Motivation is necessary for a human to attain success in his/her life. Considering as the driving force behind everything, it can be as simple as addressing certain needs like losing weight accomplishing or personal desires like dressing up for prom. Same things cannot motivate every person. Hence, it would be difficult to establish a clear-cut formula for motivation. However, it can be divided into two basic types:
Extrinsic: This form of motivation comes from outside sources like competition, rewards, money, and grades. For example, a competition would motivate an individual to perform better in order to beat the others.
Intrinsic: This form of motivation comes from internal sources (aka from within the body and mind). Intrinsic motivation helps an individual remain confident of reaching his/her goals. Intrinsically motivated individuals also do not require external motivation from others.
How to Motivate Yourself to Work Hard
There may be many more ingredients to get success in life and it depends upon your individual field of work too but if you are not able to keep yourself motivated to work hard even when you do not have an urgent need to do so, you cannot realize your dreams. It takes nothing but consistent hard work to get closer to your goals. All those who achieve are no different from us, except that they do not leave a single stone unturned to get success, something that takes them a long way in their lives. There is no rocket science involved; it is a simple theory of having clarity of your goals and keeping yourself all prepared to get the desired outcomes. Here are a few simple yet effective tips to keep yourself motivated to work hard and get success in life.
1. Never lose sight of your desired goals
Keep reminding yourself of the outcomes of your efforts as it motivates you to work even harder. You must have heard that all successful people usually have a hang of their dreams and they make the best use of every single minute they have. When such passion you have for your dreams nothing can actually come between you and your goals. You can also stick an image of your dreams on your mirror, refrigerator, or door so that it keeps reminding you that you cannot afford to take things easy.
2. Visualize
Nothing can actually encourage you more than visualizing the desired outcomes. Sit alone in a corner and visualize that you have achieved your biggest goal, imagine yourself celebrating or living that very moment of your victory when finally, after years of hard work you would actually get success. It will re-energize your soul and give you the energy to realize your dreams. Try it now and see if it makes a difference.
3. Stick around successful and positive people
We usually tend to forget our goals but if you keep our self-surrounded by successful people you cannot afford to do that. It is quite natural that you think about making achievements in life when you see other people putting in their best efforts to turn their dream into a reality.
4. Get used to a routine
Make a perfect routine of work and follow it strictly, it certainly is not an easy task but once you get used to a routine you start enjoying it and feel awkward when you need to break the routine. Does it not actually happen with most of us whenever we try to maintain a routine in our lives? You do not need anything else to achieve if you keep up that routine in your life and live by the rules.
5. Get inspired
Read biographies/autobiographies of the great people of the world and keep yourself aware of the success stories of those who set new standards. This inspires you to leave your own mark. If you can keep yourself highly motivated, you can follow their footsteps and write the story of your success with your own hands.
When you keep yourself in high spirits and are all set to make the best use of your skills, you make an effective us of all opportunities that come your way and this is something that is actually the million-dollar secret of success. Nothing is in fact impossible in the world if you keep your focus on your goal and put in your best efforts on a regular basis. It is our inability to maintain that routine that eventually takes us miles away from your goals.
How to Motivate Yourself in Fact of Obstacles
Sometimes when you are too close to your goal, you give up as you find it hard to come over obstacles in life. It is quite natural to face hardships but those who give up can never be winners. You cannot afford to run away from troubles if you wish to attain success in life. Giving up should never be an option when you set out to realize your dreams. When you are strongly determined and highly motivated to achieve the success you are bound to succeed.
1. Look at your problem from a different perspective
When you find it hard to find a solution to your problem, try to develop a broader perspective. Break down your problem in small and manageable parts so that you address them individually and solve the bigger issue. If you want to improve your skill to get a better job option, divide the goal into tasks and work on them on a daily basis. This helps you stay motivated and focused. Your day-to-day progress towards your goal would enhance your confidence too.
2. Get clarity of thought
Those who do not know what they want to achieve in life get caught in the moment and the result is no progress at all. On the contrary, when you have clarity of thoughts and visualize your goals, your unconscious mind takes you in the same direction. A positive frame of mind and immense clarity of thoughts helps you achieve your goals in life. When people think a negative unconscious mind takes you in that direction since it takes that as your inner desire.
3. Keep yourself calm
Those who react instead of thinking about the possible consequences always get disappointed in the end. Feed good thoughts to your brain and do not let anything bring your down. Develop a routine to exercise on a regular basis as it helps you keep yourself calm and composed. People who exercise are positive, confident, and highly motivated. They are more productive as compare to their counterparts. Each problem comes with a solution, it is just you get so caught in the moment that you hardly pay attention to it.
4. Appreciate what you have
There is actually no one who does not have insecurities in life. At the same time, each individual has something to appreciate in his/her life. It not only helps you stay positive but also gives you a hope for better tomorrow. Each day comes with new surprises and it depends upon you how you turn each challenge into an opportunity. You may have countless problems in your life but that should not change the fact that there is always hope.
5. Watch your company
You can easily judge the real character of a person if you pay close attention to their friends and acquaintances. Be aware of those people who are out and our negative as they may turn you into a pessimist. Surround yourself with people who face their hardships head-on and never give up in life. They motivate you to be at your best.
6. Share your problems
Most of the time you are not able to find solutions to problems as you fail to keep yourself calm. In such circumstances, people you trust can help you a lot. When you discuss your trouble with your friends, family members, and loved ones you get a variety of opinions that help you look at your trouble for altogether different angles. If you don’t discuss, no one can get to know what you are going through. It is all right to ask for help when you get stuck.
