September 13th, 2007 in Featured, Productivity

Thirteen Tricks to Motivate Yourself

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Who needs Tony Robbins when you can motivate yourself? Overcoming the emotional hurdle to get stuff done when you’d rather sit on the couch isn’t always easy. But unless calling in sick and waking up at noon have no consequences for you, it’s often a must.

For those of you who never procrastinate, distract yourself or drag your feet when you should be doing something important, this article isn’t for you. But for the rest of us humans, it’s good to have a library of motivational boosters to move us along.

How to Avoid Motivation

The best way to motivate yourself is to organize your life so you don’t have to. If work is a constant battle for you, perhaps it is time to start thinking about a new job. The idea is that explicit motivational techniques should be a backup, not your regular routine.

Here are some other things to consider making work flow more naturally:

  • Passion. Do things you have a passion for. We all have to do things we don’t want to. But if life has become a chronic source of dull chores, you’ve got a big problem that needs fixing.
  • Habits. You can’t put everything on autopilot. But I’ve found putting a few core habits in place creates a structure for the day. Waking up at the same time, working at the same times and having a similar productive routine makes it easier to do the next day.
  • Flow. Flow is the state where your mind is completely focused on the task at hand. While there are many factors that go into producing this state, having the right challenge level is a big part. Find ways to tweak your tasks so they hover in that sweet spot between boredom and maddening frustration.

Motivation Tips

Despite your best efforts, passion, habits and a flow-producing environment can fail. In that case, it’s time to find whatever emotional pump-up you can use to get started. Here are a few:

  1. Go Back to “Why” – Focusing on a dull task doesn’t make it any more attractive. Zooming out and asking yourself why you are bothering in the first place will make it more appealing. If you can’t figure out why, then there’s a good chance you shouldn’t bother with it in the first place.
  2. Go for Five – Start working for five minutes. Often that little push will be enough to get you going.
  3. Move Around – Get your body moving as you would if you were extremely motivated to do something. This ‘faking it’ approach to motivation may seem silly or crude, but it works.
  4. Find the Next Step – It’s impossible to work on a project. All you can do is focus on the next immediate step. Fighting an amorphous blob of work will only cause procrastination. Chunk it up so that it becomes manageable.
  5. Find Your Itch – What is keeping you from working. Don’t let the itch continue without isolating it and removing the problem. Are you unmotivated because your tired, afraid, bored, restless or angry. Maybe it is because you aren’t sure you have time or delegated tasks haven’t been finished yet.
  6. Deconstruct Your Fears – I’m sure you don’t have a phobia about getting stuff done. But at the same time, hidden fears or anxieties can keep you from getting real work completed. Isolate the unknowns and make yourself confident you can handle the worst case scenario.
  7. Get a Partner – Find someone who will motivate you when you’re feeling lazy. I have a friend I go to the gym with. Besides spotting weight, having a friend can help motivate you to work hard when you’d normally quit.
  8. Kickstart Your Day – Plan out tomorrow. Get up early and place all the important things early in the morning. Building momentum early in the day can usually carry you forward far later.
  9. Read Books – Not just self-help or motivational books, but any book that has new ideas. New ideas get your mental gears turning and can build motivation. Learning new ideas puts your brain in motion, so it requires less time to speed up to your tasks.
  10. Get the Right Tools – Your environment can have a profound effect on your enthusiasm. Computers that are too slow, inefficient applications or a vehicle that breaks down constantly can kill your motivation. Building motivation is almost as important as avoiding the traps that can stop it.
  11. There are No Small Problems - The worst killer of motivation is facing a seemingly small problem that creates endless frustration. Reframe little problems that must be fixed as bigger ones, or they will kill any drive you have.
  12. Develop a Mantra – Find a few statements that focus your mind and motivate you. It doesn’t matter whether they are pulled from a tacky motivational poster, or just a few words to tell you what to do. If you aren’t sure where to start, a good personal mantra is, “Do it now!”
  13. Build on Success – Success creates success. When you’ve just won, it is easy to feel motivated about almost anything. Emotions tend not to be situation specific, so a small win, whether it is a compliment from a colleague or finishing two thirds of your tasks before noon can turn you into a juggernaut. There are many ways you can place small successes earlier on to spur motivation later. Structuring your to-do lists, placing straightforward tasks such as exercising early in the day or giving yourself an affirmation can do the trick.

WRITER'S BIOGRAPHY

Scott H Young

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  • Truthteller says on September 13th, 2007 at 12:02 pm

    “everything is possible, if you can have fun doing it”

    I have come to believe that my statement above is the smart persons key to motivation and ultimately abundant success.

    Think about this….how could you not be motivated if you are having fun doing something?

    This is powerful stuff and who knew it was also the easiest path to getting things done!

    Eduardo

  • Steve says on September 13th, 2007 at 4:24 pm

    Here’s a big one:

    - find your WOW factor. Find something that really excites you! If it doesn’t excite you then you probably shouldn’t be doing it. Stick to the stuff that challenges your inner genius and let’s you know you’re following your desires.

    Cheers,

    Stephen Martile
    Personal Development Made Simple
    http://www.stephenmartile.cm

  • Sérgio Santos says on September 13th, 2007 at 7:39 pm

    I found that reading books it’s really a great way to get some extra motivation. It seems to work specially with books about others works and thoughts. A few pages and you’re already feeling the urge to create something on your own, besides all the great ideas you found out in return.

  • Leona says on September 13th, 2007 at 9:39 pm

    I agree with reading books. Some novels or poetry can inspire you, put a different spin on situations or just give you an adreline rush that is missing your for “day” job.

