As human beings we are all naturally wired with a fight or flight response to certain situations. Situations that cause heightened level of stress will either be met with a response of running and getting the hell out of Dodge or staying and fighting to persevere. And that fight for survival usually comes with an increased level of intensity due to an adrenaline rush that cause that sense of invincibility you get when your back is against the wall. You literally can do anything in those moments.

Wouldn’t it be cool if we could bottle up that invincibility and apply it to our everyday lives? If we could strap an “S” to our chest everyday we go out to tackle the world. How can we harness that energy in every day? Why does it seem to take an extreme circumstance to bring out the best in us? I can’t speak for everyone, but I know that I tend to produce my best work on the job when I’m up against a deadline. Now, I take pride in my work at all times, but there’s something about the clock bearing down on me that gets my creative juices flowing and heightens my focus.

As a natural born procrastinator, I admittedly get an extra edge from some outside pressure – like a hovering deadline. But I also admit that when those deadlines are up on me I wish that I could have that same last minute drive without actually waiting until the last minute. Have you ever had that problem? I’ve been working on it myself, and here are my top three tips for harnessing that “back against the wall energy”.

Give Yourself Your Own Deadline.
If you have multiple things going on in your life and one of them needs to be prioritized over the others, create deadlines just for your own internal reference. This easily accomplished by creating a checklist. When one thing is done you can check it off. And each little check off is worthy of it’s own victory dance.

Reward Yourself.
Treat each item you check off of your to do list as cause for a mini celebration. Reward yourself with a small dessert treat, or a 15 minute break from work to chat celebrity gossip with your bestie. Compartmentalize your to do list into manageable sized groupings and go for a slightly larger reward, like a mani/pedi, once you’ve completed an entire grouping. You’ll find that you’ll be motivated not only by the sense of accomplishment you get once you’ve completed a task, but you’ll also be working toward the goal of doing something nice for yourself.

Keep Your Eye on the Prize
Remember that all of your efforts are for a reason. Being constantly mindful of the fact that there is an end goal for what you are trying to accomplish is a good motivator. Try to think of the big picture when you start losing steam. Even if it seems as if what you’re working toward isn’t a big deal in the moment, think of it as smaller piece to a big puzzle, similar to the way that every piece of food a person eats ultimately has an impact on weight loss goals even though you don’t see any difference right away.

What are your tips for staying motivated?

[info_box type=”alert_box”]If you want to practice self-care, you have to care for your finances.  My book, The Happy Finances Challenge, is designed to help you learn to make money decisions that will lead to long-term financial happiness in just 42 days. [/info_box]