Staying Motivated When Surrounded by Negativity

It seems to be a universal rule that no matter how motivated you are, there will always be someone equally motivated whose sole purpose in life is that of being a buzzkill. We see this especially in the world of social media where even the most positive post will garner at least one response in the negative. How then are we supposed to stay motivated when surrounded by so much negativity?

1. Plan for a positive outcome. When you don’t have a clear direction, you can’t expect to have great results. What is your vision for the future? What do you need to do to get there? Envision the process from start to finish. Then write it down so that you have it available as a roadmap to get you where you want to go.

2. Change your expectations. Don’t let the negative messages mess with your mind. In other words, take control. If you expect things to go badly, chances are they will. Silence the negative voices and instead focus on the positive.

3. Seize the day! If things aren’t going well, rather than listen to the naysayers, carefully evaluate where you are. Is there something you can change that will improve the outcome? Put your focus there.

4. Know when to let go. Along with that same vein, realize that if there are things you can’t change. Worrying about them isn’t going to make the outcome any different. Let go of what you cannot change or help.

5. Surround yourself with positivity. Affirmations, books that motivate, people that are positive – all of these should be in your toolkit to combat negativity. If you fill your mind with positive messages, you can’t help but drown out the negativity. By doing so, you’ll find it’s much easier to stay motivated no matter what’s life throws at you.

6. Who’s on your side? When you live under a constant barrage of negativity, the people you surround yourself with become very important. Find the cheerleaders, the Pollyannas, the positive people who love to cheer for you and keep them close at hand. With the right team on your side, you can’t help but succeed.

7. Don’t forget to celebrate. Don’t wait for the big milestones to recognize your accomplishments. Small celebrations along the way will remind you in a very visual way of your successes. It becomes easier to expect success when you remind yourself that you’ve done it many times before.

Negativity can’t stand up to a strong positive influence. Keeping motivated then is simply a matter of looking at what’s around you – and changing the scenery if it’s not working for you. Remember: Positive influence breeds positive results.