Motivation plays a vital role in our lives. In order to accomplish anything, you need to motivate yourself. Sometimes, feeling motivated is easy, especially if you’re doing something that isn’t too difficult or you really want to do. However, sometimes finding motivation is much more challenging, especially when what you need to do is not something you find particularly pleasant or will take a long time to accomplish. Whether you’re looking to motivate yourself to start your own business, ask for a raise, work out more often, or start a new hobby, it’s important to have ways to motivate yourself when you feel like you would rather just give up.
Use positivity
The main reason people avoid getting work done is because they’re feeling down and do not want to do anything that requires focus or work. Even if you feel bad and like you cannot do work, it’s important you get yourself into a positive mindset. Yand you’ll find you have more energy and view your list of tasks with less trepidation. Think about the benefits of accomplishing your tasks instead of the work required to get there.
Focus on why
Instead of worrying about all the different things you need to do, focus on why you need to do them. Maybe you have to plan a vacation and you know it’ll be difficult to get everything done at work. Focus on the great vacation you’ll take with your family instead of all the planning. Maybe you want to start your own business, but are afraid of the many steps and financial commitment it takes. Instead, think about the independence that comes with running your own business and the success it could lead to in your future.
Create a support system
Find people who support you and your goals and you’ll feel much more motivated to complete your to-do list. Have your support system hold you accountable with regular check-ins and discussions about what you’re doing. Have people who will celebrate your accomplishments with you. People feel much more motivated when they believe others are depending on them.
Write it down
While there is debate over the usefulness of to-do lists, writing a detailed plan of the steps you need to take to reach a goal can be beneficial. If you’re a visual and organized person, having a list of what you need to do is often very useful. Making small goals for yourself to meet and clear ways you can take each step toward your overall goal makes it easier to get motivated because what you need to do seems like less after breaking it into smaller pieces.
Reward yourself
Incentives are incredibly powerful. Studies have shown that some kind of reward is what motivates people to do most of what they do or to change their behavior. Consider creating a rewards system for yourself after completing tasks you continuously put off. You’ll associate completing tasks with positive feelings and begin to create a new habit of not putting off what you need to do.
