We all know there are things we should do, are supposed to do, must do – it’s for our own good. It’s silly to put it off. Yet we procrastinate, we find excuses not to do what we must, we, in general, don’t give the job our best.
We understand our motivation logically but don’t feel it emotionally. However, motivation isn’t something that comes and goes of its own volition – if you are willing to, you may influence it, using the right motivation tips.
1. Determine a Single Goal
People who achieve the greatest success are those who choose one goal and pursue it with everything they’ve got. Often they manage to bring their scheme to fruition out of sheer bloody-mindedness and inability to accept failure.
On the contrary, those who try to do a dozen unrelated projects simultaneously usually go on doing it for years, without any seeming result.
So decide what your primary goal is, throw away everything secondary – and soldier on!
2. Tell Someone about Your Goal
Preferably – to someone whose opinion you respect. Ideally – with a deadline attached.
If you are the only one who knows about your goal, you may go around it in circles for years. If you tell somebody whom you want to think highly of you, you will try, out of necessity, to do what you’ve promised. Better yet, put some money at stake: write a contract according to which you have to do something by a certain date, and if you don’t you will have to give some money to the friend in question, or donate it to charity.
3. Dedicate Time to Self-Development
Set aside at least an hour a day to self-development: read instructive books, listen to inspiring audios, look for other ways to improve yourself. It is not much – you probably spend more time watching TV; and you can easily use your trips to work and back home for this purpose.
4. Do One Thing at a Time
Setting a particular goal is important long-term decision; but you shouldn’t scatter your attention among numerous things even within a single activity. Take a job, see it to an end, move over to something else. Normally we are too ready to leave one job unfinished to take up another, saying to ourselves that we will return to it later – and all too often they end up lying around for years.
5. Start Really, Really Small
Self-help gurus are all too ready to encourage you to think big, not to be afraid to challenge your limits and so on. Unfortunately, most people are too used to surrender after experiencing a single setback. Thus, if you start something new, you should better start small. If, for example, you want to exercise, begin with 5 minutes of exercise every day – it isn’t something to fail at. Stick with it for some time, then increase your dosage – then rinse and repeat until you achieve your goal.
Some of these tips may look silly or too convoluted – but try them out and you will see that they work.