Motivation is amazing when we have it. But when we don’t, it feels impossible to find. When we hit those low-energy moments, it’s hard to get back on track. But the great thing about motivation is—it can be created.
1. Remember Your Why
Knowing your why is one of the biggest drivers for any task. Every goal starts with a reason, so backtrack and ask yourself why you started. Having purpose for a task helps you rebuild motivation even when you feel like it’s vanished. Think about your end result once you have completed your goal and how your life will improve.
What’s the end result you dream of? Write down your whys so you can easily access them every time you feel your motivation start to lack.
2. Break It Down
Having big dreams can feel daunting and impossible to achieve. Having big goals isn’t a problem when you start to break them down into smaller, more attainable chunks. When we break down our goals, we understand the necessary steps required to achieve the big goal and also start to build momentum when we complete the mini goal. This momentum starts to build excitement for the goal and before you know it, the impossible will be achieved.
An example for writing a blog post could be:
- Name blog
- Outline blog
- Write intro
- Write body
- Edit
- Publish
Breaking the goal of writing a blog post down this way makes it feel much more achievable and can help increase motivation. You may not have time to write a full blog post today, but you could get the intro done. By working like this, you will see huge progress towards your goals.
3. Set a Timer and Just Start
Waiting to feel motivated before you act can be a dangerous game that can lead to your goals never being achieved. Finding the willpower to start is one of the hardest parts. Instead of telling yourself you are going to chain yourself to your desk all day to complete your project, set a timer for just 5 minutes. Once these 5 minutes are up, you’re more likely to carry on with the task. Getting started is one of the hardest parts and once you are over this hurdle, you’ll find it easy to carry on. Remember: action leads to motivation.
4. Make Motivation a Habit
Motivation fades, but habits stick. Create your routine to fit around becoming the person of your dreams.
To create positive habits that don’t need motivation, attach new habits to existing routines. You could decide that after your morning coffee, you write for 10 minutes.
The key to mastering this technique is to keep things really simple and consistent.
It’s better to write every day for 10 minutes than write for 1 hour once every 3 weeks.
Becoming disciplined is hard and takes time. Make sure you celebrate your wins—even the small ones!
5. Be Kind to Yourself
Being kind to yourself when things don’t quite go as planned will help you get back on track faster. Know that it’s okay if things don’t always go as planned.
Progress isn’t linear and sometimes you need to take a step back in order to move forward.
Watch how you speak to yourself and reframe negative thoughts into more positive ones. For example:
“I had a slow day, but I’m still on track.” or “Tomorrow is a new chance to try again.”
Try speaking to yourself how you would speak to a friend—we are often much harsher on ourselves than any of our loved ones.
You’ve Got This
Motivation comes and goes, but by staying committed to your goals, you can achieve anything.
Start small. Keep on track. And always come back to your why.
Dreams take time to build, but each step you take moves you forward.