We all want motivation, we all need it, but most of us just don’t get enough of it. Motivation can be elusive, and when we manage to find it within ourselves, we find it difficult to sustain it.
Feeling unmotivated is natural and occurs in the best of us.
Even the successful people we read about, hear about, and admire for their great accomplishments have moments and moments when they lose motivation. However, just because decline and lack of motivation are inherent in our human nature, does not mean that we should not participate in the struggle to maintain and kindle the fire of motivation to act. How to motivate yourself? How to stay motivated?
If it is important for you to achieve more in your life, you should learn to fight for your motivation. Because fighting for motivation is like fighting for your dream. Without motivation, discipline and action, dreams will not come true on their own.
Since you are reading this text, you are probably one of those brave people who want to take on the challenge and fight for a better life for yourself and your loved ones. If yes, read on for some great tips that will take your motivation to the next level.
13 Ways to Motivate Yourself and Win the Battle for Your Dreams
If you show a little patience and read this text to the end, you will learn how to motivate yourself to act, despite the circumstances in which you are. Are you ready to enter the ring and learn how to fight for your dreams? If so, here are 13 ways to help you.
Dream big
The first and most important thing we all need if we want to be motivated is to dream. People who have an overwhelming desire and big dreams they want to fulfill are less prone to lack of motivation.
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s quote pretty well illustrates the impact dreams have on our level of motivation: “If you want to build a ship, don’t call on people to bring you wood, prepare tools, don’t assign tasks and jobs, but make them yearn for to a distant, endless sea.”
Most people who lack motivation do not have an exciting vision of what they are trying to achieve. The key word here is breathtaking vision. We often don’t pay enough attention to rethinking our dreams and goals. Many people do not have specific goals at all or choose them at random.
They choose a goal because they think it’s “something” they “should” be aiming for, or because it’s a “reasonable” goal because others are striving for it too. However, if you don’t choose a target based on what you really want. If you do not think about your “why”. If this goal doesn’t resonate deep in your soul, you won’t feel enough excitement and excitement to achieve it.
When you decide to set a goal that you really want to achieve. A goal that you can clearly see with your imagination. You feel like you understand it, and at the same time you feel amazing things will happen in your life when you finally reach yours and achieve it. In this way, you create a solid foundation for balanced and somewhat self-sustaining motivation.
“If you can dream of something, you can do it” – Walt Disney.
Truly, without a dream or a vision for the future, our motivation to achieve anything will vanish. So make sure you choose something that will inspire your heart and soul. The brighter and more seductive your dreams are, the more intense and lasting your motivation will be. Big dream!
Make your dream a goal
However, you can’t just dream. Almost all of us dream of a better future. Traveling and visiting beautiful places, having a more satisfying job, making more money, etc. Everyone dreams, but not everyone achieves what they dream of.
One of the main reasons why most people fail to achieve their dreams is the lack of motivation. And one of the main reasons people lose motivation is because they never turn their dreams and intentions into well-defined and measurable goals.
Dreams exist in our minds and represent vague intentions. Over time, unfulfilled dreams naturally fade. They turn into memories and regrets about the missed opportunity. However, this should not always be the case.
In fact, you will increase your chances of realizing your dreams and increase your motivation to achieve what you want if you take a piece of paper and write down your dream, turning it into a specific goal that needs to be realized.
Remember that we are not the sum of our intentions, we are the sum of our actions.
So do yourself and your motivation a favor and turn your dream into a goal, because as Napoleon Hill once said, “A goal is a dream with a deadline.”
Your goal must meet SMART criteria
You need to turn dreams into goals – measurable goals with deadlines – so you can track your progress. The goal should be:
- S – Specific – i.e. specific, defined as precisely as possible.
- M – Measurable – that is, one whose degree of implementation or effects can be measured
- A – achievable – that is, one that we can actually achieve.
- R – Relevant – that is, one that is important to us, stems from our values.
- T – time bound – that is, one whose time frames are well-defined
Create triggers for good habits
A very simple yet effective way to motivate yourself on those days when you don’t feel like acting is to create a habit that gets you motivated.
What is a habit trigger?
A good habit trigger can be anything that you have planned for yourself as a deliberate reminder that spurs you to take certain actions.
For example, you can set a habit trigger to keep you motivated by posting notes, stickers with motivational phrases, or inspiring photos near your place of work. You can also hang them on a mirror to remind you of certain things before you leave the house in the morning. For example, to act in a certain way or to pursue a certain goal every day.
Another effective habit trigger can be something as simple as setting a reminder on your phone. When it turns on, it beeps and reminds you to do something. Connecting with someone, sending email, exercising and working out, or anything else that touches you and gets you closer to your goal.
The Habit Loop
Our habits are regulated by a mechanism that is very well described in Charles Duhigg’s book The Power of Habit. There is such a thing as a habit loop. Every time our brain sees a certain “trigger”, it starts a pre-programmed procedure to receive a reward.
