Motivation And Inspiration Day: What It Is And How To Celebrate

With a new year on the horizon, you may wonder how to celebrate Motivation and Inspiration Day this year. To start, it may be helpful to look at the origins of this holiday and explore a few tried-and-true ways to cultivate positivity, inspiration, and motivation. 

January 2nd: Positive changes in the new year

Celebrated on January 2nd each year, January Inspiration Day is a day to reflect on the positive changes you wish to make in the new year and tap into your New Year’s wellspring of inspiration and motivation. To celebrate, you might choose to set aside time to clarify your goals and plan how to achieve them.

Origins of motivation and inspiration day: Motivational speaker Kevin McCrudden

Following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, a New York-based motivational speaker named Kevin L McCrudden was inspired to create a day of recognition for the heroic efforts of emergency workers and ordinary citizens. He wrote to his congressman, Rep Felix Grucci, who introduced the bill, House Resolution 308, in December of 2001. 

While Motivation and Inspiration Day does not appear to have been officially signed into law, some people still celebrate this unofficial holiday, using it as a time to explore the possibilities of the year ahead, inspiration for the day, and a strategy for achieving success.

In the first few days or weeks of a new year, it’s not uncommon to experience a surge of inspiration to change one’s life and routine. A flash of motivation can be the basis for implementing new habits that serve your goals and aspirations. Whether you aim to improve your health, hit a financial milestone, learn a new skill, or nurture a relationship, healthy habits can help you progress toward your goals, even if motivation wanes.

Ways to celebrate Motivation and Inspiration Day: You don’t have to be a personal trainer

On January 2nd, you may benefit from celebrating Motivation and Inspiration Day in a way that aligns with your hopes or objectives for the new year. Below are a few options for motivation for 2024 to consider. 

Set goals

Goal setting is often considered the cornerstone of success. On this day, take time to define your goals and clarify a strategy for how you will accomplish them. The SMART goal framework is one effective goal-setting technique that helps you clarify your objectives and motivations and a path for achieving them. 

Motivation and Inspiration Day may be an excellent opportunity to write down your goals within the SMART framework. You could use a journal, poster, or app to write down goals that follow the SMART acronym:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Applicable
• Relevant
• Time-bound 

Create a vision board

A vision board is a visual representation of success. Creating a vision board on Motivation and Inspiration Day may solidify your vision of the new year and remind you of what you want and why. You can use magazines, photos, quotes, and other items that reflect your goals for the new year. 

For example, suppose you want to save money for a dream vacation. In that case, you might use images of your chosen destination, quotes about delayed gratification, and symbols of money-saving, like piggy banks or coins. You might also include pictures of how you plan to achieve your goal, such as those that depict a homemade meal, budget planner, or side job.

Educate yourself on goal setting

Goal setting and achievement have long been a focus of academic researchers, philosophers, and psychologists, allowing you to find a significant amount of quality information about what works and what doesn’t regarding goal setting and follow-through. On Motivation and Inspiration Day, you may benefit from studying the science of goals and motivation to help you adopt an informed approach to your goals and resolutions. 

Look for resources to help you learn best practices for goal setting, time management, and motivation. These resources may include scientific research, expert advice, personal success stories, or actionable tips, including books, academic research, videos, and podcasts. The more you understand about motivation and habit formation, the easier it may be to retain motivation throughout the new year.

Start a new habit in the new year

One popular axiom states, “There’s no time like the present.” The present is the only moment for action—and if you plan to start a new habit in the new year, Motivation and Inspiration Day might be a beneficial day to start. However, it may be worth starting with a habit you know you can stick with long-term rather than attempting to overhaul your routine overnight.

For example, if your goal is to improve your physical health, you might begin by committing to a short walk each day rather than jumping into a daily cardio and weightlifting routine. Use Motivation and Inspiration Day to celebrate the habitual changes that make long-term growth possible.

Give back

Look for opportunities to volunteer or perform acts of kindness, whether by looking for an ongoing opportunity with a local charitable organization or finding a personal way to make a difference in someone’s day. In this way, you can positively impact others and inspire yourself in the process. 

Seek out a personal trainer or accountability partner

Enlisting the help of another person can be a source of motivation and inspiration. A mentor can offer guidance and practical advice for achieving your goals and New Year’s resolutions. An accountability partner can help you stay on track by providing a sense of responsibility.

If you need a mentor, consider contacting professionals with expertise in the area where you want to improve. For example, LinkedIn might be a beneficial platform for finding mentors to guide you through finding career success. An accountability partner may be a supportive friend or loved one who has your best interests in mind and can regularly check in with you about your progress. 

Why is inspiration important? 

You may wonder why inspiration is important in motivation. Inspiration is often a way for individuals to fuel their motivation. With an emotional or driving force behind a goal, it can be challenging to get the determination to complete it. For this reason, inspiration can be a beneficial quality to adapt to your life. 

Resources and tools to inspire and motivate

Staying motivated throughout the new year may be challenging, so embracing personal growth as a learning opportunity may be advantageous. The following resources contain evidence-based techniques and valuable wisdom for achieving success in the new year: 

1. Atomic Habits by James Clear: James Clear’s self-help bestseller Atomic Habits offers evidence-based advice for changing your habits and maintaining your progress, as well as inspirational success stories to serve as proof-of-concept.
2. Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman: This book offers practical advice for time management, as well as a philosophical and psychological exploration of the nature of time, motivation, and procrastination.
3. Waking Up app: Philosopher and neuroscientist Sam Harris’s mindfulness app contains lessons on habit formation, time management, and other skills to help inspire and motivate, as well as an extensive library of guided meditations.
4. The Science of Success podcast: Hosted by businessman Matt Bodnar, this podcast offers an evidence-based approach to personal growth and achievement, plus insightful interviews from leading experts across several fields and industries.
5. Strides: Goal & Habit Tracker App: If you’re looking for an app to set goals and track progress, Strides may be a valuable choice.  

Get motivated with therapy

In addition to tackling mental health challenges that may interfere with motivation and progress, therapy can be a helpful tool for setting goals, developing successful strategies, and building resilience. Your therapist can act as an accountability partner and offer guidance for working through obstacles and setbacks. 

Some therapies, such as behavioral activation therapy, may benefit those experiencing motivation and productivity challenges. Behavioral activation involves identifying activities that align with your values and goals and then systematically increasing engagement in these activities to help combat low motivation and negative patterns.

Benefits of online therapy

If you face barriers to in-person therapy, such as time or money, online therapy has been found to be as effective. In addition, this format may be preferable for those with busy schedules or who find it challenging to make it to in-person appointments. Therapy platforms like BetterHelp also offer several interactive features that can be helpful for checking in and staying on track, such as interactive journaling and messaging with your therapist.