5 Effective Ways to Stay Motivated in Life After 60

On those days when your mature woman mojo isn’t plugged in and your mind and body simply refuse to move, how do you climb out of bed, get motivated, and stay on the most effective, positive path?

Game On

The struggle begins when you pull the bed covers off your comfy, warm body and start your day with a hot coffee or latte. You stand in the kitchen and wonder silently: What’s going on today? What do I have to do? What are my most important responsibilities?

Although the to-do list is different for everyone, the struggle to connect your body, mind, and spirit is ubiquitous. How do you hold it together and make the plan for the day? And how do you stay motivated while you move through your activities?

Empower Yourself

Thinking and doing are two distinct acts. But humans can walk and talk at the same time. You’re capable of operating on many channels with different levels of effectiveness.

Give yourself a mantra:

Life is an action; not a thought, or

The more still your mind is, the farther you can go.

The key is to reach the level of your best excellence every day of your life. And that means staying in the present with the practice of mindfulness. And this is only possible if you make positivity and joy part of your daily experience.

Most of us are not giants of industry or great artists, nor are we expected to set the world on fire with our brazen intellect. We are either doing a job with the best intentions, or we’re retired with a desire to make our life’s choices with curiosity, excitement, and kindness.

The following are 5 effective ways to stay motivated and achieve your personal excellence in life after 60:

#1 Take Control

Managing your life through thick and thin, through struggle and joy requires a strong mind and a fierce determination to stay the course. Life isn’t perfect. People can be difficult. Relationships can be strained. Work can be impossible. Health can be precarious.

No matter – you are in control. There is no escape from individual responsibility, so make the choice to eliminate blame and frustration and get on with the task of solving problems with excellence.

#2 Understand Your Triggers

Everyone has triggered. We react negatively to annoyances and obstacles. It happens every day, many times a day. C’est la vie. That’s life, warts and all.

It’s the way you navigate your emotions in the situation that makes your life easier or worse. Triggers create negative thoughts and negative thoughts create situational difficulties and personal constraints.

Hold yourself in check, step away mentally, or even physically, from a situation that involves emotional reaction. I call this the 10% solution.

Getting 100% emotionally involved with your triggers (or your encounter) will not end well. Assess the situation by taking control of your mind, body, and spirit, and decide what is a more positive or effective response.

#3 Avoid Negative People, Places, and Things

It’s easier, more sensible, and more productive to avoid the people, places, and things that trigger you, drain your energy, and just plain make you feel bad.

Your instinct is to hang on longer than needed because you like to think the best of everything. Even in the middle of talking to someone who is obviously a negative attraction, you hang on until you are triggered and the obvious response is to either leave the conversation or get angry or frustrated.

Staying 100% present gives you the ability to eliminate a rush toward negativity. Contrary to trying to be all things to all people, limiting your exposure to the negatives in your life will save you wasted time mending relationships or returning to places that connote unhappy memories.

#4 Monitor Your Social Media Intake

Social media, meaning the Internet and all attendant apps, can be the enemy of your mind. You need stroking, comfort, or security, so you go to Facebook, Instagram, and Snap Chat.

How many likes, comments, views, and responses you get consumes your live. It’s a form of addiction and an unhealthy need for recognition.

You’d be happier and healthier if you made a nice comment to the person who checks out your groceries or held the door open for a stranger. Those examples are positive, real-time affirmations that have meaning in the present.

If you are a news junkie, restrict the time you watch news broadcasts. Monitor broadcast time by reading, walking, or exercising. Your mind can get full of junk. Commune with nature and with your own mind instead of hiding out in the potholes of social media.

#5 Use Your Words

Words matter. Words count for character. The craziest negative things can come out of our mouths, and these words come from an unfiltered mind.

Words carry emotions and feelings, either negative or positive. Words can hurt, and words can connote negative attitudes as well as positive affirmations.

Keep your words and thoughts positive, and you will prevent a downward spiral of meanness and stigmatizing others. Instead, the positive words you use will make you feel uplifted and mindful of your state of being.

Staying motivated is one of the most important aspects to a fulfilling and happy life. Consider it first and foremost when you meet and greet your world. Above all, stay present.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

How do you stay motivated during the day? What do you do to live a positive life? Please share them in the comment box below.