    Enjoy reading
    Leona Seib
    Seek Empower Inspire Balance

  • Charlie says on September 14th, 2007 at 3:00 am

    Great strategies. One thing I’m particular about is passion because I know its one of the reasons that motivates me.

  • Nik Chankov says on September 14th, 2007 at 6:03 am

    I’d say that the trick “Get a Partner” is extremely effective. In my case this was for gym. At the beggining I started alone and not long after I stop going. I just find excuses not to go. From the beggining of that year I started with a friend and the things are better – if I am too lazy my friend pushing me to go and up side doen when he is lazy I do this for him. All other tips are also very reasonable!

  • Ranjani says on September 14th, 2007 at 10:58 am

    Great post..loved it!

  • Corey says on September 14th, 2007 at 5:15 pm

    I agree Motivation is temporary, that’s why I always turn to a good motivational quote when I need that kick!

  • Tom says on September 14th, 2007 at 9:33 pm

    Wow, I have found your techniques combined with the ones mentioned here

    http://www.excommunicate.net/g.....-have-none

    have really helped me out. Thank you!

  • Howie says on September 14th, 2007 at 10:05 pm

    I totally agree with getting a partner. I have a friend who reminds me of the things that I should do and she has been my source of motivation.

  • FLisa says on September 17th, 2007 at 2:09 pm

    Take my Adderall ;-)

  • Liora says on September 17th, 2007 at 10:29 pm

    Break things into pieces that are not overwhelming. For me, just getting the ball rolling is half the battle. I’ve found that a small digital timer works wonders. Make a deal with myself that I will set it for a 5-10-15 minutes for the task, then take a break of x minutes before starting the timer again. Usually after just a few cycles, I’m itching to be let to just stay in the project rather than be interrupted. That’s when you know you can set the timer off and just flow.

  • °flo says on September 23rd, 2007 at 7:17 pm

    Always remind yourself that YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE!!!

    _______________________________________
    MADVERTISING – tales from a very strange industry

  • Naingwai Win says on September 24th, 2007 at 1:53 am

    Great post!! it really helps me. My best motivation is ‘kickstart my day’. It’s really fascinating to get up at 4:00am and do all the important things! That really carry me forward far later through the day MORE CONFIDENTLY!!!

  • Douglas Woods says on October 3rd, 2007 at 3:13 pm

    A very interesting article. I am not a great fan of ‘passion’ in coaching. Passion can take someone over and lead them to do things they might otherwise not do and do things that are not necessarily in their best interest. Passion is fine in romance and love. Otherwise it is best to become active, enthusiastic and committed to achieving.

  • Cory Countryman says on October 25th, 2007 at 12:37 pm

    Passion coaching can be good. I think this article hits the nail on the head. Cory Countryman http://www.CoryCountryman.com

  • Gus says on March 7th, 2008 at 3:23 pm

    I subscribe to this daily motivational video blog. Its actually called

    http://www.kickstartmyday.com

  • Frode H. says on July 15th, 2008 at 6:11 pm

    I love this article. I think a lot about motivation, and this summer I have been thinking about the motivation engine (mogine) – Resulting in this little post in my blog: http://properpants.blogspot.co.....-talk.html

    I feel that this article complement it greatly.

  • Shawn L. says on November 20th, 2008 at 11:14 pm

    I like the one “There are no small problems”. I have found that the problems or tasks that seem so easy to do just never get started. Treating them like a bigger problem may be a good way to kick start.

    I also like the item “Read Books”. When one gets busy that is the first thing to drop. Reading anything takes your mind away for a while from your problems, and you end up seeing the problem in a whole new light and can easily attack and resolve it.

  • Saikat says on December 6th, 2008 at 12:22 pm

    I always believe in beginning with the end in mind. If I can frame what I want in specific, clear terms…and can feel myself getting the ‘itch’ to do it…then motivation becomes a cinch.

  • Josh Hinds says on December 20th, 2008 at 4:39 pm

    Great ideas. I especially liked two ideas in particular:

    1. getting a partner – having someone to hold you accountable and on path to what you want to accomplish can work great. 2. Kickstart your day – Brian Tracy calls it eating your biggest frog first. There’s nothing quote like getting the most important task finished first. It can really help push you through the rest of the day.

    -Josh

  • Reginald Reglus says on March 2nd, 2009 at 11:45 pm

    These are great tips. Another way to get motivated is to consider what will happen if you don’t get the activity done. What are the consequences? Sometimes using pain to motivate you can be good.

  • Pintoo says on March 17th, 2009 at 8:32 am

    hi,
    I realy love this article as it helps build confident in us and motivate our self to do something which we want to do.

    I would like to say other to learn some thing from this site….

  • Sanjay says on June 19th, 2009 at 5:22 am

    It is a very good article. I got many things which we should apply in our life for our motivation.

  • Scott says on June 24th, 2009 at 11:54 pm

    Thanks for this, for as long as i remember ive lacked motivation and been lazy but its gotten to a point where its worse than ever. When i was a child my only motivation was my mother, i knew if i didn’t do what she wanted me to she’d be angry and to be honest life was much easier if i was in her good books.

    Now im a lot older i live with my gf of many years and my motivation is no longer my parents. I recently lost my job and having trouble finding a new one where i live, Im worrying about money issues and im putting weight on so my self confidence is at an all time low.

    Im finding it near impossible to motivate myself to do just about anything, Ive tried promising / forcing myself but end up saying to myself “yeah right, who was i kidding” when it comes to actualy doing these things.

    Up until now i never realised how often i look to the past and remind myself about all the mistakes and failures ive had in life, basically telling myself il never manage to do whatever it is im contemplating doing and if i try im only going to mess it up.

    I need to find a way of adapting your tips to fit me and my lifestyle, Thanks for your help and hopefully il find my motivation.

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