Harden Elkington
Self-motivation is the capacity to propel oneself to take initiative and act in order to achieve objectives and accomplish tasks. It’s an inner urge to create and achieve.
It’s what propels you to continue working on tasks, especially those you want to do because they’re something you love doing rather than because someone told you to.
Self-motivation is what gives you the strength to go on when all you want to do is give up. It’s an inner energy that pushes you forward even when external motivation isn’t present.
Self-motivation differs from externally imposed discipline in that it’s not based on external rewards or punishment but rather, on your own interest and sense of duty towards yourself.
It’s more closely tied to your values, beliefs and desires rather than being a result of forces beyond your control.
So, how can you develop this sense of responsibility towards yourself?
How can you generate the inner drive that will push you through difficulties and life’s obstacles? Below are some self-help tips to find the motivation you need to accomplish what you want in life.
Self-help tips to find the motivation
Eliminate distractions
You can’t find motivation if you’re constantly doing other things. The more distracted you are, the less likely it is for your mind to focus on anything long enough to develop motivation or interest.
It’s impossible to feel that sense of achievement when nothing seems real and important to you.
Stop doing what makes you unhappy
It’s true that some people are able to tolerate unpleasant tasks because they know that the more they do them, the sooner they’ll get over with them.
However, this isn’t a healthy way of living nor is it self-motivation. Once you recognize how unhappy certain things make you feel, stop doing them.
If you can’t do it today because of set schedules and other commitments, make a plan on how to eliminate those activities from your life as soon as possible.
Find a way to start
You may have all the knowledge in the world regarding what motivates you, but still be unable to find motivation simply because you can’t seem to get started.
The problem is that you’re making the task more complicated than it actually is.
You’ve been given a task, then set up all these parameters in your head but fail to accomplish anything because of over-thinking.
Make the idea of motivation achievable
Pushing yourself too much isn’t a good thing either.
If you put yourself under too much pressure, you’ll only end up feeling frustrated and maybe even end up hating whatever it is that you’re trying to do. Start small.
Set a goal that’s achievable and then gradually increases the intensity as time goes on.
Stop focusing on “the end”
People often fail to find motivation simply because their focus is on the finish line rather than what they can do to reach it.
After all, why would you push yourself to the limits if you know that at the end of your arduous task is a reward or recognition that’s not really important to you?
Take action now
The longer you take to act on something, the harder it gets. Every day that goes by without you taking any action, the more difficult it becomes to get started.
The challenge here is to take action right away and not tomorrow or next week or maybe even never.
Find a partner
Working with a partner allows for a different perspective and also provides you with a way of holding yourself accountable to someone other than you.
Know a friend who needs a bit of motivation? Invite him or her to join you in your endeavors and see how it goes!
What to do if you lose motivation
Even if you follow the most effective self-help tips to find motivation, you might still experience times when your drive and feelings of enthusiasm become depleted.
Fortunately, there are things that you can do during those difficult periods:
Acknowledge what’s distracting you
You’ve probably given up on your goals because they were not as important to you as your other activities.
It’s common to have so much going on in life that you can’t find enough time for yourself, but if this is a consistent problem, it may actually be the reason why you feel so unmotivated.
Be aware of what makes you happy
If you know exactly what motivates you and keeps your energy levels up, then you’ll be more likely to develop that sense of enthusiasm even when you are feeling drained.
Try to take the time every now and then for activities that keep your happiness intact because once your energy gets depleted, it’s obviously much harder to find motivation again.
Change the way you view setbacks
When things go wrong or you don’t accomplish what you had planned, many people fall into a cycle of self-criticism and despair.
However, an often overlooked mindset is to consider setbacks as learning experiences and opportunities for growth.
Look at what didn’t work out and determine why it didn’t work so that you can do things better next time.
Develop positive affirmations
Affirmations are more than just positive statements, it’s more of an overarching philosophy that you want to integrate into your life.
If you believe that goals are not worth the time and effort, affirmations will do nothing for you.
Rather, focus on things like “I’m committed to my goals” or “I’m hardworking and persistent.”
Practice mindfulness
Mindfulness is being aware of your thought processes and allowing yourself to focus on the moment as it happens.
It’s a great way to find what motivates you because it allows you to pay attention to things that make you happy, sad, angry or stressed – all of which can help you develop a deeper understanding of what motivates you.
Visualise your accomplishment
Most people have a hard time visualizing their future success because they are so caught up with the day to day tasks that they forget what’s really important.
Stop thinking about how many hours you need to put in at work or how much time it will take to finish that project at home – instead start thinking about all of the positive things that will happen once you accomplish your goals and how it will feel to achieve them.
Create a plan
Without a step by step process, achieving your goals is just wishful thinking.
Having no plan is much worse than having a bad one because at least with the latter you have an opportunity to change things as you go along.
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Continue your journey
If there is anything to be learned from the most successful people, it’s that those who continue working towards their goals no matter what will eventually reach success.
Find ways to integrate new habits into your life and don’t stop until you find a recipe that works for you.
In other words, if you don’t believe in yourself, who will?
Be patient
Motivation doesn’t happen overnight, it’s the product of consistent work and effort. Don’t be hard on yourself when setbacks occur or when you become easily discouraged.
Instead, look at these times as opportunities for learning and recognize that your efforts are slowly but surely moving you forward.
Believe in Yourself
It’s one of the most difficult things to do but you are your biggest motivation, so it’s important that you find ways to believe in yourself.
A great way to start is by thinking about all of the things that make you unique and talented, then working from there.
Final Thought
Motivation is something that we all need to have in our lives.
It’s one of those things that can make or break you, which is why it’s important to remember that motivation doesn’t appear magically out of thin air – it comes from within, which means that everyone can find it if they look deep enough.
When your motivation levels are at an all-time high, it’s hard to see the world in any other way.
Motivation can make you happier, more positive and open minded, which is why you should always keep your motivation levels high because who knows what tomorrow has in store for you?
