10 Ways to Motivate Yourself

10 Ways to Motivate Yourself

Do you sometimes feel less than motivated? I think we all do from time to time. Sometimes we just need a little help to jumpstart our day.

Below you will find 10 things that you can do that just might give you a little boost. Let me know which ones work for you.

Practice opposite to emotion:

Sometimes doing exactly the opposite of what you feel like doing can actually motivate you. Feel like staying in bed all day? Force yourself up and you may begin to feel more energy. Totally unmotivated for that workout? Go for a long brisk walk or go to the gym anyway. Once your blood gets pumping and you work up a little sweat, your motivation may return. Feeling so depressed that you just want to isolate yourself to your house, maybe even your bedroom? Seek support and you may just start to feel a little better. By acting as if you feel the way that you want to feel, you sometimes actually create that feeling within you.

Do something small:

If your goal appears overwhelming, just do one small task and acknowledge your progress. If your goal is to clean your messy house and you feel overwhelmed, clean out one drawer to get your momentum going. Rather than looking at how much more you need to do, recognize that you are further along than you were yesterday.

Add inspiration to your morning:

Pray, meditate, go for a walk, read something that inspires you, wake up early so that you do not feel rushed, listen to inspiring audiotapes and/or music, workout… You get the picture. Jumpstart your morning with inspiration.

Do the hard thing first:

If you have a difficult time getting yourself to exercise, try to do it in the morning rather than saving it for the end of the day when you are more likely to be tired and blow it off. If you need to pay the bills or make a doctor’s appointment, go ahead and do it, and then sit down to enjoy your favorite show. Put the work before the reward.

Make yourself accountable:

Share your goals with someone who will ask you about them and help hold you accountable.

Focus on the desired emotion:

Think about how you will feel after you have done whatever it is you plan to do. Will you feel happier, more energized, more confident, less overwhelmed, more peaceful, less agitated, less frustrated, more accomplished…?

Focus on progress not perfection:

Try not to beat yourself up for not being perfect. No person is perfect! Rather than comparing yourself to others, focus on how far you have come. Focus on your progress. Focus on your own personal growth.

Remember your best will change:

We all have “off” days. Don’t beat yourself up if you happen to be experiencing that kind of day. Maybe you are really tired. Maybe your body is fighting a germ. Feeling unmotivated to do anything everyday, signals a problem that needs to be discussed with a physician. Having an “off” day every now and then is totally normal. I don’t know anyone who feels 100 percent motivated every single day. Sometimes you may need a day of rest.

Don’t fear failure:

Sometimes we refuse to do anything at all because we fear we will fail. But there is one thing for sure, if we don’t try we won’t succeed. Put yourself out there and view each failed attempt as a step closer to your goal. View each failed attempt as a learning opportunity.

Seize the day:

Practice gratitude. Look around you. Appreciate the day. Appreciate nature. Appreciate others. Don’t get so caught up in the small stuff that you forget to count your blessings. Instead of focusing on what you can’t do, think about what you can.

I hope this gives your day a jumpstart!

Make it a good one. It really is up to you!