August 14, 2024
In this article we look at 8 ways to motivate yourself, including focusing on your goals and inspiring yourself.
Motivation is common when you’re heading to the beach or shopping for a new car.
But some tasks are not enjoyable, and motivation can be challenging to find.
The reason for this is often that the goal itself may not align with your values.
So before reading this article, I suggest you read my article 'Do your goals support your values' to make sure of this.
Once you have done this, this article will be more useful to you.
Creating motivation is a skill, and there are several techniques that can be helpful. The ability to motivate yourself is among the most important skills you can have.
Try these tips when you need to boost your motivation.
1. Focus on the end result rather than the process of getting there
The late Stephen Covey states in his '7 Habits Of Successful People' to "Begin With The End In Mind".
When you find yourself getting bogged down with a large project, remind yourself of the goal. It’s challenging to get started when it’s necessary to put in 100 hours of work or to lose 20 kg.
If your motivation is waning, focus on how great you’ll feel when you meet your goal.
If the goal appears too large, a handy tool to use is 'chunking' and 'what three plays'. Check out this article for more information.
Stephen Covey (1932-2012)
2. Schedule Regular Breaks
Working for 8 hours straight might seem daunting. But if you know that you can take a break in 60 minutes, you can free up your mind enough to focus intently for an hour.
Approach your work 60 minutes at time and you’ll finish before you know it.
3. Motivate Yourself by standing up and moving around!
Short periods of intense exercise can improve creativity, sharpen the mind, and decrease stress. Find an activity appropriate for your environment.
4. Give yourself rewards as you reach your milestones
Think of a few self-indulgences that you consider to be motivating. Break your work into reasonable chunks and give yourself a small reward as you meet these milestones.
These rewards can be very small. A cup of coffee or a short break might be enough to get through a rough patch.
5. Do whatever it takes to get started
It’s surprising how motivation can seemingly appear from nowhere if you can just take the first step.
Waiting for inspiration to get started is a mistake. You’re likely to notice that the work wasn’t nearly as disagreeable as you thought.
You’ll probably impress yourself with your progress and begin to feel motivated.
Whether it’s writing one sentence, making one phone call, or doing one pushup, do whatever it takes to get the ball rolling.
6. Motivate Yourself by finding inspiration through a song or video.
The internet is full of inspirational movie clips and presentations. Maybe there is a particular song that motivates you.
A couple of minutes spent on this sort of activity can be well worth the time. Consider listening to a favourite song or watching a video on your break time.
Avoid getting distracted and wasting hours. Five minutes is enough!
7. Use a Timer
A timer is a very effective way to focus the mind and get things done. Knowing that the seconds are ticking away is very motivating.
Having a timer also eliminates the questions of deciding how much to do or when to stop and take a break. You stop when the timer stops.
8. Motivate Yourself - by making a list of the benefits you’ll receive upon completion.
Will you finally have the money to pay all of your bills and take a trip?
Will you be proud to show off your body at the beach? Can you realize your dream of gaining acceptance into graduate school?
So All Up...
Keep this list handy and review it whenever your motivation is lacking.
Strive to further develop your ability to motivate yourself.
Self-motivation is a powerful tool for creating a successful life.
Remember that the most challenging task can be to take the first step.
Get started and you’ll find that your motivation begins to grow!