We often think that inspiration is that special magic that comes to us from time to time. And maybe, it is. We also think that inspiration is only for a few. That it is most definitely not.
We are all inspired – and inspiration is all around us. There are times we get stuck – but there’s inspiration for those times too. I believe that we can train ourselves to find inspiration and to stay inspired.
Here are 12 tips on staying inspired
These are simple things that we can incorporate into our daily life.
Stay healthy to stay inspired
1. Drink water on waking and make sure you drink enough of water through the day.
- Get moving. Here are Vidya Sury’s 100 reasons to make exercise a habit, if we need a reason at all! I might have been able to give you a 100 excuses why I don’t exercise, but that’s changing, thankfully!
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There’s nothing like a good night’s sleep to get one energized and ready to have an inspiring day. We all need to cultivate good sleeping habits.
Plan to stay inspired
Plan your 3 Most Important Tasks (MIT) for the day– As Leo Babauta says:
It’s very simple: your MIT is the task you most want or need to get done today. In my case, I’ve tweaked it a bit so that I have three MITs — the three things I must accomplish today.
Having a work/ break balance – Making sure to follow the 50/10 rule every hour is a good way to keep your mind fresh and inspired. Perhaps, it’s a good idea to use a timer – work for 50 minutes on one important task – then take a break for 10 minutes. You could use this time to walk away from your desk, grab a glass of water, call a friend or just be.
Reflection at the end of the day is important – asking yourself what went well and what didn’t is such a good way to stay inspired.
Keep learning – I can’t tell you how important that is to good health and well-being. If my Dad could start learning to operate a computer at 81 and at 89 continue to enjoy his time on the internet, then we have no excuses for not learning. Studies have shown that keep our mind occupied and agile will go a long way in preventing or postponing dementia. Read, play, argue even, but work that brain.
I’ve written time and again about the value of gratitude and how it’s linked to our happiness quotient. Living a grateful life is truly the key to staying inspired.
Decluttering can go a long way towards making us feel good about ourselves. I’m planning a series on this soon
And finally learn to relax and unwind. Get a dog. Listen to music. Take dancing classes.
Be happy. Stay inspired!
I love infographics! And this one is fabulous.
I love the reflecting at the end of the day as I’ve practiced it for decades. I also have questions I ask myself that make it easier to do the reflection bit.
Thank you for the mentions! 😀
Vidya Sury recently posted..Oh My Goddess!
Yes, I’ve been storing this one for a while now, Vidya. I found it so simple to follow!
And you’re welcome.
Corinne Rodrigues recently posted..Food In Kolkata Calling
A very inspiring post on staying inspired. Thank you for sharing this, Corinne. 🙂
Vinitha recently posted..#MicroblogMondays – Welcoming the hectic days!
Glad you found it inspiring, Vinitha!
Corinne Rodrigues recently posted..Addiction A Family Disease
I was nodding my head as I read through the points! I guess I have learnt my lesson. No more “just nodding” head in agreement. Going to go for that walk today for sure. Sometimes we just need a little bit of motivation to move ahead. Reading articles like these certainly help to take us in the right direction. If not now, then when? I am indulging in one of my favourite thing again – Blogging. 🙂
Nice to see you back, Jyothi. Like Nabanita said in her comment, this is entirely doable stuf!
Corinne Rodrigues recently posted..10 Gratitude Tips
I love this, a few surprises, too. I printed it out for my desk so I can be constantly reminded. Thank you!
Carol Cassara recently posted..Did you see Downton Abbey season finale?
Oh that’s good to know, Carol!
Corinne Rodrigues recently posted..Perfect Reject
I love the infographic and also the 50/10 rule is something that I’ll try to incorporate..And the reflection part along with MIT, interesting and doable Corinne 🙂
nabanita recently posted..Bracevor.in : A Review
Glad you liked it, Naba. I found it very doable too!
Corinne Rodrigues recently posted..World Compliment Day – Giving And Receiving
Love the infographic and all the tips – especially MIT and 50/10. Now I’m off to tidy my desk (tip 11). I know it makes sense…
I’m so glad I shared this, Susie. Thanks for coming by. My desk is a mess right now too! 😉
Corinne Rodrigues recently posted..The Benefits Of Blogging
Great tips, Corinne! These are all things I should pay more attention to, as I’m failing miserably at several. LOL Learning and focusing on happy receive the most attention. 🙂 🙂
Debbie D. recently posted..LEAVES – PHOTO FRIDAY
We’re all on the same journey, Debbie. I share things to keep reminding myself too! 😉
Corinne Rodrigues recently posted..10 Gratitude Tips
This is going up on my wall as a friendly reminder. One of my weakest areas is reflection. I spend so much time learning new information and need to integrate it, process it etc. Reflection, for me, happens under certain circumstance e.g taking a shower, sometimes while driving. It is like spacing out while being hyper focused in an odd way.
Do you do something in particular to get into that state? I would love to hear what others have to say on this subject.
I’m glad you liked it, Nina. For me reflection includes everything you mentioned plus spending a few minutes at the start and end of the day focussing on what’s ahead and what’s gone past.
Corinne Rodrigues recently posted..Perfect Reject
Corinne very well written and depicted. Some very basic facts which we tend to overlook and ignore. Loved the description. Glad I read this one 🙂
Manish Purohit recently posted..Movie Review: Dum Laga Ke Haisha
Glad you liked it, Manish!
Corinne Rodrigues recently posted..The Benefits Of Blogging
Thank you for this post, Corinne – some great tips here! The decluttering one really struck me – it’s something I need to do in my office so that I don’t get distracted. Thanks for the inspiration!
Laurel Regan recently posted..Tangled Tuesday No. 42
You have some great tips here. It can be daunting when looking at my to-do list that is a mile long. Thinking of 3 MITs and also the 50/10 rule are two thinks I’m putting into place right now!
Mia recently posted..Date with my daughter
Great tips! Thank you for sharing. I’ll be including a link to them in a future Tweet. -Thomas
I do a lot of these things. Hoorah! (Maybe not quite as they’re listed, but am ‘aware’!) Not brilliant at getting the 3 most important things done, but actually, DID do that today! And it felt gooooood! (It can be easy to tidy the little things and side step the biggies – but silly to!)
Sarah recently posted..Are Blueberries Good For You?
These are great tips! “Drink enough water”- AMEN TO THAT! It’s amazing how different I feel when I’ve been drinking water regularly throughout the day!
Cami recently posted..Tuesday Tip: Get down…on the floor
What a great valuable post! These really are things that keep us inspired.