Capella University with the goal of working in the area of research. Part of Ashley’s purpose is to help women live fuller, more abundant lives through mentoring, encouragement and health promotion. Contact Ashley Marcel further @anwilli7 on Instagram. #fearless #fearlesswomen #befreeordie #wednesdaywisdom #fear #Faith #purpose #persistence #courage

We would love you to join us here as a member on our site. Please comment and share if this letter resonates with you.