Why we do what we do understanding Self-motivation?
This post is about intrinsic motivation and self determination in human behavior, and why is self-motivation important. I will share 15 ways to tap into your inner motivation
Have you ever felt like wanting or needing to finish projects or learn something new, or starting a diet, or looking for a new job, or simply just going for a walk but couldn't find the motivation from inside to do it?
Then this post is for you- Please keep reading and let me know what you think
What is self-motivation?
Motivation can be traced to be Latin word” Moves” which means “to move”. The term motivation means to accelerate to boost and to direct the behavior of a person for achieving success.
Motivation refers to the tendency toward a particular behavioral pattern to satisfy a need or deficiency
Definition of self-motivated in English: adjective (Oxford Dictionaries)
Motivated to do or achieve something because of one’s own enthusiasm or interest, without needing pressure from others: she’s a very independent, self-motivated individual.
Here are 15 ways to tap into your motivation when you're feeling least inspired:
Motivation comes--and it goes. Let us face it, no matter how driven you are, there will be times when your energy and commitment will recede. Yes, it happens--even to the most motivated amongst us.
Determine what the center of your motivation is. Do you know why are you doing what you are doing? What your vision is? What is your passion? What is your driving force to succeed; one that touches the deepest levels of your being? Start with the end on mind, look at your vision then start backwards, why is it so important to you? What will you lose if you don't keep going?
Visualize it. Use vision boards, use post it notes, or posters with inspirational quotes, no matter what you use should motivate you. Have them in your field of vision so they can become part of your subconscious from seeing it all the time even if you are not paying attention to it.
Watch your attitude. Are you concentrating on the labor involved? Try to think about how it will feel when the task is done. Imagining the relief and happiness can help get you moving.
Recognize procrastination and fight it with passion. Don’t get overwhelmed and concentrate on “How” you will do rather on “Why” you are doing what you are doing. Perfection is procrastination.
Organize your thoughts to organize your actions. Being driven can create huge amount of ideas that can clutter your path to see clearly or to know the next step. You need to organize these thoughts either by writing them down, calling on friends, or mentors to help you. Sometimes just articulating your ideas out loud can help you see other facets to follow. It's surprising how things can fall back into place simply by revisiting your goals with a second party.
Write it down- To do list. Not knowing where to start i.e. without organization anything becomes overwhelming so we procrastinate as we are uncertain about where to begin. Writing down tasks, prioritizing your goals can add clarity on where you should start. Scheduling time even for the simplest steps helps, the more specific you get, the less your mind will be inclined to go another direction.
Set and prioritize SMART goals. Goal-setting blue prints is called “SMART” goals: Specific, Measurable Attainable, Relevant and Timely. Break the big goals to smaller ones and then use prioritization
Execute your ideas. An idea will remain an idea unless it has a plan of action and executed, that is the idea of vision boards and mind mapping. They help you going from point A to point B, it helps organizing the mess in your brain, but also brings out your creativity and resourcefulness.
Keep yourself accountable and have an accountability partner. That starts with yourself, you need to take responsibility of your actions and of the results, it greatly helps if you have enough support to have an accountability partner that keeps you on point- it takes a village
Time Management. Time Management is about managing yourself around time, not the other way around. Remember in order to add something to your time you need to give up something else
Set a personal reward and celebrate your successes. No matter how small the success is you need to reward yourself and celebrate them, Rewarding small or big must be something that personally means something to you.
Tell me who your friends are. When you play Tennis you need to find a better player than you are to bring your skills up. You need to surround yourself with ambitious motivated people that will become your tribe. Having whiners, or just victims around you is like having an anchor around your neck. That doesn’t mean abandoning your friends if they go through a rough patch we all go through ups and downs
Ask for help: Make sure you enlist GREAT support. Nobody wants to appear incompetent. Asking for help takes a strong person and you will be surprised how many people want to help you. If you feel tired, or ready to give up what do you do? Do you have a support system that believes in you and support you to keep going or they are of the mindset take it easy? Do conversations with your closest companions renew your energy or drain it? Do you have people in your life who can engage in stimulating conversation about business or the other things that you're passionate about? As human beings we give and receive energy and inspiration. Make sure you are receiving as much, or more, than you are handing out.
Evaluate and adjust: Be prepared to change course in light of the unexpected, have a plan B to fall on in case do not go as expected.
Believe in yourself and have a positive attitude. There's a difference between seeing the big picture and being well prepared and worrying about every possible problem before it exists. Take calculated risks and focus your energy on preparedness, not anxiety-provoking worry.
On the next post I will share how to stay motivated
If you have any other hacks to motivation, please share them here in the comments
Connect with me on:
Sahar Andrade, MB.BCh
Career, and Executive Coach
Reinvent Yourself To Greatness (Product of Sahar Consulting, LLC)
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I help women& men stuck in their lives, unemployed individuals, individuals in a job they hate, or in transition, struggling with figuring out what to do next, spinning their wheels in the same place; to show them how regain control of their lives, conquer their fears by moving out of their comfort zones that results in a journey of discovery to define their purpose & passion and become the person that achieves both happiness and success in their lives.
