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A Moment of Hope Is a Powerful Motivator
How to channel good news into fresh-start energy
I’ve been living with a strange feeling for a few weeks now: a sense of hope mixed with anticipation mixed with energy. It first took root the day after the presidential election was called, and it swelled again with the vaccine news that brought the end of the pandemic into view. For the first time in months, I have the energy to get shit done.
In terms of motivation, a burst of hope is like the first day of school: That blank slate feeling is the perfect push to shake up old routines. According to Sabrina Romanoff, a New York-based psychologist, hopefulness is the ideal environment for introducing new habits or taking on new projects.
“Feeling hopeful can change your perspective both about the future and how you view your environment and yourself in the moment,” Romanoff says. “You likely will be more positive, less critical of yourself and others, and assign less damaging attributions to external events and behaviors of others.”
In other words, this moment is the perfect time to think about personal transitions, too. Here’s how to make the most of that fresh-start feeling, whatever it is you want to accomplish.
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Like any positive experience, mountaintop moments can be fleeting. That means any burst of motivation will fade over time, especially as you deal with the difficulties of the reality we’re all still stuck in. (All it takes is turning on the news or walking outside your door.)
To make your hope — and the accompanying motivation — last longer, California-based psychologist Kate Truitt recommends attaching your current good feelings to something tangible you can return to later on. Choose a physical symbol like a favorite sweatshirt or mug, and use it or keep it close when you’re riding out a wave of that anything-is-possible energy.
“Doing that will create an anchor in your mind that you can go back to when you start to feel downtrodden,” Truitt says. “You’re creating muscle memory to anchor the felt sense of hope you have right now so you can generate it again later on.”
