Getting started on a new journey can be tough.
And it can also be extremely daunting.
We have 20 top tips to help you get motivated and start making things happen for yourself.
1. Set Time Boundaries
If you set yourself a task, with no endpoint, you’re basically telling your brain that you have to do that task indefinitely! I don’t know about you, but studying or exercising, or whatever your task may be, for the rest of my life, doesn’t sound that appealing! Set yourself a realistic time frame, such as ‘I will study for one hour’. Sounds more manageable and achievable now, doesn’t it? This will allow you to not feel so overwhelmed with the task at hand and start getting things done.
2. Negotiate with yourself
Offer yourself an incentive to work towards a certain task or goal. Tell yourself something like: I will work for one hour and then after, I will take a walk in the sun and grab an ice cream. Make sure you pick a reward that makes you eager to get your task completed.
3. Fake It
This one is strange, but it really works. After all, motivation is a state of mind. We have full control over how we position our mindset; so, if you aren’t feeling very motivated or enthusiastic, then just pretend that you are! After a few minutes, you will have adopted that mindset and you can continue smashing your goals for the day.
4. Start small
Sometimes the task we have set ourselves may seem a bit daunting. We need to get things started. A good way of doing this is by giving yourself a productivity spike; therefore, leading to motivational momentum. Just start by doing something small: tidy your desk, do the washing up or even get yourself out of bed and in the shower. After this, you’ll be more alert and ready to move on to more challenging tasks.
5. Don’t compare yourself with others
Comparing yourself to what other people have achieved or how great their life is, is only going to kill your motivation. There is no point in competing with other people; you have absolutely no control over them, whatsoever. The only person you have control over it you. Look in the mirror, that’s your competition.
6. Remember your successes
Stop focusing on everything you’ve done wrong and start focusing on everything that you’ve done right. Remind yourself of all the success you’ve had and that feeling you get when you achieve a goal.
7. Act like your heroes
Find someone you admire. Then learn about them and find out how they behave. When you’re feeling de-motivated, just act as if you were them. It’s worked for them, so it will work for you!
8. Remember to have fun
Need to clean the house? Then why not stick some blaring music on and have a dance at the same time? Need to exercise? Then why not try boxing or pole dancing? The more you enjoy a task, the easier it is. If you’re doing a task that you really can’t have any fun doing, then go back to cheat number 2 (negotiate with yourself) and give yourself a reward of having some fun after you’ve completed your task.
9. Don’t fear failure
There is no such thing as failure. Every time you ‘fail’, you’re learning and working out what doesn’t work, which is equally as important as what does work. Remember, every second that you’re working towards your goals, you’re winning. You’re already succeeding. Don’t see anything as failure, see it as progression. Once you realise you have nothing to lose and everything to gain, it makes things a bit easier!
10. Figure out your ‘why’
How can you motivate yourself to achieve something, if you don’t really know why you’re doing it? Make sure you explore every aspect of your task and the goal it is allowing you to work towards. Enhance all the positives of obtaining your goal and why you’re doing it. If you REALLY want something and know how it will change your life, it makes it a lot easier to work for.
11. Remind yourself of your mission
Keep your goals in the front of your mind at all times. Write notes to yourself, stick pictures on the wall, and set display pictures on your phone; just make sure you’re constantly reminded of your mission!
12. Cut down on TV
Do you realise how much time you’re wasting watching TV? Most people could probably get a Degree if they swapped TV viewing for studying. It’s very easy to avoid our own lives, by focusing on other people’s. Also, be careful around watching the news, it can be quite depressing sometimes. I’m not suggesting you become ignorant to the world we live in, but maybe try limiting how much of others people’s information you absorb and start focusing on yourself.
13. Put your phone on aeroplane mode
It can be impossible to concentrate or motivate ourselves when we’re not focused. With social media notifications, messages, phone calls and everything else, it can be a major distraction. Turn your phone to aeroplane mode, you’ll be less inclined to reach for your phone when you know there is nothing on there to look at!
14. Take a break
Sometimes it’s not good to force ourselves when we’re really struggling; it can just make things worse. If you have been working for a period of time, then take a break: stretch your legs, have a nap, drink a coffee, eat some food. After your break, get back to work!
15. Make use of your creativity
When we get a new idea or think of something abstract, we really use our brains and it can cause a nice little surge of motivation that you can use to get things done. Take out a piece of paper, pick a subject that interests you and start brainstorming. Maybe a business idea, invention or the name of a book?
16. Feed yourself with motivational content
Use your spare time such as when you’re driving or at the gym, to listen to encouraging, motivational and personal development audio. YouTube is a great place for this, it has enough material to last you for the rest of your life and it’s all completely free.
17. Imagine a different life
You do realise that the life you have now may be completely different to the one you may have if you keep pushing yourself, don’t you? Stop imagining your future with the same life you have now. Think outside the box and remind yourself that you could have a completely new life, with completely different boundaries. Exciting, isn’t it? Do you know where excitement will lead you? Yup, you guessed it. Motivation!
18. Make each day count
As depressing as this sounds, it’s important to remind ourselves that we don’t have long in this life. One day, it will all be over and we will wish that we had embraced every opportunity and took advantage of every single day of our lives! Why wait until it’s too late?!
19. Be grateful
Rather than focusing on everything you don’t have, start focusing on everything you do have and how lucky you are! YOU HAVE EVERYTHING YOU NEED RIGHT NOW! You’re capable of doing anything you want to do! So, make the most of it. Be grateful for the life you have and go out there and go get whatever it is that you want! It’s there for the taking.
20. Find support
They say “a problem shared, is a problem halved”. That is referred to sharing your problem with one person. Now, imagine dividing your problems among over 4,000 people? Sound good? Well make sure you join our group – it’s jam-packed full of like-minded people, motivating, inspiring and supporting each other to go out there and make things happen. You can join right now for free by clicking here.
If none of that works, you’ll find me on the ‘Hunger Start Community Network’ group, drop me a message and I’ll give you a few extra pointers!
Hope to see you there soon.
Lewis Raymond Taylor ~ someone who’s been there
Hunger Start Limited
