You’ve spent hours, days, or even months on a project for your job. You’ve worked late; you’ve worked on weekends. You’ve been putting all of your effort into it, and then it’s finally time to turn it into your boss.
You’re nervous.
What if he/she doesn’t like it? What if I messed up? Did I forget to add something?
You hand it over to your boss, and when they finally look it over, they say, “Okay. Thank you.”
Huh? Wait… that’s it?
No “Fantastic job” or “I really appreciate the effort you put into this” or “You deserve a promotion”? (Okay, that last one is stretching it, but you get the point).
It may seem needy to want praise for your hard work, but almost all of us have experienced a moment when we were lacking self-esteem and confidence.
Being told that you’ve done well when you’ve worked hard and have done your best is the boost you need to do your best again because it means it was worth all of your effort.
Humans are needy creatures who need (okay… let’s say want) to feel like they are accomplished in life.
Why do you think Motivation Monday has taken off on social media platforms? People post memes, quotes, photos, videos, and everything in between to encourage and motivate people to do their best and never give up.
A dominating force behind Motivation Monday is the fitness crowd, and rightfully so.
If you are a beginner who is trying to lose some weight, gain muscle, or just be overall fit and healthy, you need all the motivation and encouragement you can get.
It’s easy to get discouraged when you try something new; for instance, attempting to run a little bit longer or lifting more weights than you did the day previously.
It’s easy to get discouraged when you eat something you shouldn’t have.
Sometimes, you fail…
And it’s important to realize that’s okay. Don’t let that stop you from continuing on toward your goal, just like you shouldn’t let a boss’s lack of praise keep you from always working hard and doing your best.
To give you the encouragement you need to keep fighting the good fight, here are 10 of my favorite quotes that give me inspiration:
- “Be nice to yourself. It’s hard to be happy when someone’s mean to you all the time.”
- “Believe you can, and you are halfway there.”
- “Keep trying. Keep believing. Be happy. Don’t get discouraged. Things will work out.”
- “It’s always darkest before the dawn.”
- “If you’re feeling blue, try painting yourself a different color.”
- “Be a warrior, not a worrier.”
- “The miracle isn’t that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start.”
- “You’re one day closer.”
- “Mistakes are proof that you’re trying.”
- “I can, and I will.”
I hope these gave you a little bit of praise, encouragement, motivation, inspiration, determination… and everything else that you need!
What is your favorite quote that reminds you to keep working hard?
The blog entry was contributed by Adena Siefert, PR and Marketing Intern at Hedstrom – Ball, Bounce and Sport. She recently graduated from Ashland University with degrees in Sport Communication and Public Relations. She loves searching Pinterest for great quotes.
