Feeling unmotivated can happen to the best of us and sometimes you get into such a slump that even thinking about making positive changes seem too hard.
Whether you can’t get motivated to clean or you just aren’t feeling motivated to work or study, a lack of motivation can be the biggest obstacle to achieving your goals. There are plenty of motivation techniques that can help you. It is important to keep in mind that not every technique works for everyone or every situation. Trial and error can be the best way to find successful techniques that are going to enable you to achieve your goals.
Here are 5 ways to help you find motivation when you have none:
1. Just start with one task
You should first write a list of everything you need to achieve. This should be a complete brain dump of everything you need to do in the near future or upcoming week. This can help you to clear your mind and make sure that you are not forgetting any tasks.
Pick one task and just get it competed; it doesn’t have to be the quickest task, but if that makes it easier, go ahead! From my own personal experience, once I have done one tsk and satisfyingly checked it off, the list of tasks seems far more achievable. Then, when you have completed another task, the momentum keeps going. Being able to check off all your tasks can boost productivity and help to motivate you to complete the remainder of your tasks.
It is important to remember once you have started; it is easier to continue moving forward. You don’t need much motivation once you’ve started a task. Nearly all the discomfort of participating has gone and you are the in the focused zone to complete the task.
2. Reward yourself when you complete tasks
Having a reward system in place is a really helpful strategy to motivate you into completing your tasks and achieving your goals. Knowing that you have your reward waiting for you can give you that initial push to start that first task. By rewarding yourself after completing your tasks in that moment, your brain elicits positive emotions; it allows the realisation that your efforts result in a positive reward. If you do this continuously, your brain will start to link pleasure to achieving a task.
Not only does rewarding yourself help motivate you, there are other benefits like reducing procrastination, you can become more focused, you can better eliminate distractions and positive reinforcement will become like second nature. If you start rewarding yourself whenever you reach a milestone or achieve a specific goal, having something to look forward to increases your motivation and makes it easier to follow through with your tasks.
When you reward yourself, it doesn’t have to be an extravagant gift or activity, just something that brings you joy. Rewarding yourself could be as simple as enjoying a cup of tea or yummy treat, having a bit of a pamper, watching your favourite TV show – whatever you wish to reward yourself with.
Photo by Hutomo Abrianto on Unsplash
3. Use your favourite music
Music is a very powerful neurological tool that can help you change your mindset and your mood. Music does more than just make you want to dance; it can also improve your focus, boost your mood and makes you feel happier.
Scientific studies of how music affects our brain have been going on since the 1950s. Scientists have figured out which music is best for a particular mood. They say that ambient and natural remedies are best for productivity and light pop music can put you in a motivating mood.
Music creates a motivational background for all your tasks and activities that can impact physical and mental endurance. Have you noticed when you are listening to music, you feel more motivated? I definitely feel more motivated cleaning when I have my favourite music playing. So next time, you are struggling with motivation, press play and start being productive.
4. Be outside with nature
Staring at the same walls and environment can be redundant; I know that feeling especially when I am coming out of a flare up ad my motivation is still low. Getting outside in nature and changing your environment can spark your motivation and inspiration.
When you are outside surrounded by plants, water and other natural elements will enable you to experience less stress and more motivation. There are so many mental wellness benefits associate with being outside in green spaces. It has been proven that being in nature ca restore and strengthen our mental capacities, increase focus, attention and motivation. I found on days where I have not been feeling motivated, a dog walk has helped improve my motivation.
5. Find it from others
Sometimes it is hard to get motivated and you need that jump start that bit of inspiration from others. Absorbing motivation from others can be from podcasts, YouTube videos or your favourite Instagram account. It could also be your loved ones, a work colleague or an online community – like the awesome blogging community!
I have found that watching certain TV shows, Instagram accounts and podcasters really motivated. They actually inspire me to work harder, smarter and to-do what I want to like happiness, energy is infectious and when you surround yourself with it you will feel that way also and the can be the same for motivation. When you are motivated, you have a desire to change your life. Motivation pushes you towards your goal because of a desire for change. Motivation can enable you to clarify your goal and so you know exactly what it is you’re working towards. Grab your motivation and work towards your goals and tasks.
5 motivation quotes that I love and you may love too:
- Success is not final; failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts –Winston S. Churchill
- Don’t let yesterday take up too much of today – Will Rogers
- Goal setting is the secret to a compelling future – Tony Robbins
- Either you run the day or the day runs you – Jim Rahn
- Opportunities don’t happen; you create them – Chris Grosser
What helps you to feel motivated? I’d love to hear in the comments.
Such a helpful post.I like it💯