How To Get Inspired When You Feel Like Giving Up
Life can be challenging, and it’s not unusual to feel overwhelmed and discouraged at times. However, it’s essential to keep going and remain motivated, even when the road ahead seems long and difficult.
But staying focused becomes less challenging when you use the correct strategies.
Instead of giving up, keep reading to learn how to get inspired.
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Celebrate small victories along the way
When working towards meeting your goals, it’s easy to get caught up in the end result. Thus, you may forget to celebrate the small victories along the way. But taking time to acknowledge and celebrate your progress can keep you motivated and focused.
When you complete one step of a difficult task or reach a milestone, always take a moment to pat yourself on the back. Congratulate yourself on your hard work. Positive reinforcement helps you stay motivated, even when it’s self-inspired. It also builds self-confidence.
Furthermore, whatever you’re doing, be it work projects or something else, it’s important to take time to recharge your batteries. Otherwise, you won’t have enough energy to meet your goals.
This means it’s necessary to take rest breaks and enjoy time for fun, even when you’re at your busiest. Rest breaks are often when new ideas start flowing. Therefore, if you’re wondering how to get inspired, this is your first strategy to remember.
How Do You Get Inspired?
Inspiration is found all around us. We just need to know where to look. Becoming inspired means being receptive and open-minded to the good things in life. Inspiration is found in a child’s smile, a stranger’s gratitude at your offer of assistance, or when a friend does something unexpectedly nice. It happens when taking heart from those positive moments and internalizing them.
Inspiration is often found in the small things that make up life. It’s the joy we feel in our daily experiences. And sadly, we often take these very things for granted. However, simply lifting our mood allows the mind to expand enough to let in fresh ideas.
Therefore, strategy number two is to actively seek the small things that are easily missed. Such as the wonder of a perfectly formed rose. Or enjoying the sun shining on your face when eating lunch outdoors. It means emptying your mind of jumbled thoughts and filling it with something fresh and new.
When I’m experiencing writer’s block and need inspiration, it helps to set my work aside and take a break. The dogs love when I take them to the dog park. While they play, I meet new friends and find inspiration in the life around me.
Let’s talk about some strategies and tips to help you become inspired, as well.
Eight Mood Boosters To Help You Become Inspired
- Buy or pick a fresh bouquet of flowers for your workspace or home. The lovely scent and beautiful flowers are a definite mood booster. However, if you also send flowers to a loved one, it makes their day, inspiring feelings of happiness for you in return.
- Read an inspirational book. Encouraging stories and biographies inspire you to work harder for success. I recommend “You Are A Badass” by Jen Sincero. You can find it here: https://amzn.to/3MTWUgd.
- Volunteer with a local organization. Performing good works helps us see we are part of a bigger picture. This inspires us and lends perspective and clarity to our thoughts. You can find volunteer opportunities online.
- Commune with nature. Breathing fresh air while admiring Mother Nature’s intricate patterns and invigorating smells revives low spirits. In addition, exercise spurs creative energy, such as hiking or walking, sports, or enjoying a waterpark.
- Connect with others. Spend time with a mentor or trusted friend. Bouncing ideas off others also offers fresh, new perspectives. Indeed, we can get caught up in a narrowed vision. But encouragement and support from others help us expand our views to discover new ideas.
- Start a Self-Awareness Journal. Jotting down random and motivational thoughts lead to the development of coherent and inspiring ideas. Plus, you can identify individual strengths and weaknesses to see where self-improvement is needed. Personal development allows you to reach new heights.
- Study Inspirational quotes. Repeating favorites out loud and using sticky note reminders creates confidence. My favorite is “What lies behind us, and what lies before us, are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”—Ralph Waldo Emerson.
- Try something you’ve never done before. New experiences break us out of the rut we often find ourselves in. Learning or doing something new builds confidence and knowledge while relieving monotony.
More Strategies For Finding Inspiration
- This idea may cause anxiety, but it works. You must get out of your comfort zone to experience personal growth and development. Pushing ourselves and experiencing success provides motivation and confidence to keep going. However, failure helps us learn and improve upon current knowledge so we can succeed next time.
- Make a vision board. Visualizing your future success breeds determination and inspiration to continue along your path. It provides you with intrinsic motivation to succeed.
