4 ways to motivate yourself

Very little can be achieved in life without motivation.

Think of the most driven person you know.

I bet they’re successful.

Drive, ambition, and motivation — all go hand in hand.

Nothing kills success like a lack of motivation.

Now, from time to time, it’s perfectly normal to feel unmotivated. 

If you’re burnt out or tired, for example, or if you’ve gone through a stressful period or experienced tragedy.

These are times when a lack of motivation is completely normal.

But for the rest of the time, motivation should be your friend: easily accessible and summoned without too much effort.

If you struggle with motivation, here are some ways to stay (or become) motivated.

1. Do something you love

I can’t stress enough how important this is.

Motivation stems from enjoyment.

And if you don’t enjoy what you’re doing then motivation will be a huge task.

Think of the best job you’ve ever had in your life.

How easy was it to get up and go to work?

Now think of the worst job – I bet you didn’t exactly jump out of bed in the morning.

2. Surround yourself with driven people

Energetic people energise others.

That’s why the people you surround yourself with are so crucial to your success.

They inspire and they motivate by example.

If you hang around people who are driven and hard-working then you’re more likely to become as driven as they are.

We compare ourselves to others and sometimes a bit of healthy competition is all the motivation you need.

3. Set goals and rewards

Just say you want to open your own business.

This will seem daunting if you try and do it all at once.

But if you break it down into parts and set short-term goals, it will seem much more manageable.

For example, you could set yourself the task of saving a certain amount of money each month and when you hit that target you give yourself a reward.

Breaking down a big challenge into smaller components can ensure you don’t end up feeling overwhelmed and demoralized.

4. Ask yourself what if…

No one wants to get to the end of their life and wonder "what if?"

Regrets are terrible things to have – and only you have the power to ensure you lead as rich a life as possible.

If you’re struggling with motivation ask yourself whether you would feel happy about reaching old age not having tried anything.

Ask yourself how you would feel knowing that you let that lack of motivation — that tendency to put things off — get in the way and stop you from reaching your goals.

Pretty sad, right?  

The good news is that motivation comes back.

If you’ve lost it, then these points will help get you back on track.

Nothing in life gets done without motivation.

So make sure you have some stockpiles in reserve.

About Mark Creedon Mark Creedon is Director of Metropole's Business Accelerator Mastermind and business coach to some of Australia's leading entrepreneurs - each who call him their "unreasonable friend"
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