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How to Make Your Dreams a Reality

When we dream of something, we think of some bold idea to accomplish. It could be anything. We want to go out and reach that goal, and it can feel incredibly satisfying to eventually get there.

You’ve envisioned your dreams, now what?

However, the thought of making our dreams a reality is easier said than done, and sometimes we feel like we’re in limbo when it comes to seeing it finalised. 

That’s where this guide comes in. With these five tips, you’ll be making those dreams of yours a reality in no time! 

Read Now: How To Uncover Inspiration 

  1. Write Things Down 

First and foremost, to help you figure out not just what your dreams are, but how you’re possibly going to reach them, you should start by writing down your thoughts and ideas. Now, while this may sound basic, you’ll actually find that writing down your thoughts is a rather effective method. 

As you write, whether that’s with pen on paper or typing on a computer or laptop, you’ll find that your ideas begin to take shape. You’ll be able to determine what works and what doesn’t, which will then start paving the way for a plan. It’s also good to do this in case you later forget of some of the things that popped into your head. 

When it comes to writing, don’t just use it for early plans and preparation. After initial preparation, keep note (in a diary, journal etc.) of all the things you’ve been doing to ensure you achieve your long-term goal. This can be recorded on a daily or weekly basis and provides you with knowledge of what you found worked and what didn’t. 

  1. Take Small Steps 

When you’ve figured out what your dreams are and how you’re going to accomplish them, it’s very easy to assume that you can just go headlong into a plan and reach them straight away. 

Sadly, life doesn’t work like that. If anything, taking huge strides and rushing into things won’t do you any favours. While you may reach your goal, you won’t be reaching it the way you intended and may ultimately feel unsatisfied by the outcome. 

Taking small steps and writing down progress can be hugely helpful!

We all know about The Tortoise and the Hare and its moral of “slow and steady wins the race”. By taking your time and making small steps, you’ll be reaching your goal at the required pace while learning of any advantages and disadvantages that could prevent you from getting there in the first place. It’s not about the destination – it’s the journey and what you learn along the way. 

Read Now: 8 Quick and Small Changes to a Better Life  

  1. Don’t Give Up 

Life is hard. There’s no sugar-coating it. There’s always going to be a challenge or a problem we’ll come across, especially if things seemed to initially be going easy, and it’s very tempting to call it quits there. 

Here’s the thing: don’t. 

“When the going gets tough, the tough get going”. No doubt you’ve heard this expression before. Basically, it means that a determined person is willing to work hard to reach their goal, which is something you should absolutely be doing. When you persevere, you’ll find yourself overcoming that troublesome obstacle that had initially got in your way. 

No matter how hard the challenge will be, there’s no denying that a level of catharsis shall follow knowing you conquered that challenge and proved it could be prevailed over. 

Read Now: How to Step into Your Growth Zone 

  1. Embrace Failure 

Sometimes, no matter how hard we work and no matter what decisions we’ve made, the only outcome can be failure. Now, you’re reading this thinking “well, that’s a very negative outlook”, aren’t you? 

Wrong! 

Just because we might’ve failed at something doesn’t mean we should then give up, just as we covered previously. Failure is by no means a terrible thing. Granted, you may feel defeated by it, but the truth is it’s an opportunity to learn. Think about where you went wrong; what could then be improved? The next time around, once you’ve fixed that aspect of your methods, you’ll know the right way to go, and if that fails too, try something else until you have the right solution. 

Don’t be afraid to play your cards wrong…

Life is a gamble. Everything can be a risk. The important thing is to take those risks. If they work, they’re a success. If they don’t, it’s just another chance to acquire more knowledge. 

Read Now: How to Overcome Fear of Failure 

  1. Find Others Who Share the Same Dreams 

There are times when the only things we need are a little bit of encouragement and excitement. A little of these can go a long way, especially when you’re striving to make your dreams come true. 

Try talking to others who also share the same dreams as you do. Along the way, you may even learn tips and tricks that can help you even more. Are there things that others are doing that you feel is a method worth trying? Why not try it yourself? 

Without finding the motivation to get you going, you’ll never even leave the place you started at. 

These were just five ways to help you make your dreams become a reality. If you’d like more advice on making lifestyle changes, don’t hesitate to contact us today at Ceed. 

How Music Can Motivate You to Stick to Your Exercise Routine

As much as you hype yourself up, it can be tough sticking to your exercise routine every week. As the day comes closer and closer, you’d much rather be doing anything else but your fitness workout. 

According to Scientific American, research into music and exercise dates back to 1911, in which American investigator Leonard Ayres discovered that when a band was playing, cyclists pedalled faster than when the band was silent. Since then, there’s been a growing body of research showing that music promotes exercise in four key ways.  

