How to Motivate Yourself

Lost Motivation

We've all been there on more than one occasion. We've all had deadlines to meet or important things to finish in our lives that, sometimes, we just can't be bothered to do. It happens. It would be crazy to expect ourselves and each other to be one hundred percent motivated and dedicated twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.

The bad news is, lack of will and motivation can't always be avoided. The GOOD news, is that there are techniques that we can use to try and get that motivation back.

There are three main causes of lack of a lack in motivation, and they are:

• Lack of confidence
• Lack of focus
• Lack of direction

In order to motivate yourself, you need to overcome these obstacles and get back the confidence, focus and direction that you have lost. Unfortunately, it's not as easy as just doing it. Like most things, it is easier said than done... but it's not impossible. The tips below should help you on your path to motivating yourself and putting procrastination and lack of motivation to bed.

Steps to Motivating Yourself

Have a Cause That You Care About

One of the key things in motivating yourself, is to care about WHY you need the motivation. If you don't care about what needs to be done, then you'll find it harder to do it. Have a reason, and make it a good one. Know WHY you are doing what you are doing, and you're already one step ahead. If you don't have a good reason, motivating yourself will be extremely difficult. If you can't find a reason then consider dropping the project and focusing on something else until you know exactly why the task needs to be completed.

Have a Dream... and Dream Big

Set yourself a big goal. If the target is a big one, you'll motivate yourself more to reach it. Having smaller goals can lead to lack of caring and boost procrastination. Aim high and reach for the top. If you want it, you'll get it.

Be Hungry

Really WANT what you are setting out to achieve. Sharing your hunger and excitement with other people around you can also be beneficial. If other people are aware of your goal, they are likely to motivate and encourage you. Using motivation from other people is a great way to motivate yourself and feel good about what needs to be done. Feed off of energy from other people and use that to feed your hunger to succeed. Allow yourself to be encouraged by others and use THEIR motivation to motivate YOURSELF.

Run Your Own Race

Don't compete against somebody else. Set your own pace, and keep to it. Don't try to rush or you could end up stressing yourself out. Pace yourself and ignore how far everyone else has gone. You are your own person and not everybody works at the same speed. Figure out what works for you and set yourself to work towards it. Comparing your work to somebody else's can sometimes kill your motivation, especially if you find out that you are behind by a significant amount. Focus on yourself and your own results and you will win the race.

Take One More Step

Take it step-by-step. Don't force yourself to do too much at once. This can be tough if you're facing strict deadlines and the pressure is on, but don't bite off more than you can chew. If a task has more than one part to it, don't tackle them all at once if you're feeling stressed. Tackle it one piece at a time and work yourself up to finishing the final project.

Let Go of the Past

Don't compare your progress to other tasks that you have accomplished in the past. Some things take longer than others and it is important to realise this. Much like comparing your work to somebody else's, comparing to work you have done previously can be just as demoralising. Treat each task individually and let go of the past until you have completed your project; you will save yourself a lot of stress and pressure.

You CAN Succeed!

While sometimes it can feel like an impossible task to motivate yourself and you can often feel alone and succumb under pressure, with a positive "can-do" attitude and the correct steps in place, you CAN succeed and complete whatever you set out to accomplish. The trick isn't to FORCE yourself to do something, but to know how to handle the stress and disappointment that comes with being unmotivated and to remedy the situation. Follow the steps outlined in this post and you should find it a lot easier to rely on yourself to get back that motivation that disappears from time to time. Just remember: You CAN do it!