If, when faced with a trigger, repeating an action generates a reward, our brain automates the entire action as a habit. If you want to know more about this, be sure to read the book The Power of Habit, check also: How to form and maintain good habits?
Create a ritual
One of the best ways to motivate yourself is to develop a good habit and build a ritual around it. The ritual is one of the most closely guarded secrets that many above-average performers use to keep them motivated.
If you follow the principles and work methods of successful people, you will notice relatively quickly that they are not dependent on the motivation to take action to achieve their daily goals. If you watch them carefully, you will find that they have a seemingly magical ability to carry out many of the tasks they have planned, even when they don’t feel like it.
The way they can follow and continue to act towards their goals, whether they are motivated or not, is that they have automated the process of motivation through ritual. Most rituals take the form of daily, morning or evening activities and activities, but the time of day is not that important.
These rituals can take many forms such as daily journaling, waking up early, meditation, breathing exercises, cold showers, ice baths, etc. These rituals can be very varied, depending on who performs them. However, what is important is that they help us to be reborn, refresh and remind us of what we have taken on and what we want to achieve in life.
Sleep well
You may have experienced this before, mentally you really want to do something, but physically you just don’t feel ready for it. Often this lack of energy is due to lack of sleep. A lack of energy can turn into a lack of motivation.
You probably felt it on your skin after a sleepless night or several nights of terror. However, there are studies that support this. When we don’t get enough sleep for our bodies, our self-control and cognitive abilities deteriorate. When this happens, our motivation can plummet. How much sleep we need is an individual question for one person, for example, 6 hours is enough, for another – more than 8.
To learn more, see: Effects of Sleep Deprivation You Should Know About.
Keep the momentum
The next step is not so much to motivate yourself to act as to keep yourself motivated.
When we start our adventure and pursue our goal, we usually experience a lot of joy, excitement and enthusiasm.
We spend a lot of time thinking and taking various actions to achieve our goal. However, over time, especially if it is a medium or long-term goal, our motivation dissipates, especially when difficulties begin to arise or things go wrong. Naturally, when our motivation starts to wane, it’s much easier to distract ourselves. Deviate from the path leading to our goals, or slow down and reduce your efforts. Of course, it shouldn’t be like this, you need to keep the pace and dynamics.
Of course, in order to achieve our dream and goal, time off from work, rest and vacations are also important. However, it is important to exercise moderation and not rest more than you are working towards your goal. Why? Because each successive day that you deviate from your goals increases the resistance you will face as you try to get back into action and work towards your goal.
Listen to motivating music
Sometimes a little music is enough to help us rekindle the spark of motivation. When you feel exhausted, just put on some good music that you enjoy. This will usually lead you to a 100% form for action.
However, don’t turn on the radio hoping that any song will have that effect. This is unlikely to happen unless you accidentally choose the right path. If you’re looking for music to help you get back on track, your best bet is to listen to what you’ve already tried. In general, any song that has helped you kindle your inner fire in the past will do. Create your own motivational playlist with songs that will make you crawl when you listen to them and that will make you feel like you can conquer the world and create an empire.
Motivational music can be used as a catalyst. For you, this can be an impetus to action. It can get you back on track, energize and motivate you to attack your target.
Watch motivational videos
Most of us enjoy watching good films. Sometimes movies act as a form of relaxation, an escape from the problems of the real world. Cinema brings us instant relief and allows us to plunge into the world of science fiction and fantasy. However, that’s not why the movies are worth watching. They are worth watching because films can inspire us and move us to action.
The right video can improve our mood when we feel down. It can give us hope when we are discouraged and resigned. Even if we feel like our resolve has all but waned, the right movie can give us a second breath of fresh air. This will force us back into action to reach our goal.
Videos, especially motivational ones, can be energizing and uplifting. They can give us a much needed boost of motivation and help us move towards our dreams.
A short video is fine too
If you don’t have time to spend 1.5 or 2 hours watching an inspiring feature film, the alternative is to watch relatively short motivational videos. The advantage of this option is that they are relatively easy to access. Everyone can find something for themselves. A quick search on YouTube or Google usually yields you have a great list of movies to choose from.
A good motivational video can give you a great boost and make you feel – “I can do it” – take action again with determination to reach your goals. Motivational videos are a good reminder of the possibilities. They help keep us enthusiastic about achieving our goals. Use this form of motivation whenever you feel like it and feel like you need an extra boost of motivational content to keep up the pace.
Relax, relax and recharge your batteries
Research shows that many people have a better life outlook and are more motivated to achieve their goals after a vacation, even if the vacation was short. You can test this for yourself and see if you feel like you’re getting back to work stronger when you take a break. You have more energy to complete tasks, new and fresh ideas that you want to test and implement. You are again interested in achieving your goals.
