Remember the last time you were motivated? You felt energized, and it was as though you could conquer the world. But, then a few days later, or even a few hours later, it was gone. Where did it go? Believe it or not, it is still there. You just have to learn how to tap into it. This will guide you on how to do that.
- Start Each Day with an Action
Make it a habit of doing some kind of action each and every day. It can be something from your goals and task list, or it can be something like an affirmation. Just commit to doing one action. Of course, you are welcome to do more but always do one. - Consider What Happens When You Don’t Motivate
What will the consequence be if you don’t take appropriate action or motivate? If you focus on that consequence, which is probably negative, you will be more likely to do what you need to get it done. It may be fear-based, but it can work in many instances. - Get Over Your Fear of Failure
Allow yourself to fail. You should not fear it at all. It’s your greatest tool. People learn a lot when they fail. So use it to your advantage. Instead of treating it as a shortfall, welcome and embrace it. - Get Over Your Fear of Success
Perhaps an even stronger problem is people’s fear of success. It’s a real fear, and it can hold you back even more so than fear of failure. One big reason for this is people are afraid to get out of their comfort zones. When you start to see some successes, it’s often easier at the beginning for people to sabotage that success. Don’t let this happen. Push through it. - Shorten the Duration of Your Tasks
If you have tasks that have some time before due, consider shortening the amount of time you spend on them per session. In other words, if the task is due in two weeks, instead of working full time on it for three days, consider spending a half a day for one week or six days. You will still get things done before the deadline, but you won’t be rushing it or killing yourself trying to get it done sooner. By spacing out the time, you will have more motivation to complete it. - Take Advantage of Bursts of Motivation
When you have a time during the day that you are getting a lot done due to an increase in motivation, use it to get even more done. Some people will use that motivation only for the task they are currently working on and then let that motivation die down. A better approach is to continue on other tasks while the motivation train is running, so to speak. - Choose Your Optimal Time of Day
Some people get the most work done in the morning while others work best in the mid or late part of the day. Try to use these optimal times to get as much done as possible. Take on the bulk of your tasks then or take on the tasks that are more challenging during this optimal time.
ACTIONABLE STEPS
1 | 2 | 3 |
Write on a calendar (that will be visible while you work) actions you will complete for the next 30 days. It’s up to you if you want to choose the same tasks for each of the 30 days or if you want to make each day something different. Set aside one of those days to schedule the next 30 days following. If you do this enough, it will become a habit. | Read profiles of famous people who you admire. Pay particular attention to the methods they used to motivate themselves. Sometimes, it may be subtle so try to pick up on that when reading about them. It may take reading a couple of times before capturing those subtle motivations | Choose one of the books below, set a deadline to finish it – and reach that goal! |
Here are some additional books that you may want to consider:
You may also want to check out this book:
“Keeping Your Motivation High to Get Things Done“
By: Michael W