Having to face anxiety, pressure and too much work to do in a small amount of time can make anyone feel overwhelmed and frustrated. To deal with those feelings, there are methods people use to keep feeling motivated.

Rossella Raffi, an employee for Metro Academy Cash & Carry Italy, went through difficult times in her career. Still, she was able to keep herself motivated throughout it.

“I personally love my job, but there are some days when I just feel so unmotivated. To deal with those days, I think about the satisfaction I’ll have after a well-done event,” said Raffi. “Seeing my clients happy and satisfied with our services is the biggest gratification.”

Raffi surrounds herself with others who share the same mindset, which helps her accomplish her goals more quickly and more effectively.

“Teamwork for me is the key,” Raffi said. “I try to surround myself with people that match my energy, believe in me, and stimulate me to give my best, and this helps me a lot too. I learned through the years that the influence of other people has a huge impact on me.”

Another perspective came from Matilde Bonatti, Raffi’s daughter. Bonatti is a thirteen-year-old student who will attend high school in Milan, Italy, to study communication, marketing and management.

“To keep myself motivated at school or skating, I think about how other people reached that goal, feature, jump, or spin and why wouldn’t I be able to do it as well?” said Bonatti. “I try to imagine myself reaching that goal, and the more I practice, the less it will take to make it.” 

The studies conducted by Jack Canfield, a Harvard graduate in psychology, confirms the benefits of visualization that Bonatti uses. This technique creates the illusion that you’ve already accomplished the goal, stimulating you to keep going.

It’s understandable to struggle expressing lack of motivation and other frustrations you may encounter in high school, college, or in a future career. However, talking about it with other people can help you to deal with the problem and find the solution.

“If you keep your concerns to yourself, it will be more difficult to be motivated. Plus, other people will help you to not give up,” Raffi said.

According to the studies conducted by Stanford social psychologist Xuan Zhao, people are more willing to help others than we expect. 

Helping others releases a feeling of contentment and self-esteem through serotonin, a chemical our body produces when we’re happy. Consequently, the person we are helping will also feel more motivated.

Keeping ourselves motivated is not always easy, but understanding what our strengths and specific goals through discipline, perseverance and an open mindset will help us find the right ways to keep going.