However, remember not to overdo it, so as not to completely lose momentum and desire to act if the break in work is too long. See No. 6. Keep the momentum. This period is different for everyone, so you need to check for yourself how the duration of the break affects you. When it makes you work towards your goal. And when, due to too long a break, your motivation drops so much that you don’t want to continue at all. This needs to be properly balanced so as not to exceed this limit, as it may be difficult for us to return to full capacity to achieve our goal.
Find Responsibility
One of the best ways to overcome the resistance and motivational crises you may face in life is to find a partner or support group to whom you will be held accountable for achieving your goals.
Resistance and those recurring moments when you lose motivation and desire to act are inseparable from achieving a goal. However, when you have a partner or are part of a group you are in charge of that holds you accountable for performance and progress towards goals, you have a mechanism that pushes you forward and helps you get through periods of low motivation. A good, positive environment and the right people around you will support you in action. By doing this, you increase your chances of success than if you did everything yourself.
The partners you work with and to whom you are responsible for achieving your goals can be very effective. So there is such a large and growing market for coaching right now. Of course, it is not always necessary to buy the services of a professional trainer. For example, you can join a Facebook support group, a free Master Mind group, or create your own group just as easily. Or you may find a good friend to work with.
As long as you trust the partners with whom you interact and to whom you are accountable, the group of responsibilities you create can be just as effective as a paid professional coach.
Avoid negativity
Reading and watching the news every day, browsing negative pages on the Internet, or interacting with people that make you feel exhausted and depressed after interacting with them will affect your mood and motivation. And, unfortunately, it’s not very good.
In truth, negativity kills motivation. In the news, most of all they talk about tragedies and misfortunes. They scare you and warn you about almost everything and encourage you to avoid all risks. Negative friends and colleagues can make you doubt your abilities. You will be disappointed and pessimistic about what is possible for you.
When you face negativity and pessimism, all you are left with is fear of failure, doubt, and discouragement. This, in turn, creates a feeling like “What’s the point of doing this at all?” This attitude is never conducive to motivation. And little or no motivation equals little achievement.
So don’t over-watch the news and avoid negative and toxic people. Instead, focus on feeling grateful and think positively. Read inspirational materials and surround yourself with optimistic people. Of course, you will not be able to completely eliminate all the negative aspects of your life, but by limiting the impact as much as possible, you will greatly improve your well-being in relation to yourself and your aspirations.
Believe in your dreams
In the serenity of our dreams, there will be moments when you will be disappointed, when you will run out of energy, when you will want to quit smoking, and you will lose faith in the possibility of achieving your goal.
Such moments come when you doubt that what you aspire to will come true. When this happens, and when such thoughts arise in us, most people want to give up.
If you get to the point where your motivation seems to have dropped to zero, you might be surprised to find that she can help you with a little faith that is powerful and can work “miracles”. To use the combination of faith and motivation to your advantage, give in to the idea that your success is inevitable. In other words, believe in the power of pursuing a goal.
Trust the wisdom of all people who have faced similar conditions before you, and heed their advice. Here are some wise and inspiring words:
- “When you truly desire something, the entire universe secretly supports your desire.” – Paulo Coelho
- “Our desires are premonitions of latent abilities within us, announcements of what we can achieve.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
- “You can do it if you believe you can!” – Napoleon Hill
So, if you feel like you put in work and effort, put in your time, but still don’t see results and feel a drop in motivation because of it, just trust that everything will work out as planned in the end. Have deep faith that everything will work out in the end. Trust that what you are looking for is also looking for you and this will surely revive your energy and enthusiasm to follow your goal.
Use force
Finally, when almost all is said and done and you have exhausted almost all motivation options, the last resort is to use the power option.
You can know exactly how to get what you want and you can follow all the steps mentioned earlier to motivate yourself and launch him like a catapult back towards your goal. However, if all else fails, you must do this – you must “use force”. It might not be the most sophisticated solution and you probably wouldn’t want to hear it, but sometimes motivation just takes action and action takes “strength”. Believe it or not, action often precedes motivation.
In fact, if you just force yourself to take action, to do something that you know you should do, even if you don’t feel it, you often get motivated. The creators of Nike understood this relationship well, so the motto and slogan of the world famous corporation is:
“Just do it! Just do it!”
Sometimes all we really need is a strong blow or kick to set us in motion enough for our will and motivation to act.
If you don’t want to take this step, you must either give up or change your goal. Of course, if giving up isn’t an option for you, then you already know what you need to do. You just need to force yourself to do what you decide to achieve. Because at the end of the day, nothing happens until you start moving, take the initiative, and do what you have to do.
So, whether you are motivated or not, if you want to achieve your goals, you will have to force yourself to work and take action. There are no labels. Either you do or you don’t. Either you make your dreams come true or you don’t. Decide what’s important to you.
What is the result
Here are 13 sure-fire ways to get and stay motivated to achieve your goals. Now that you know how to motivate yourself to take action, it should be easier for you to get your motivation in shape.
Sure, you will still have days when your motivation will drop and you will not want to do anything, but now you know what you can do to deal with it.
