4 tips for staying motivated

We believe that for everybody, turning an idea into action requires a balance of both inspiration and motivation. To test that out, we worked with five inspiring people to discover what truly motivates them. Enter Molly Jacques—calligrapher, illustrator and teacher. She recently launched a new slate of e-courses about calligraphy and freelancing through the Molly Jacques Workshop. In the midst of this new project, we teamed up with Molly to explore the power of motivation, and the messages we all need each day to keep our priorities front and center.

Molly says while she’s been building the workshop, she can use all the motivation she can get. “I'm skilled as a teacher and as an artist,” says Molly, “but as a business person? Well, I'm still figuring that out as I go.” A simple trick she uses for staying motivated is keeping a pad of Post-it® Super Sticky Notes right in front of her computer, and writing inspirational messages to herself throughout the day.

Molly says she’s continually surprised that effective motivational mantras are always “things we already know but needed to be reminded of.” Even messages that can seem cliché have a real benefit, because they remind us that “we’re pretty capable humans when we put our minds to something.”

The most confident and accomplished among us still benefit from a jolt of positivity now and again. One thing Molly heard time and time again from followers commenting on her posts was “I needed to hear that today.” She says each time she read that comment it reminded her that she wasn’t the only one who needed positive vibes to stay on track and keep moving forward.

For Molly, thinking about past achievements is a great way to remind herself that she has overcome obstacles before, and she can do it again. “I think others need to feel that way too,” she says, “especially when they are feeling discouraged over a project that seems out of their abilities.”

The simple power of motivation truly does help us unlock creativity and stay more organized. “This experience really brought to light, even more, how I need little things in my life to keep me on track,” says Molly. Post-it® Super Sticky Notes are a perfect way to get more of those “little things” into your life.