Have you ever wondered how people always have countless suggestions for others? It is actually quite easy to find a way out of your troubles when they look at it from a distance. You are much stronger than your troubles. You only need to realize it and move on in life.
How to Keep Yourself Motivated as You Move Towards Your Goal
Some individuals tend to be motivated both intrinsically and extrinsically. However, one would need to understand which form of motivation works best for him/her and focus more on the same to set and achieve realistic goals. If you have found out yours, then here are some additional tips to keep that motivation coming along as you move towards your goal.
1. Realistic Goals
Be it short term or long term, make sure your goals are realistic and therefore, achievable. Lack of realistic goals would in turn reduce the motivation you need to stick to them. Break down large, long-term goals into smaller, short term ones in order to get into the habit of following them. For instance, a long-term goal of losing 50 lbs. of weight can be broken down into short-term goals of dieting without cheating.
2. Rewards
While motivation pulls you towards your goals, rewards would help keep the former consistent. Make it a point to reward yourself when you achieve a specific goal, as this would keep you motivated to achieve bigger and harder goals in the coming days. For example, a chocolate ice cream will not be that bad once you achieved your goal of reducing your calorie intake to the stipulated amount.
3. Shorter, High-Intensity Workouts
If the thought of working out for long hours on end seems to deter you, opt for smaller workout periods, but increase the intensity of the same in order to gain the same benefits. This would also allow you to include more training sessions throughout the course of the day until your body gets accustomed to the exercise.
4. Form Groups
Sometimes it gets difficult to keep on motivating yourself. In these situations, you can opt to communicate with others who share the same interests or goals as you do. Competition is always healthy, as long as it keeps you motivated to perform better. So, try joining groups with similar interests. For instance, if you plan to dance to lose weight, try joining a dance class for the same purpose. This helps you to meet and share experiences with others who would motivate you largely.
5. Motivational Videos
If you are averse to the idea of joining a class or group, consider downloading some motivational videos along the lines of the goals you have set. For instance, if you have decided to lose weight, watch motivational videos related to people who have been there and done that. You can also read some motivational quotes to spruce up immediately after a particularly low period. Excellent examples would be Ralph Marston’s “There are plenty of obstacles in your path. Don’t allow yourself to become one of them,” Ralph Waldo Emerson’s “Make the most of yourself, for that is all there is of you,” and Aristotle’s “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit.”
Understanding the Science Behind Motivation
You can be motivated by the desire to reach your goal, but the degree of motivation does not remain the same always. Research has found that we sometimes lose interest halfway through a project and our motivation fizzles out. Scientists have also found that motivation can be learned, just as you learn any skill. Let’s take a look at how we can maintain our motivation levels to achieve our goals:
1. Work on your motivation strategies
Suppose you are trying to lose weight, or save money to buy a house or go on a trip, you have to focus all your efforts to reach your goal. According to scientists, people can follow two strategies – ‘promotion motivation’ and ‘prevention motivation’. When you are being positive and do everything possible to make progress, such as eating healthy and exercising more to lose weight, it is called ‘promotion motivation’. And when you follow avoidance techniques, such as avoiding sweets and desserts, you are practicing the ‘prevention motivation’ strategy. This usually happens when you get closer to your goal. Most of us follow these two strategies, but unknowingly.
In order to stay motivated, you can practice both of these strategies consciously. Researchers have opined that if you switch from ‘promotion’ to ‘prevention’ strategy, as you get closer to your goal, you would be able to sustain your motivation levels from beginning to end.
2. Autonomy, value, and competence
Psychologists have discovered three important elements that support motivation – autonomy, value, and competence.
Scientists at the University of Rochester have found that you feel motivated when you are self-directed or have the feeling that you are in charge, rather than when you are working under someone else’s authority. Autonomy makes you energized and makes you stay motivated.
It seems that motivation blossoms when one is true to one’s values and beliefs. Assigning value is important to keep up your enthusiasm and keep you involved in your work, till you reach your goal. A deep acknowledgment of the value of your work is the motivating factor to complete it.
As the saying goes, ‘Practice makes a man perfect’, which is very true when it comes to sustaining motivation levels. As your skills improve, you become more competent and feel more confident. For example, if you are a musician and you believe that your innate talent is what brings you success rather than practice, you are more liable to give up when your skillset doesn’t match up to new challenges. So, developing your skills in your chosen field can foster excellence and inspire you to keep going.
How to stay motivated
When you are able to go beyond ‘extrinsic motivation’ for example, more money for a job, and delve into your ‘intrinsic motivation’ i.e. passion or drive, you can stay motivated. You should start concentrating on building discipline and developing habits that enhance your ability to motivate yourself.
1. Start small
Large to-do lists and tasks can be quite overwhelming, which might make you give up on your project. You could break down bigger goals into small pieces, which you can achieve easily. The taste of success will drive you to complete the rest of the pieces and ultimately you can build the momentum which will take you to the finish line.
2. Design an inspiring environment around you
We are affected by our environment in positive and negative ways. For example, if your desk is cluttered and untidy, you will not feel like sitting down and working. Or if your room is untidy and your gym shoes are nowhere to be seen, you would not even remember to go to the gym.
The most important thing you have to do is to push yourself. It’s easy to act when you are highly motivated, but it’s tough when your energy, inspiration, and motivation levels are down. This is the time when you have to force yourself to follow your regular schedule so that you don’t fall behind in your work/action. Working even when you don’t feel like, is one of the key differentiators between success and failure.
Summary
Motivation gives our minds the necessary pull it needs to achieve the goals that we set. However, it might become difficult to remain motivated for long periods when working towards a long-term goal. Hopefully, these points would help you in getting back on track and regaining your inner strength to move forward.
