12 Ways to Motivate Yourself

Motivation is the power that drives us towards goals. To achieve our goals, we need first to know what they are. To do that, we need to have a clear picture of our life and the world around us. We need to understand what we want from life, who we want to be and how we can achieve them. With this image and idea of our futures becoming a reality, motivation is needed.

Motivation can make the difference between success or failure in a person’s life. A motivated person will always keep their eye on what they want in life and never give up. Even if things are not going as planned, they will continue to strive for their goal and push through the hard times.

Motivation can be your greatest asset, but it can also be your worst enemy when it comes from the wrong source. Motivation can help or hurt us, depending on where it is coming from. This is why it is essential to know where your motivation comes from.

Two Types of Motivation

1.External motivation comes from the outside world. It is the easiest to come by but the weakest in terms of effect. It could be from parents, teachers, friends, and well-wishers.

External motivation can help achieve a goal, but it is weak and can quickly lose its effectiveness. The person who uses external motivation is always dependent on someone else to help them achieve the goal. They may have someone who motivates them to achieve their goals, like their parents or a friend. However, sometimes this is not enough, and they will need an additional push to keep pushing through until they reach their goals.

2. Internal motivation is self-motivation. It comes from yourself. Internal motivation does not come easily, but it is powerful.

Internal motivation is the strongest type of motivation. It can come from a person’s aspirations, plans, and what they want to become in life. For example, students will set goals for themselves like getting good grades at school or graduating with honors. If the student has this vision of their future in mind and wants to be someone great, they need the motivation to keep reaching that goal. It is the hardest to achieve. It is persistence, determination, and dedication. These three factors make up for the best form of motivation.

Internal motivation comes only if we have enough confidence in ourselves and our future vision of life. When we decide to exert ourselves to reach our goals and meet our objectives, we truly realize who we are as a person and what we want out of life.

Motivation Pointers

Research has shown that negative external motivation, as the example of a parent who tells their child to do better in school or a friend who threatens them to graduate high school, can be highly detrimental to a person’s future. This can cause a person severe stress and anxiety when they see no positive effects later on in life. Not only can this cause a person to lose interest in their goals, but it can also cause a person to go completely off track and end up in a downward spiral which will be very difficult to escape.

Someone who uses external motivation must be independent and confident enough in themselves. If they are not confident enough or don’t have any real reason for using external motivation, they won’t be able to stick through with the hardships of achieving that goal.

The truth is that motivation will come from the person, not from someone else. No one else can give you motivation; it is something within a person that cannot take away.

The last thing to remember about motivation is that it can quickly diminish its power if its source becomes weak or nonexistent. This is why it is crucial always to balance external and internal motivation. If you want to use external motivation, make sure you are in an environment that will support your goals. A friend can help with this, but it also depends on what kind of friend they are. If they are a close friend, they are likely to have the same goals as you so that they might motivate you even more than a stranger. However, your motivation will come from inside of yourself.

If you feel like your motivation is dwindling, here are some things you can do.

12 Ways to Motivate Yourself

1.The best way to remain motivated is to stay focused, don’t get distracted, and have a mindset that wants to achieve something. Even if you get sidetracked at times, but you always try to go back on track, you will have the self-motivation you need. Just remember that sometimes the only motivation needed to start on a goal is knowing it will be fun and enjoyable rather than harsh criticism or threats.

2.Everyone needs to learn to manage their thoughts to be successful. Everyone has a set of thoughts that can cause them to falter, but they must know how to manage their thoughts and stop the negative ones from controlling them. The more you manage your thoughts, the more motivated you will be.

3.One way to have high levels of motivation is through the use of positive self-talk. By learning to use positive thought patterns, you will be able to strengthen your self-confidence. This will help you become successful in any situation that involves overcoming obstacles.

4. To have motivation, you must know how to control your emotions. Just like thoughts, emotions are the mind’s fuel for motivation. If you have positive emotions like excitement and anxiety, then those will help motivate you to complete the goal ahead of schedule.

5.The brain needs to be energized to have high levels of motivation. When you are energized, you are energized for the long term. This is what allows you to continue moving forward when you first begin something new.

6. Have a system of rewards in place. Always reward yourself for any exemplary achievements or small tasks you complete successfully. This will motivate you to keep doing what you’re doing. Remember that it’s not always about the result but the critical process. If you don’t feel like doing something, tell yourself, “I am too tired to exercise tonight” or “I’m too busy. I’ll do it tomorrow,” and move on to the next thing on your list. Reward yourself later for completing these tasks.

7.Make a list of your achievements. Reflect on your previous successes to boost motivation when you’re feeling overwhelmed or unmotivated. Scrutinize what you have done so far and realize that you have achieved a lot, despite what your mind may tell you. Knowing that you are capable of great things can give you the motivation needed to keep going.

8. Keep things simple, realistic, and manageable. Don’t seek to do too much at once. If you have a thousand things to do, break them down into smaller tasks and prioritize which ones are the most important.

9. Concentrate on what you can control. Don’t let things that bother you get in the way of staying motivated. If something or someone is getting in your way, don’t worry about it. Just push on with your day and make the best out of it.

10. Learn from your mistakes. If you make a mistake, gain an understanding from it and do better next time. Don’t beat yourself up and tell yourself that you’re a failure. If things do not work out the first time, this does not mean it’s the end of the road for you or that all hope is lost.

11. Build self-esteem and confidence. Exercise, master your craft, take up a new hobby and learn from others. As long as you are trying to better yourself, you’ll be amazed at how far you can go.

12. Do something that provides you with meaning and purpose. Keep a long-term goal in mind to give yourself something to work towards even when you feel like giving up.

These are just some of the ways you can use to motivate yourself in times of discouragement. During those moments of hopelessness, pause, take a break, go away so you can come back refreshed, and motivation is rekindled. During these times, we must remind ourselves of why we do what we do. We take the path that we have taken and why we continue doing what we do.