Are you struggling to get motivated? We get it. Getting and staying motivated is no easy task. And, once you realize you can’t find your motivation, it can be nearly impossible to get yourself out of your current headspace. Today we’re sharing twenty-seven ways to motivate yourself.
Get Started
To begin with, sometimes all we need is to get started. This is one of the major ways to motivate yourself! As you work on that project, campaign, etc., you’ll build momentum, and the motivation should begin to flow.
Set Goals
Secondly, goal setting is a well-known way to increase motivation. Goals allow you to measure how far you’ve come and how close you are to the finish line. Without goals, the work can become taxing, and once that happens, motivation will be hard to come by.
Reward Yourself
What good are goals without a little reward?! The rewards don’t have to be big, but they do need to be ones that you’ll be excited to receive.
Reduce Distractions
Certainly, distractions are kryptonite to motivation. If you’re struggling to get motivated, reduce as many distractions as possible.
Master Time Management
Having poor time-management skills is a sure-fire way to distract and demotivate yourself. If time management isn’t your thing, start taking steps to master it!
Listen to Music
Music is scientifically proven to impact your brain positively. Scientists have figured out which kind of music is ideal for certain moods. Ambient and natural tunes, for example, are great for productivity, but light pop music might be one of the ways to motivate yourself.
Brainstorm
Maybe all you need is a little spark to get your motivational juices flowing. Try using the age-old brainstorming trick. Get your pen and paper out and start writing.
Learn Something New
It’s easy to fall into the same old routine. It happens before you even know it! Next, boredom sinks in, and your motivation lags. A quick way to remedy this, learn something new! It doesn’t matter what you learn, but be sure it’s new for you. Check out SkillShare with thousands of easy-to-follow lessons or Babble if you want to pick up a new language.
Get Enough Sleep
Sleep is detrimental when it comes to motivation. Without enough rest, it is nearly impossible to feel motivated about anything other than taking a nap. The only way to ensure you have the energy required to be motivated is to get plenty of rest.
Focus on the Positive
It’s easy to get caught up in the negative. That’s why it’s critical to focus on the positive as often as possible. You will never find motivation when you’re in a negative state of mind. It seems simple, but it is one of the important ways to motivate yourself.
Mentor/Mentee
Mentorship is an important part of anyone’s career. Whether you’re the mentor or mentee, the experience is extremely beneficial. Motivation requires inspiration and what better way to get inspired than being a part of a mentor/mentee relationship.
Pick Up a Book
When in doubt, grab a book. There’s something about a good-old-fashioned book that ignites motivation. If you need some career-related motivation, we’ve got a great list of titles.
Remember Your Reminders
We created a list of important reminders to keep in your back pocket for those times when motivation seems almost impossible. Set these reminders on the phone and pay attention to them when they pop up.
Get into a Routine
Routines are fantastic for creating a rhythm, managing time, and staying on task. When everything is humming along nicely, it’s easy to tap into your motivation. If you need help establishing a routine, we have two articles for your morning routine and evenings.
Get a Hobby
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. Whether or not you’re a fan of The Shining, this line from the famous movie nailed it. Hobbies are a great way to tap into your more creative side and pull your attention away from work for a while. A dull life is unlikely to promote motivation.
Eat Right
Have you ever heard of the saying, “You are what you eat”? Above all, what you eat does matter. Not eating right will impact your mood. Not sure what to eat? Here’s a list of 13 foods that will be sure to supercharge your brainpower.
Tidy Up
It’s challenging to feel motivated when you’re in a chaotic environment. Clutter distracts and demotivates. If you need help staying organized, check out this article with simple tips and tricks that quickly get you organized.
Listen to a Motivational Ted Talk
If you’ve ever listened to a Ted Talk, you know how impactful they can be. Listening to someone share their story on the stage can be inspiring. Here are a few of our favorites to get you started.
Dan Pink: The puzzle of motivation
How great leaders inspire action
Inside the mind of a master procrastinator
Read Motivational Quotes
Grab your coffee and start reading! There’s a reason why motivational quotes are so popular; they work. For example, try to make a practice of reading and thinking about motivational quotes. What are the messages they deliver, and how can you apply them to your life?
Talk Yourself Up
In addition, positive self-talk is powerful. According to the National Science Foundation, the average person has about 12,000 to 60,00 thoughts per day. Of those, 80% are negative. What’s more demotivating than negativity? If you want to increase how motivated you feel, start paying attention to how you talk to yourself.
Remove Toxicity
Likewise negative self-talk, toxicity is a motivation killer. Whether it’s your boss, colleague, or even yourself, toxicity will destroy any chances of increased motivation. Do everything in your power to remove whatever toxicity may be part of your daily life.
Be Kind To Yourself
When all else fails, be kind to yourself. If you’re unable to get motivated, that’s okay. Motivation is a beautiful thing, but it’s not something you have total control over. But, when you’re kind to yourself, you make more room in your life for motivation.
Take a Break
According to Psychology Today, taking a break has a direct impact on boosting productivity. When you’re tired, burned out, and running low on fuel, motivation will always be out of your reach. Be sure you take proper breaks, giving your mind and body a chance to rest and refresh.
Maintain a Healthy Work-Life Balance
Similarly to taking breaks, maintaining a healthy lifestyle is key to continued motivation. Not sure what a good work-life balance looks like? We can help you with that.
Enjoy Your Life
No matter what you are doing, it must bring joy to your life. No joy, no motivation. It can be hard to enjoy life when trying to succeed in your personal and professional life—working hard to reach goals and show the world your stuff! It is possible to enjoy life while pursuing your goals.
Talk to a Coach
If you need motivation, a career coach can help you reinvigorate your passion and help you find a path to limitless motivation. That is to say, if you need a coach, check out our roster of top-rated coaches now taking clients.
Finding Ways to Motivate Yourself? Find Meaning in Your Work
Finally, here is the one of the last ways to motivate yourself. It’s nearly impossible to stay motivated if you struggle to find meaning in your work. If you can’t find meaning, stop and re-evaluate what you do and how you do it. In other words, there’s a way to find meaning in everything; you have to know where to look.
Do you have any tips for sparking motivation that we didn’t list here? Tell us in the comments, and we may update our list to include your advice.
Want more advice on ways to motivate yourself? The coaches at Ignite Your Potential are here to help. Reach out and take advantage of our complimentary 25-minute phone sessions.
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