Feeling Unmotivated? How to Motivate Yourself and Start your Day!

One of the biggest factors that help people achieve their goals is motivation. For obvious reasons, an unmotivated person experiences negative emotions and finds it difficult to attain any goal (Breslin, 2012).1 In this article, readers will be informed of the importance of motivation and the ways through which a person can motivate himself.

Why Motivation is Important?

According to Babauta (2008),2 motivation is not only important for attaining goals, but it also helps people in suppressing negative thoughts. It gives people moral support to overcome every hurdle and stick to their goals. However, Babauta mentioned in the study that there are two types of motivation; positive and negative. Although both types of motivation serve the purpose of a driving force for people to achieve their goals, each motivation encourages in a different way. With negative emotions, people strive to attain a goal due to some fear, but positive motivation inspires people to do something. Babauta explained the concept by giving an example of a workplace, where the fear of losing job motivates employees to meet their targets. 

How to Motivate Yourself?

A number of authors have contributed in informing people about motivating themselves. Irrespective of the nature of goals, motivation is the key element to success. It serves the purpose f a driving force to help people overcome challenges. Some of the proven ways through which people can motivate themselves are discussed below:

1. Set Goals

According to an article published in West Virginia University in 2014,3 the first step for motivation is setting goals. However, it is very important to set achievable goals. If the goals are not practical, it might discourage a person. The article highlighted the fact that setting up goals helps in training the mind to plan strategically for achieving the target.

2. Small Steps

Colleen from West Virginia University also informed the readers that it is also very important to take small steps for achieving complex goals. She gave the example of executing a complex project and quoted that breaking a large project into small modules always helps in successful and timely execution. The article highlighted the fact that taking one step at a time decreases the complexity of attaining a goal and also enhances the focus. 

3. Determination

Babauta in his guide to motivation, published in 2008, listed determination as one of the biggest factors for motivating people. With determination and self-confidence, people can push them to achieve all kinds of goals. The author highlighted the fact that aiming for easy goals seizes the capacity and productivity of a person. A person should always aim one step ahead of his capacity and try to attain the goal with determination.  

4. Commit Publically

According to Feiles (2013)4, another way to motivate ourselves to do something is committing publically (in front of friends or family members). Saying something in front of people pressurizes human mind to attain the set target. The concept of negative motivation explained by Babauta can be implemented here. Feiles quoted that committing something publically creates a sense of accountability which motivates people to do what they have committed in front of other people.

Motivation Boosters

While motivating yourself is easy, but sustaining the motivation is not. Here are some ways to help people revive their motivation and stay determined till the end:

Don’t Think about Challenges- According to Breslin (2012), thinking about challenges and hardships discourages people and triggers an overwhelming fear of failure. Breslin suggested that it is recommended not to think about challenges and limitations of a task. Focusing on one step at attention can help in dealing with challenges in strategic manner. Moreover, attaining small goals encourages people to aim for bigger goals.

Discuss- Breslin also highlighted the importance of counseling and discussion to stay motivated. Discussing problems with someone not only provides a way for letting out all the negative vibes, but also the other person can also give some valuable advice. So discussing problems and challenges with a wise person can also motivate people to think positively and attain their goals.

Self-Therapies- As mentioned in the ultimate guide to motivation, self therapies can also help people to stay determined. The study highlighted the fact that in clinical psychiatry, there are number of therapies for sustaining motivation. There are also therapies to enhance stamina and increase determination level. 

Think about Benefits- Feiles in the research article highlighted the fact that temptation of benefits also motivates people to work harder against all odds and attain their goals.

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1. Babauta L. (2008). The Ultimate Guide to Motivation – How to Achieve Any Goal.

2. Breslin S. (2012). 3 Ways To Motivate Yourself Today.

3. Colleen. (2014). How to Motivate Yourself to Do Practically Anything. West Virginia University.

4. Feiles N. (2013). 12-Steps to Creating Motivation When Depressed. Psych Central.