Motivate Yourself - 5 Tips To Help You

To be able to motive yourself, or self-motivation, occurs when a person has the desire and willingness to do something and is internally motivated to do it.

Sometimes it's very difficult to get ourselves moving and achieve what we want to achieve. The natural inclination is to procrastinate. 

Life just seems to get in the way. There is a job to go to, a house to clean, groceries to do, television to watch - whoops!

I guess we get pretty good at finding excuses to not get started on an exercise routine, reading a new book or cleaning out that closet.

The fact is that we are creatures of routine and habit. 

However, once we allow ourselves to get into the habit of doing something (especially something we normally resist doing), it's no longer a struggle and we may even end up enjoying it.

When we were young most of us probably didn't like bathing or brushing our teeth but as it became habit, we no longer thought about it, we just did it.

So what can we do to motivate ourselves to accomplish, or even start working on, our goals?

For starters we can do some critical thinking and ask ourselves what will happen if we don't develop a particular habit or routine. What would some of the consequences be of neglecting to do so? An important question - right?

Many of us don't think far enough ahead when we need get in gear.   

Here are some tips to get ourselves going:

1. Decide what you want.
It's hard to motivate yourself when you don't have a goal or objective. Set a goal and decide how you are going to go about it. Then break it down into smaller sections so it's easier to tackle and less overwhelming. Do you want to run a marathon, lose 10 pounds, or make enough money for college tuition? Knowing what you want to accomplish is the first step in motivating yourself to get started.


2. Keep track of your progress.
Keep a log or journal where you chart your progress. It can motivate you by gauging how far you have come and how much you have accomplished. Looking at it alone can inspire you to keep pushing ahead, not to mention remind you what actions you need to take to get there.


3. Post motivating pictures or slogans on your fridge or elsewhere.
It is always uplifting to see pictures of people who have accomplished what you're striving for. It makes it attainable and realistic. Likewise, little slogans like "go for it" or "just do it" can give you the little boost you need. Be sure to also read inspiring and motivational quotes.


4. Remind yourself why you want this and focus on the end result.
If you remind yourself that you want to be healthier, go for that promotion or just better yourself, it will re-establish what you are doing and why. It's not unusual to hit a slump. Sometimes we forget what we set out to do and a little reminder is all we need to get revitalized. Visualize the end result and 'feel' how gratified and triumphant you will be when you've achieved your goal.


5. Make it a habit.
Once you have accomplished your goal or objective make it a habit! If it was to exercise or eat properly, keep it up. If it was to work for a promotion or any other one-time event, maintain the habit of self-improvement. Once it becomes a habit, it will be second nature to you and you won't have to think about it anymore. That means you won't be procrastinating, avoiding, or trying to build up motivation to do it yet again.

Interesting Tip:
There is an interesting point to be aware of if you are too intense or work on a task in the same way for too long. 

By doing so, you can actually jeopardize your motivation. Who would have thought! 

Therefore, make it a point to walk away and take breaks every now and then. Change the conditions and timetable you're working under. 

Doing so will give you renewed energy and a fresh perspective for a project. 

Not surprisingly, we all have trouble motivating ourselves from time to time. 

However, if we remember why we want to accomplish something, and how great it will feel when we do, quite often it will serve as the only motivation we need to get on with it.