- For an entertaining but educational break, visit a zoo, museum, or other attraction. It’s okay giving yourself permission to break out of your normal routine and have fun before diving back into responsibility. Taking a break rests and invigorates your mind so it’s ready for work.
- Learn how to meditate about getting what you want. Like journaling, meditation is an act of self-care that helps boost energy levels and motivation. In addition, meditation helps the brain work more efficiently. Like a vision board, it helps you imagine impending success.
- Pray. Prayer is a source of inspiration for millions of people as it empowers and strengthens the praying person.
- Go places where you’re sure to meet new people. Making new friends, enjoying the stories of others, and experiencing different beliefs and cultures, opens the mind to new possibilities. And new possibilities lead to inspiration.
- Study successful people online. Discover their formula for success and determine what you can learn from it.
- And last but not least, follow your passion. If you don’t do what you love, be it work or a hobby, finding any passion for something else will be difficult.
A Surprising Source of Inspiration
Here’s one idea that will surprise you. You may even want to laugh it off. But science has proven that becoming a young child again promotes creative thinking. Thus, you might try reliving some of your childhood favorites, such as cheerful songs and games like Hopscotch or Red Rover.
And we all enjoy swings and slides at the park, so live it up! It’s not only fun, but it stimulates intellectual abilities!
For more information on how nostalgia promotes personal growth, see the benefits-and-trappings-of-nostalgia.
See this highly-rated tool to get your inspiration flowing: https://amzn.to/3mMi8Sn.
Wrapping up How to Get Inspired
It’s easy to lose motivation when you wear more than one hat. It takes a fair amount of energy to maintain your many responsibilities. Thus, finding that energy means rest, trying new experiences, emotional support, and pursuing other interests.
In other words, you must fill up your tank when it runs out of gas.
As we all know, once motivation has been lost, it requires fresh inspiration to get it back. And now you know where to find it.
Simply by changing your perception about the good things in life and becoming more aware of the intricacies around you, inspiration will find you!
Where you go from there is up to you.
References
This is very inspiration and good advice whenever I get into a rut. I really enjoyed this and your post on changing your perception, too!
That’s great to hear, Laurie! And be sure to remember this post if you do get into a rut. It will come in handy!
Excellent advice! It’s good to read through articles like this to recenter and refocus. Inspiration is all around us!
I’m so happy you found this post helpful for refocusing and becoming inspired! Thank you.
Inspiring post! It’s essential to celebrate every win to succeed!
I agree with you, Rave! Celebrating small wins is a fun and effective strategy when you need to get inspired.
Wonderful advice – thanks for a great article 🙂
You are too kind! My cheeks are red! Glad you enjoyed the post.
Inspiration like this is so needed and helpful in today’s fast paced world. Thank you for explaining the importance of slowing down and taking a break once in a while.
It’s surprising how such a small thing as a break can make such a powerful difference in one’s day, but it does!
This is a great list of mood boosters and inspirational ideas. And yes, got to remember to have fun!
Thank you, Sol! You are right about the importance of having fun. It’s a necessity for inspiration!
I can always count on inspirational articles on this site! I don’t feel like giving up often – but when I do it hits me hard so these tips are quite helpful.
Love that you said this! Keep going, Stephanie! The sky is your limit when you refuse to give up!
Reading an inspirational book always gets me ready to work!
Inspirational books are powerful motivators! Reading about the success of others always makes us want to try harder to meet our goals!
This is such an inspirational read. I love the way you talk about celebrating small wins. Thank you so much for sharing this awesome post! I definitely wanted one such read today to shake things up.
So happy “How To Get Inspired” could be the read you needed to clear the air! I appreciate your comment!
A lot of great tips, life can get overwhelming sometimes and finding ways to rest and relax can be difficult. Thank you for sharing!
There never seems to be enough time for everything in this chaotic world! But we can often find little ways to make time for R&R. We owe it to ourselves to do so!
I love the flowers idea, plus it adds a little color and happy feelings to the environment. Thanks for sharing!
It does, doesn’t it? Flowers do more than lift your mood. They also add so much to the environment! So, why not gift someone else with a gorgeous bouquet, as well?
