“I was thinking one day and I realized that if I just had somebody behind me all the way to motivate me I could make a big difference. Nobody came along like that so I just became that person for myself.”
Unknown
Staying motivated until you reach your goals and dreams isn’t always easy.
There are often roadblocks, plateaus and valleys along the way where you can get into a slump. Or a rut.
And feel like you’ve simply lost your motivation somewhere along the way.
So today I would like to share 17 tips, strategies and habits that I have used to find that motivation again.
I hope you’ll find something helpful here.
1. Refocus on doing what YOU really, really like to do.
When you really like doing something then the motivation to do it comes automatically (most of the time). And when you really want something then it simply becomes easier to push through any inner resistance you feel.
So if you lose your motivation, ask yourself:
Am I doing what I really want to do?
If not and if possible, refocus and start working on that very important thing instead.
2. Make a list of upsides.
Write down all the benefits you will get from achieving something, like for example getting into better shape or making more money.
Save it and then pull that list out of the drawer whenever your motivation is lacking again and review it. Or put it somewhere where you will see it every day until you reach your dream.
This is a powerful way to reconnect with your motivation and reasons for taking action.
3. Make a list of downsides.
You can combine this with the list of upsides to give yourself even more motivation to start moving and get things done.
Ask yourself:
- How will my life look in 5 years if I continue to stay on the same path as now?
- How will life likely become worse for me and maybe even for the people around me?
Try to see the negative consequences as vividly as you can in your mind to kick-start your motivation to start going for that positive change again.
4. Spend 3 minutes on remembering your successes.
If you lose your motivation then it is easy to get stuck in looking at your failures and so you get stuck in that slump.
So instead, sit down for three minutes and just remember your successes. Let them wash over you and refuel your inspiration and motivation.
5. Go for a bigger goal.
Set a big goal that inspires you even if it may seem a tad unrealistic at the moment.
If you have too easily achievable goals then you may find that they don’t give you that motivational spark and drive. When you start to think a bit bigger then you get motivated and your mind starts looking for the solutions that will help you achieve that goal.
Thinking too small can leave you with a “meh…” feeling or make you feel like you can do it later.
6. Or go for a small or tiny goal.
If having a medium-sized goal don’t feel too inspiring and a bigger goal feels overwhelming then try to set a smaller one instead. Or even just a tiny one.
A smaller goal could be to just workout for 15 minutes today or 5 minutes on getting going with your essay for school.
And a tiny one – if the smaller one leads to procrastination – could for example be to just work out for 1-2 minutes.
The most important thing if you’re standing still is to start moving and to build some momentum forward. So do that with one or a few small or tiny steps at first if that’s what will work for you at this time.
7. Remember how far you have come and compare yourself with yourself.
Comparing what you have and your results to what other people have and have accomplished can really kill your motivation.
There are always people ahead of you.
So focus on you. On your results. And how you can and have improved your life and results.
This is important because it’s a great motivator to see how much you have improved and how far you have come. Often you can be pleasantly surprised when you do such a review.
8. Reconnect with optimism.
How you perceive what you are doing or are about to do makes a huge difference.
The positive and constructive way of looking at things energizes and inspires you. It makes it easier to keep going even when you hit roadblocks.
So ask yourself questions like:
- What is one thing that awesome about this situation?
- What can I learn from this and what is one opportunity in this situation?
- How can I or we solve this and what is the next small step that I or we can take to start doing that?
9. Work out.
I like this one because even if you feel too frustrated and down to ask yourself the right questions you can still drag yourself to the gym or wherever you go to exercise.
And if you just do your pretty mindless repetitions then your body will do the rest.
Endorphins and other chemicals will be released. Inner tensions will loosen up and leave your body.
Your negative emotional pattern will be broken. And new energy will be added to your body.
10. Talk about it.
Sometimes you just need to let it out and to talk to someone about your motivational low point. Letting it all out can release a lot of pent up emotion and let you get a new, more positive and healthy perspective on things.
Often we build our own small or medium-sized problems into big scary monsters in our minds.
Letting the monsters out into the light and letting others see them can make us realize that we were making a too big of a deal out of it all.
It allows us to lighten up a bit, to not take things too seriously and to start moving forward and find that lost motivation again.
So talk to a friend or family member. Or try an anonymous internet forum with like-minded people.
11. Remember to have fun.
It’s easy to get wrapped up in the seriousness of a task and the stress and tension of completing it.
So remember that you are allowed to have fun when you are working on it.
There is no rule that says you have to be all serious about it all the time.
When you can, create fun in a task. Compete with yourself to finish it even faster than you did the last time, whistle a nice tune while working or have fun and joke around with your co-workers and class mates.
12. Start moving and let the motivation catch up with you.
Many times I have found it better to just do it and start working instead of trying to motivate myself to get going.
At first what you do may suck quite a bit and it’s hard going. But after a while inspiration and motivation seems to catch up with you.
Things start to flow easier and your work is of a higher quality.
13. Get accountability from one or a few people in your life.
Getting your goal, dream or new habit that you’re working on out into the world can make a big difference for your motivation levels.
