Turn and face the strain

Ch-ch-changes!

I'm going through some major stuff right now, and I keep thinking about ways to stay motivated and take the necessary steps to steer me towards my goals and generally feel better. It's hard because it seems like in the past little while, the gods have been crazy and the universe has been playing pranks on me, throwing curveballs. There have been lots of dips (and occasional ups) but it's the constant lack of positive reinforcement that makes being proactive somewhat difficult.

Motivation can be defined as moving towards something or away from something. Boiled down, motivation is either moving away from fear or moving towards desire.

I've been thinking a lot about how to mobilize and focus. I usually make huge changes in my life and then spend the rest of the time getting used to the change before making the next big change. But I find as you get older, the drastic changes happen less frequently as you get more comfortable. It all comes down to comfort, the fear of not being comfortable and the desire to seek out comfort. However if we can eliminate or at least diminish that fear, then there is less anxiety.

And so a list on making changes is in order:

1) Make a cup of tea, coffee, hot chocolate and sit down.
2) Make a list. This can be of goals you want to achieve in the next week, six weeks, six months, a year. Big and small changes. Then prioritize. If you need A, B, and C to get to D, then make sure they're in order.
3) Create a timeline. Make a deadline for what you want and when you want it by because it gives you something to look forward to.
4) Give a copy of this list to a friend or tell someone you trust and respect. You need support when you're making changes. Or at least I do. I find it much easier to talk to someone about stuff in my life because then I can derive further ideas from it.
5) Go forth and do it. Of course this bit can be hazy since procrastination and a bunch of other factors get in the way. But you have to try because there's a reason why you want to make some changes anyway, right?
6) Now make a list of things that are positive in your life. It helps to be thankful and grateful for the good things because you can't really make changes if you are constantly depressed.
7) Have a laugh. Because sometimes you need to have some minor distractions. And because you gotta try and spit out some of this hot fire.

This ALWAYS makes me snort out loud. Without fail.

What are some of your tips for making changes/staying motivated?