Whether it be something that is small or something that is going to take a long time to finish, we all enjoy a little motivation from day-to-day. Whenever I have something that requires me to seek out motivation I follow these five steps before working on it.

Step one is always to breath. Breath deep and breath long! Focusing on your breathing has calming affects on the body and it always helps me focus on the task at hand, whatever that task may be.

Step two is to get all of the materials for you project together and sit them out in front of you. Getting to see the big picture will help you fully understand what the project is going to require and how long it is going to take. When dealing with the really big projects, this is the step I use to understand 'what I've gotten myself into,' and, by far, becoming a pre-med has been the one that tops the cake! It is a project that is going to take me years to accomplish, but my life will be better because of it. I will one day be called doctor and be able to look back and notice that the work that I put in now has made my future everything that I hoped it would be.

Step three, this one may come as a surprise to some, is to dive right in to my work! Start the project that you have decided to follow through with! Giving yourself a lengthy amount of time to finish your work is one of the best decisions you could make! Have a 10 page paper? Give yourself 20 days so that you can write half of a page a day. Put all of your hard work into that half of a page everyday and you'll have the best half pages ever! Also, this gives you time to work on other projects at the same time while focusing on your sanity (insert 'haha' here).

Step four is to seek out the motivation! My favorite way is to open Instagram or YouTube and to watch or look at motivational things that follow along with what I am working on. I preferably enjoy watching TedXTalks on YouTube because there are so many of them and they always seem to have what I am looking for; Shonda Rhimes' TedXTalk is pretty motivational and always does the trick.

Step five is to finish. Never start a project that you cannot finish. The satisfaction that you get from finally completing your work is a feeling that you can never pass up! Though you may be covered in wear n' tear because of it, your future will be shiny and spotless because of it! Finish what you start!

Throughout my life I have searched for ways to become great! I have searched for ways to motivate myself when the congratulations on social media don't seem to be enough. Because, here's the thing, sometimes you can't do something until you, yourself, have given the congratulations to you.

Breath. Look at the big picture. Dive in! Seek your motivation. Finish.