Music can help motivate you to carry on exercising
There are many benefits to listening to music while exercising!

Music Reduces the Sensation of Fatigue 

Listening to music while exercising keeps us from focusing on the physical sensations of fatigue. Even though feelings of exhaustion remain, our perception of fatigue decreases with music. This mechanism is called the parallel processing model. It only kicks into action during low-to-medium intensities of exercise because the external cue of music can compete with the internal cue of fatigue. 

When it comes to listening to music during a high-intensity workout, a 1999 study by Szabo, Small and Leigh found that the external motivating stimulus can temporarily outcompete internal signals of fatigue. 

Of course, the intensity of fatigue varies depending on each individual and their fitness levels, but there’s no denying that music can help you push yourself harder to work during low-intensity workouts. 

Music Increases Levels of Motivation 

Music is said to have a ‘psyching-up effect’ that helps people perform exercise for longer periods of time before becoming tired, but this is highly dependent on the type of music being played, especially the tempo. 

Not only did the study by Szabo, Small & Leigh investigate fatigue, but they also looked at stimulation and found that the switch to a faster classical music tempo during the latter stages of a high-intensity cycling workout enhanced participant’s motivation and work output at that moment.  

Depending on the type of music and the instant at which music is presented, music can increase levels of motivation which is significant for achieving a greater overall physical workout. 

Music Encourages Motor Coordination Through Synchronisation 

Music that can capture and hold the listener’s attention helps in the synchronisation of motor movement, assisting in an effective fitness regime. 

When it comes to motivational music, Karageorghis and Terry explain in their research paper that there is a stronger preference towards fast tempo (>120bpm) and strong rhythm response. In a 2012 survey, fast songs with strong beats filled most college student’s playlists because they were particularly stimulating for workouts. The most popular types of workout music were hip-hop (27.7%), rock (24%) and pop (20.3%). 

Taking into account tempo and rhythm in your song choice can promote synchronisation when exercising, which can contribute to an overall improved exercising experience. People experience a boost in confidence when their body is in sync with the music. This creates a positive association with exercise, making fitness somewhat enjoyable in the moment. 

Music Increases Relaxation 

The psychobiological impact of music on people can help them relax while exercising. Examining the effects of listening to headphone music during treadmill running, Szmedra and Bacharach noticed lower heart rate (HR) and lower blood pressure, norepinephrine and lactate levels in the participants in their 1998 study

From their findings, they proposed that music induces relaxation by reducing muscle tension during exercise. Being in a relaxed state may increase your perceived effort when working out. Subtle changes, like the tempo of the music you’re listening to and the type of exercise you’re partaking in, will impact your relaxation levels during exercise.   

For example, fast and upbeat music that is commonly used in Zumba, produces a stimulative effect, whereas slow and soft music that is played during yoga, creates a sedative effect. So slower tempo music may increase physiological efficiency, prolonging exercise performance, yet this is intending to limit effort exertion, which doesn’t apply for rigorous training or exercises. 

In Conclusion 

Music can help you retain motivation for longer while you exercise. By boosting your mood and confidence, music can help make exercise enjoyable and accessible. Considering fast tempo and strong rhythm response for your music will help you make the most out of your exercise routine. 

For more guidance on how to stay focused and motivated during your fitness workouts, contact us at Ceed today! 

How To Regain Your Lost Motivation

“It’s hard to beat a person who never gives up” 

Babe Ruth

We’ve all been there. We’ve all experienced a time where the things that keep us going just don’t seem to be enough anymore. While we would normally be raring and ready to go, that motivational drive has vanished and left an empty hole, making us feel empty and without a goal or purpose. 

There was a distinct rise in a lack of motivation when the Coronavirus pandemic hit in 2020, with 44% of under 35-year-olds claiming that it impacted their work performance. Motivation, let alone mental health, was truly impacted in March of that year, with the effects still lingering over a year later. 

Below is a list of six tips that can help you regain your motivation as if it had never gone in the first place! 

1. Find Inspiration. Think clearly – what is it you have set out to do? What exactly is it you want to accomplish? Was there something that inspired you to achieve your goal in the first place? For example, did you read a really good book and wished that you could write something just as good? Well, the solution to this is obvious. Read more books just like the one that influenced you in the first place. Websites like Amazon are often recommending to their users and visitors products that are similar to each other or were bought together, so that will be the best way to find them. As soon as you find ways to inspire yourself, you’ll be one step closer to achieving your goal. 

2. Make A List of Pros and Cons. Now, you’re probably wondering “but shouldn’t I not think of the negatives and think only of the positives?” As true as it is that optimism can go far, by placing the pros and the cons in a list, you can make a balanced and more defined decision. Are there more positive aspects? Then, it looks like a good idea and you should definitely do it! But what if there are more negative ones? Try doing something else you might have considered. 