So tell a few friends on social media what you will do. Or talk to one of them on the phone or in person and ask her to check up on you and your progress regularly.
By putting a bit of social pressure on yourself and getting some follow up once a week or twice a month you’ll be less likely to give up at the first obstacle or try to weasel out of your commitment.
14. Let the motivation from others (close by and far away in the world) flow over to you.
Spend more of your week with the people in your life that are enthusiastic, motivated or optimistic.
And let motivation from all over the world into your daily life and mind by:
- Listening to positive podcasts.
- Visiting uplifting websites.
- Watching inspiring online videos or movies.
- Exploring motivating books and biographies about the most successful people in history.
15. Have a bit of friendly competition.
Engage in a bit of friendly competition with a co-worker or school friend about, for example, who can finish a boring or routine task first.
The winner can get a free ice-cream, fruit bowl or something else that’s small but a motivating reward from the other person.
16. Take a break.
Yeah, sometimes you just need to take a break.
Perhaps your time-plan for your goal or new habit is just too optimistic?
Maybe you have worked harder than you can manage right now. Then take a break.
A few hours or days of rest and recuperation can change how you feel in a remarkable way and recharge your batteries.
17. Step out in nature for a bit.
Very few things in life give me so much new motivation and energy as being out in nature.
So I often go out for a walk in the nearby woods and focus on just taking all the sights and smells in and on breathing the fresh air without thinking about anything special.
Henrik Edberg is the creator of the Positivity Blog and has written weekly articles here since 2006. He has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Gothenburg and has been featured on Lifehacker, HuffPost and Paulo Coelho’s blog.
Comments on this entry are closed.
I especially like number six – compare me to me! What’s the point of comparing myself to my industry’s super-star? Best to recall where I was six years ago, revel in where I’ve come to five years later, and then I can look at those super-stars and set my goals according to what they have achieved that I would like to also achieve.
Great list, excellent reminders of how to stay motivated!
Right on, Stephanie! I couldn’t have said it better. #6 is my takeaway too.
Stephanie and Andrea,
I so agree with you! It is really good to take stock sometimes and see how far we’ve come. And sometimes it is good to notice that some of one’s peers who are no more gifted than oneself have charged ahead because they had more audacity – and then we might get a bit bolder, too. This, sadly, I feel is still often a challenge for us women.
Oh so true…re: the need to celebrate our own successes, big and small. How often is that left while we focus on what we failed at or could have done better. Another gem here Henrik, thank you!
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Hi sir am readig ur blog post Letting it all out can release a lot of pent up emotion is very nice sir thanxx…..
Ive had a great day today (its 20:30 in germany) because i keep these tips in my mind all the time. Thanks :)
The other thing I like to do that wasn’t mentioned in the post is to create a vision board, where you put of all the things you want e.g. your dream house, your dream car etc. Looking at your vision board everyday is nother great way to stay motivated.
I agree with you, Kian. A vision board will certainly reminds us what we’re striving for and never simply give up half way.
I want to add: think about the WHY. Why are you doing a thing in the first place? Thinking about the ultimate results of a goal, plan, dream or action helps to re-ignite the fire of passion.
I like the idea of making a pros and cons list, that can really be helpful when making big decisions. This blog was an easy read.
Great post for staying motivated Henrik. The key point for me is to have fun while staying motivated and achieving my goal. When something is made fun it can be done almost perpetually.
Adding onto building the negatives (stacking the pain for staying where you are) I love the question “What will happen if you don’t” and “What won’t happen if you don’t”. Often our answers feel very unsatisfactory to ourselves.
I like this post a lot. It really helps to keep going. We all know that we have got priorities and goals to achieve but due to the busy routine we deviate & then regret about the results. It is really a good idea to keep reminding ourself about the ways to motivate. I specially like point 7 “Reconnect with optimism”. We will never get disappointed or demotivated if we master the habbit to find out the positive out of everything that happens with us.
Thanks a lot for adding your own tips, guys! Much appreciated! :)
Great tips! I find that listing down the upsides was very helpful to me. Now I have a clearer picture on why I’m working towards my goals and it’s not as difficult to stay on course.
All of these are great. I appreciate #6, but #5 pumps me up more than anything. Even if the current goal seems a tad overwhelming, connecting to an even bigger challenge with an awesome payoff gets my motor running like nothing else.
I first came across this idea when doing standing broad jump in junior high school in Rockville, Maryland, 1964. A few could do better than 7 feet, but I was stuck at 5’4″. Then I got a bright idea. I looked at the 10′ line and said, “Ah, there’s 5′. I can do that easy!” I let the idea sink in and jumped–7′ 3″. Not a bad ROI for a 10-second investment.
What strikes me most from these tips is “Reconnect with Optimism”. Often times, the struggles which I experienced drops me into negativity. But its good to be reminded of this equation : Positive Thinking + Positive Action = Positive Results .
I would like to add gratitude to this list. Being grateful for what you already is critical to be able to receive more in your life. Being grateful everyday is a great feeling.