Straight Up Motivation
How to stay in inspired and on track

So what do you do when you are out of steam, exhausted and wanting to just give up? I am here to share what works for me.

1. Keep an inspiring context in your workspace. I made a "creativity board" where I keep all my marketing pieces that I design so I can be inspired and SEE my work in reality. I also have inspiring quotes and photographs all around my office. It keeps me in motion when I am totally out of steam. My favorite is "I am the creator" which reminds me that I create every moment of my life.

2. Have an accountability partner. When you are down or your mind chatter is rampant, pick up the phone and call someone! I have a list of people that are ready and willing to coach me at any particular time. Besides that, I have weekly calls with people to keep me inspired and on track. They are my keys to getting out of my head and back into the world.

3. Embrase failure. Yes, I hated this one too, but the juicy part of life is in the journey! What you learn from a no, or from a failure is far more valuable than you may think! Don't make it mean anything, just MOVE on through it! So what if you spent hours and hours on a project that didn't address the problem or failed to launch. Just keep moving forward.

4. Reward yourself! This is my favorite way to stay motivated. I make little goals for myself like "If I finish this big project by noon, I will treat myself to sushi for lunch on the patio or something like that that excites me. I also love to work outside, connect to nature - so it is a real treat to be in the great outdoors.

5. Book a vacation. It is inevitable, I get more work done in a short amount of time when I am trying to leave for vacation. Things HAVE to get done, there is no tomorrow and if I want things to stay in motion, I have to get things done. Knowing we are leaving for a climbing trip is all I need to fly through my work.

How do you stay motivated?

The Silent Auction
Get the most bang for your buck


I am a sucker for silent auction donations. I will tell you why. First off, it gives me a chance to call some of my friends/clients that own businesses or have a set skill and give them an opportunity to partner and put together an even bigger silent auction item.

For example, I have a friend who is a massage therapist, a friend who owns a liquor store and a friend who teaches yoga. I called each of them told them about my cause and I had a basket with a free massage, a bottle of champagne, a free week of yoga and I threw in some fun health and well being items to make the basket look awesome. This increases the value of the donation, gives your friends/clients a way to showcase their businesses and makes for a cool basket.

Additionally, I have gone and shopped the clearance isles at Michaels or Target coupled with a visit to Ross or TJ/MAX and have put together some really neat baskets. One of my favorite baskets to put together is a Food Network basket with a cookbook from one of the food network stars (less than $7.00 from Amazon) and a bunch of small kitchen gadgets thrown in a colorful wok.

A donation is usually less than a sponsorship and will make more of an impression than a logo in a program. It will be bid on by a handful of people and end up in the hands of a potential client.

So next time someone asks for a donation for a silent auction, say yes and have fun with it!