Here are seven ways to get motivated; pick and choose the ones that work best for you:

Find the why. When we set out to do something, it’s important to keep the why in the front of your mind. Are you looking for a new job because you dislike your boss? Need more money? Want a shorter commute? Getting where we want to go can be a long journey, so never forget what set you out on the road to begin with. Write down why you’re motivated and refer to it often.

Look forward. Pretend you have accomplished your goal. For example, if your goal is to learn a new language to impress a girl, you need to consider if the task is worth taking on—what if she rejects you? View things from multiple perspectives and ensure you are taking worthwhile roads. Once you commit, put the negative scenario out of your mind and concentrate on how good it will feel when you succeed. Visualizing the success story is a surefire way to get motivated.

Just do it. There’s a reason the Nike slogan has endured for more than two decades. In the Data Age, we have so much information available to us at all times that it’s easy to get lost in number-crunching oblivion. But there’s nothing like rolling up your sleeves and getting started. Think about it: A perfect resume is useless if you don’t send out. You’d be better served sending out 10 resumes that are almost perfect than none at all. Rarely are actions an absolute waste of time. Get motivated!

Reward yourself. If your goal is to get a new job, you will need to take action to make a change. Set goals and share them with someone you trust so that you can be held accountable. For example, promise that you’ll send out two resumes a week to relevant jobs. If you succeed, reward yourself with a predetermined item. Likewise, if you fail, be sure to carry out a predetermined punishment. Even if a project doesn’t feel as if it’s worth your time, make it your business to make it worth your time. Otherwise, getting started can feel impossible.

Think of someone you hate. We all know jealousy and hatred are ugly emotions, but unless you’re a Buddhist monastic, they’re also a reality. Why not turn something dark into a tremendous motivator? Image the person you dislike taking action while you rest on your laurels? Wouldn’t you rather be showered with happiness and rewards? Push yourself to get started— get motivated — today!

Give yourself choices. Negative self-talk is often a high hurdle we must clear to get ourselves pumped up to do something we dread. Remember: You don’t have to, you want to. This simple thought-swap can make any task more palatable.

Break it up. What sounds easier? Writing 1,000 words in two hours or writing 125 words in 15 minutes? Breaking your task into smaller parts will help you get started.

Finding the will to get motivated isn’t always easy, but it is always worth it. How do you get motivated?

I’m not sure how enrollment for these classes looks, but based on the sheer volume of offerings, I’m going to venture to guess that they do quite well. With that being said, I wanted to offer some tips for any readers who are considering taking a blog course.

The first thing you’re going to want to do is vet the instructor. Since you’re talking about digital media, their work experience should only be a few clicks away. Take to the Internet and do your own research on how popular their blogs are and how they maintain their social media profiles.

I’ve come across quite a few blogging instructors who do not have a proven track record in the blogosphere, or worse yet, teachers who have no blog at all.  If they have set up a blog as a prerequisite to teach the class, it will be obvious.  Do your homework.

That being said, there are great baseball managers who never played in the major leagues.  And I’m sure there are great blogging instructors who never made it to the blogging big time. However, personally, when I want to learn something from someone, I want to see that they have been where I want to go.

Since many of these courses have been taught before, I would ask the school to see success stories from previous students. In essence, you’re asking the academic institution to provide contact information for students who will act as a reference for the course and or the instructor.

As a possible student, part of your research when choosing a course/school should include checking out former student blogs to see what they’re doing with their blogging skills out in the real world.

One of the major pluses of organized education is post-course support.  Be sure to ask the school what kind of post-curriculum support is offered. Will you be able to contact the instructor after the course ends? Will your blog or digital property be listed on the school’s website?  Distributed in an e-newsletter?

But the biggest…most important…absolutely necessary thing to do before you take a blog course is…

KNOW YOUR GOAL.

It sounds overly-simplistic, but far too many people hide in the corridors of academia because they don’t know what else to do.  Before paying one cent for an education or investing your valuable time, have a solid idea of what you want to get out of the course – and be sure the course will serve as a means to that end.

Questions?  Concerns?  Hit me up in the comments section below.

First a little about me.

My professional experience is varied.  I helped MTV Networks build their satellite radio station from the ground up; I honed my editorial skills writing for FOXNews.com; I currently manage digital media for AAA; I run a successful career advice blog and freelance blogging business.

There have been elements of each job that I’ve enjoyed, and of course, things that I haven’t been a huge fan of.

If the ideal job is out there for me, it’s on Long Island or in Queens (lifestyle choice) and looks something like this…

– The work is challenging. Creative. Evolving. Relevant. Like-minded people collaborate, but unique voices are heard and respected. The work touches lives, maybe even making a difference. Employee roles are well defined and every individual within the organization understands their responsibilities. People are allowed to do the jobs they were hired to do. Employers that hand over all of the responsibility and none of the authority are setting employees up to fail – or be extremely frustrated.

– Workers are paid what they worth.  Most people don’t want a pizza party or a desk trinket. Like it or not, respect, autonomy, and money incentivize performance. That’s a fact.  Raises should be merit-based, with longevity rendered irrelevant. Performance evaluations are a collaborative process, created by the supervisor with employee input. They wouldn’t be a waste of time, but a process that sets goals and holds both parties accountable.

– Working remotely, when necessary, is an acceptable practice. If you don’t feel well or your baby is sick, you have the option to occasionally work from home. If you need to come in two hours late, you would be trusted to make up that time up at a later date. Work hours wouldn’t be arbitrarily chosen and militantly enforced; the nine-to-five grind is so last century. Remote work doesn’t have to be the rule, but the ideal employer should be willing to make exceptions.

– Adults know what it means to dress professionally.

– The general work area should be bright and well-oxygenated. Windows are a plus!

– Conference room gatherings only occur when they need to. Since the best employees/bosses  know how to communicate with each other on a regular basis,meetings should only be held when there’s a reason.  When it comes to time, the ideal employer understands quality over quantity.

If you can offer the majority of what I’ve mentioned above, we should talk.  My web content management experience and blogging / social media skills can deliver impressive results for companies both large and small.

If you’re a job hunter, what are traits do you like to see in an employer?  Feel free to leave a comment below.