Staying Motivated When Life Gets Challenging

BY MELANIE BARR

I’m Melanie Barr, She Built It™ Founder and CEO. Some days and weeks seem easy and we breeze through them, but what do we do, and how do we respond when life gets a bit challenging and hard. It happens to all of us at times. I’m finishing a remodel project I’ve been working on for quite a while. A few weeks ago the entire living room flooded - I’ve never had a room flood before but there is a first for everything! In the last few weeks our wifi hasn’t worked well so it’s been a bit of a challenge recently working from home. And there was a major storm that took out power lines and our house was without power for five days. It’s an understatement to say work and life has been a bit challenging the last couple of weeks. 

In addition to trying to figure out what the universe has been trying to tell me there is also the question of “how do we stay motivated when life gets hard?” Life gets challenging for all of us at times. Lately I’ve felt like the wheel keeps turning and I’m ready to hop off and have a break - but I can’t yet. There are also the lingering effects of the last year with covid - which we’re all feeling better about but I know we’re all still feeling. I’m generally a positive and motivated person but on the challenging days - that we all have - here’s what I do to get out of the uncomfortable and into the comfortable. 

Start your day with positive content  

How we start our day matters. It sets the tone for our entire day so why not do all we can to start the day with positive content and mindset. I like to start my day with my favorite music (play it as loud as you can!), motivational audiobooks, inspiring and interesting podcasts (the She Built It™ Experience is a good one for a dose of inspo ;)) anything that’s going to put my mind in a good state - even if I know I have a long or challenging day of work and life ahead. Getting that dose of positivity first thing in the morning makes all the difference.  

Surround yourself with empowering people

Surround yourself with positive, inspiring, and motivating people, period.  Who we invite into our inner circle counts. They will lift you up, believe in you, and say “yes you can” on the days that are more challenging or when you might not believe in yourself. They will be the ones cheering you on when you make your business and life leaps - big and small. It’s also great to surround ourselves with people who challenge us and make us want to stretch and reach for more. These friends, mentors, and coaches help us to become better versions of ourselves and inspire us to make our life and career dreams a reality. 

Workout

I’m completely guilty of this. On busy days when I have an early start or a really busy day I think I don’t have time to workout. These are the days I’ve realized I need to workout the most. Even a 20 minute workout changes my frame of mind for the entire day. Endorphins are a beautiful thing and can quickly change your mood. I’ve also become a huge fan of Peloton. They have so many different types of classes - you also don’t have to have the Peloton bike or treadmill to get a good workout. I love their bootcamps. Some are just body weight - all you need is yourself. So it’s easy to start your day with a super quick workout to get into a good frame of mind. 

Eat Healthy & Drink Lots of Water

Eating healthy food that is good for our bodies gives us more energy. Sometimes we feel hungry when our body is really trying to tell us we are dehydrated. Filling our bodies with veggies, lean proteins, and fruits helps us power through our days. I’m a fan of starting my day with lemon water. If I’m hydrated and I eat healthy it’s so much easier to power through the day feeling good. 

Make Lists

On mornings and days when I’m feeling overwhelmed I stop whatever I’m doing and make a list. I find that when I do I instantly feel a bit better. It takes all of the work and life things circling my mind and makes them land. Creating a list - with the “must do’s” or the most important on the top, all of a sudden the day and all that needs to be accomplished does not seem so daunting. If possible to take 10 minutes before you go to sleep at night to write or type out your to do’s, that's an ideal time because your subconscious mind will start to work them out in your sleep. If making lists at that time is not ideal for you, early mornings with a cup of caffeine will help to start the day off right. This is a super easy thing - that we all know - but going through the motions of actually doing it really helps. 

Find Joy On Purpose

At the end of every one of my podcast episodes I say “magic happens when we focus on the part of ourselves and our business that brings us joy.” Sometimes we have to make the joy and find it on purpose. At times we can get so busy - or our life changes when we don’t realize it - and we have to stop and really think “are we doing the things that truly make us happy?” When we take the time to do this we realize the things we want to keep in our lives and the things that we can let go of - even if they are things that have been with us or that we have been doing for years. It’s okay to change. It’s also so important to realize and celebrate our joy. Even saying I’m going to celebrate and find joy in this cup of my favorite coffee, a moment by a pool or ocean, firepit, or with a glass of wine or going for a long run at the end of a long week. Finding joy in the small moments carries us ahead to our what’s next and helps us live or joy on purpose. 

ABOUT MELANIE BARR

Melanie Barr - Founder + CEO of She Built it™ is an Entrepreneur, Podcaster, Community Creator, Twin Mama, Wife, & Optimist. 

The She Built It™ Family comes together to empower you to "experience the life and business that you crave." We make meaningful member connections and share knowledge and resources that inspire you to make your next leap - big or small. 

Melanie launched She Built It™ in 2015 after selling millions in products and services for Fortune 500 companies and entrepreneurs - Marriott Hotels, AT&T, the Los Angeles Dodgers, and Millennium Corporate Solutions to name a few. She led Boards and assisted organizations with female-focused missions such as Step Up and Women’s Initiative Network (WIN) an organization at the Los Angeles Dodgers.

 Melanie is grateful for her twins, family, friends, tea, wine, bingeing on a good show after a long day to wind down my creative mind, and the She Built It™ community. She earned a BA in Marketing from Loyola Marymount. Melanie and her husband - Jonathan Levey and their seven - year-old twins, Parker and Elliott, live in Los Angeles, California.