3. Do Some Exercise. Do you spend too much time sitting, or even laying, around? If you find yourself not moving as much, then this can perhaps be the biggest cause of your absent motivation. Exercise has more than just physical benefits as it helps release endorphins, which will provide a mental boost if you’ve been feeling down.  

Whether this exercise is in your home, or even your place of work, you will feel more encouraged to set about your task at hand. In fact, you’ll probably find the biggest boost by visiting nature itself. Do you live near a woodland area, let alone a park? If it is welcome for everyone to visit, then you shouldn’t be an exception! 

4. Change Your Routine. Wake up. Set about doing that thing you wanted to do. Have lunch. Do something else. Have dinner and maybe dessert. Do another thing. Go to sleep. Seems dull, doesn’t it? It may appear to be even duller if that’s the same thing you do day-in, day-out. If you’re tired of having normality, then the best thing to do is shake things up. After all, variety is the spice of life. Changing your routine will help you anticipate on the new things your day will bring you and provide that little bit of joy to help things move along. 

5. Stop Overthinking. Have you ever watched a film or TV series and spotted something inaccurate? Maybe you’ve looked at something that happened in passing and tried to pick it to pieces to figure out implications, repercussions, or maybe even causes of it? Have you then found yourself thinking about this non-stop? It can be easy to overthink things in our lives, but the important thing is not everything has to be so complex or difficult. Simplicity exists for a reason. Try doing something with little or no forethought. You never know where you could end up. 

6. Get Excited. Now, this might seem like an odd tip, but if you have taken step 4 into account, it will make a lot more sense. If you have changed your routine, let alone had something planned for a specific date that is ages away, then the excitement created by the anticipation will give you something to look forward to.  

You’ll find yourself thinking about it more and more as time goes on and the date draws near. This might not seem like much, but once the event is quite literally around the corner, you will most certainly find yourself anticipating on the event that will provide you with joy, even if it’s brief. 

These six tips should be enough to get you going once again. However, you never know – maybe only one or two are just enough. 

If you are still having difficulty regaining your motivation, contact Ceed today for more advice. 

The Four Types of Motivation: How They Can Help You Succeed

In order to change and better ourselves, we need motivation to encourage us to act – without it, all our goals feel out of our reach. Motivation can come from pretty much anywhere, but often feels like its nowhere to be found. 

According to an Eden Springs survey, over half of UK workers lack motivation! Those numbers are pretty appalling, but it makes sense! Motivating yourself isn’t easy – especially if you don’t know where to start. 

So, we thought we’d tackle this question, where does this motivation come from? If you lose it, how can you find it again? 

This guide will start by helping you understand the four main motivating factors behind any action. 

What are the four main factors of motivation? 

These factors can be broken down into two categories: action and non-action. Action motivation can be both external and internal. As such, they are known as extrinsic motivation and intrinsic motivation respectively. Non-action motivation, likewise, can also have external and internal factors – they are known as identified and introjected motivation.  

Let’s take a look at each one and understand what they mean. 

  1. Extrinsic Motivation 

‘Extrinsic’ comes from the Latin ‘exter’ meaning outer. As such, extrinsic motivation refers to motivation that comes from outside our control.  

Let’s look at an example: your boss asks you to do something at work. Why do you do it? This motivation to act relies on the fact that your boss has power over you – you are compelled to obey your boss’ command.  

Motivation through this method can be both simple and effective but ultimately fails in the long-term. Having self-driven workers can be a more sustainable model for success. 

  1. Intrinsic Motivation 

Intrinsic motivation is – you guessed it! – the opposite to extrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation is internally driven, often by an inherent value-system or a hedonistic desire to act. In the example above, people would be motivated to work in areas they find personally interesting. 

  1. Introjected Motivation 

Introjected motivation is a lot like intrinsic motivation. They both come from an internal place. Introjected motivation, also known as regulation, is motivation that comes from an internal pressuring voice. Rather than being motivated by a set of values, this kind of motivation comes from fear – feelings like shame, worry or guilt encourage one to act out of obligation rather than desire. 

  1. Identified Motivation 

Identified motivation is when a person is aware of a problem but hasn’t yet decided to resolve this issue. 

Staying Motivated 

Staying motivated really isn’t an easy task. The key to all of motivation issues is to find a source of motivation that is healthy and aids in your achievement of specific goals. But finding that motivation in the first place is hard! Intrinsic motivation is extremely difficult to develop and extrinsic motivation can be limiting.  

Providing motivation is the ultimate goal of Ceed. Ceed effectively provides you with your own life coach.  

Through us, you can help find and nurture motivation – a helping hand when you need one.  

Ceed holds you accountable to your goals through our dedicated team and state-of-the-art app. To find out more, take a look at our service. 

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