Great motivational tips
Thank you, Jimmy! Hopefully, you found something helpful.
I love all the tips to add some new inspiration when I feel like giving up on a project. Balancing many projects at once has certainly made me run out of motivation a time or two! Bookmarking these tips for the future!
Glad to be of service! I love that you found the post helpful enough to save.
Great ideas to get back into a creative mindset. Thank you!!
There are ideas for everybody! You can choose the best ones that work for you! Thank you for commenting.
What a joyful post! Thank you for sharing these valuable insights and helping others overcome creative blocks.
I’m excited that you think so! It was an enjoyable post to write!
Love this post! Getting into a funk is easy, getting out is the hard part. I love all the tips about finding inspiration to get out of a funk! My favorites are starting a self-awareness journal and follow your passion. I look forward to reading more articles!
Those are some of my favorites, too, Julie! Thank you for reading “How To Get Inspired.”
Thank you for sharing this! I feel like some days I am really on point and others I need the inspiration you were talking about. I love the add of some different activities and I do think getting outside is super helpful for me.
We all feel that way sometimes, Tracy! Some days, up, and other days, not so much. That’s why I wanted something in this post for everybody. And you’re spot on about getting outside for inspiration!
What a wonderful post! It’s often difficult to look on the bright side when things get tough, but you’ve shared so many inspiring ideas to employ when the going gets tough. I love that you emphasize celebrating small victories. Even small triumphs add up to make a significant difference over time!
Thank you, Heather! What a nice comment!
Such a enlightening article on different ways to motivate oneself. An added bonus is some I can head out and do right now (like getting some lovely flowers for my desk).
And I hope you do just that, Stephanie! You deserve something nice!
I will keep your tips in mind. Sometimes life can be tough and you want to just throw in the towel–but I always remind myself to keep going and remember what I am grateful for.
That’s a good thing to do! Taking time for gratitude helps the mind balance everything in your head!
Communing with nature always improves my mood and also helps to inspire me!
I can identify! Hiking down a wandering trail is a favorite activity of mine, plus it clears my head. Can’t feel sad after that!
I do believe in celebrating the small victories. That can help you be inspired for the big wins.
I agree with you, Tara! It’s a great strategy for helping to maintain inspiration.
Inspiration can come in so many different ways and different forms.
That’s so true, and it’s up to us to find it for ourselves. Hopefully, this post helps lots of readers to find their inspiration.
It’s true about the small victories. Inspiration can be difficult, but your tips will help someone greatly.
When we know where to look, inspiration becomes easier to find. Hopefully, this guide will accomplish that for everyone.
Love this and what a great and motivational post that can be used by everyone as everyone has ups and downs from time to time. Thank you for this one… I need this today!
Happy to help you find your inspiration today!
Vision boards are really great for people that do better with having something physical to look at, too!
That’s true. Vision boards can be very helpful to some.
Wow, that’s amazing! It’s one of the most interesting topics I’ve ever heard about! The information you provided is beneficial. Thanks for sharing it with me.
So glad you found this guide interesting and amazing! Your comment made my day!
This is such a great article to read, and very essential to any individual. We need this inspiration booster to help our well-being and function to the best we can.
It makes me very happy to read this, Gervin! I appreciate your comment!
I love this post and all of these tips are helpful! Nature definitely inspires me 🙂
The intricacies found in nature are fascinating if we take the time to notice them. There’s so much to see and hear!
Such great ideas and tips on how to get inspired. This would be very helpful to a lot of people, for sure.
Thank you! I’m hoping this guide helps lots of readers.
These are awesome ideas. I’ve been in a position where finding the inspiration to do things is hard.
And now, when you need it, you can keep this guide handy for inspiration!
These are great tips and strategies, I’ll definitely keep these in mind when I feel like giving up.
This is something I needed to read since I am feeling a bit overwhelmed today. Thank you for sharing these mood boosters. Totally agree with you that buying a fresh bouquet of flowers does its magic. I also find taking a short walk in our garden helpful. Anyway, I would to get started in creating a vision board. It’s about time I make one for 2023.
Thank you for your comment, Clarice! A walk in the garden sounds wonderful! Good luck with your vision board!