Keep a Motivation Board

By Trisha Bartle Wednesday January 20, 2010

Having trouble staying motivated? It happens to the best of us.

One way I’ve found to stay on track is to create a Motivation Board.

What you need:

A white board – the bigger, the better.
Dry erase markers, preferably in several colors.
Magnets

You can put anything you want on your board as long as it keeps you motivated. This is your own personal board. Don’t be afraid to put something weird on it.

And the good thing with it being on a white board is you can erase old stuff and add new stuff depending on what’s making you motivated at the moment.

Here are some examples of things to put on your Motivation Board:

Inspirational Quotes

Have you heard a quote recently that inspired you?

Whatever it is, whether it’s funny or depressing, if it motivates you, add it to your board. Heck, add two while you’re at it.

Pictures and Postcards

Stick any inspiring images, post cards or other paper reminders to your Motivation Board using a magnet. For instance, if you’re intent on losing weight, you could put up a ‘before’ picture as a reminder of what you don’t want to look like anymore.

Or, if you like crafting, you could put up a postcard or ad clipping to a recent craft fair. The sky’s the limit with this. You could even tack on your motivational collage.

Helpful Reminders

When we’re on track with our goals, we feel good. Good things happen. Yet when we’re feeling a lack of motivation, we have a hard time thinking of a reason to work on our goals.

Add a reminder to your board that will help you remember just why you made your goals in the first place.

A Simple List of Goals

Why worry about motivation if you have nothing to work toward?

Add some of your most important goals to the Motivation Board. If you have a really long list of goals, only add the ones you’re focusing on most right now.

Every day, you can look at the board and get reminded of what you’re working toward.

More Tips for Your Motivation Board

Use contrasting colors of white board dry erase markers to make each section stand out.
Add and remove items often until you end up with a board that gives you the best motivation possible.
Hang your white board where you can see it every day, such as on the wall in your home office or next to your closet door. Since the items on the board can be personal, avoid hanging it at work.