We all have a lack of self-motivation at times.
We can learn a hundred ways to improve our lives, but then hesitate to act. Something less important catches our attention, or we just don’t feel like doing what we need to do. Even a person who is normally highly motivated can sometimes have a hard time getting started on an important task.
Is there a solution? Yes of course there are probably dozens of them. Below are six of the best self-motivation techniques that consistently work when used. Try them all, but if you find even one or two here that work for you, you’ll be on your way. I have been using them over the last years to overcome my personal struggles and I can tell you that they are worth it trying.
Self-Motivation Techniques That Work
1. Talk to get motivated. One of my favorite ways to create energy and motivation is to talk. Once I tell my wife about a Djembé rhythm that I am about to teach to my students, I’m out of my slump and back at the creative and inspiration mood trying to analyze what kind of issues my students might have when learning this new rhythm. For less inspiring tasks, talk about the larger goals it will help you achieve your goals.
2. Stimulate your desire. Seeing their potential future motivates many to sign up for get-rich-quick plans. The really good salesmen can put you in your imagined dream home in minutes, and make you feel motivated to do anything to make it real. Learn to be your own salesman.
3. Stimulate your pain. One Neuro-Linguistic Programming technique that I have learned during my NLP study is to mentally link pain with not acting. It is like when finally stop hitting that snooze button on the alarm, and get up because you think you might lose your job. Just imagine any bad consequences that may occur if you don’t do what you need to do.
4. Find a true interest. If you have no interest in what you are doing, it might mean you need to do something else. If it’s just a task you dislike, but it needs to be done, relate it clearly in your mind to the greater goal. I don’t like to drive, but I don’t have a motivation problem when I’m driving to the mountains for a vacation.
5. Boost your energy. You need energy for self-motivation. I love playing the Djembé but for some others, Coffee may help for a while, if caffeine doesn’t create other problems for you. Exercising and sleeping well help too. You should also watch out for sugary foods. The “sugar blues “kill motivation. Once you find energy boosters that work for you, make a list and keep it handy for future use.
6. Take any small step. I’ve found if I commit to raking up one bag of leaves, I soon want to finish all the yard work. Taking any small step towards your goals is a great self-motivation technique. To make this even easier, break larger goals down into small steps.
Motivation techniques really do work, but don’t ask me how to get motivated to use them. In any case, you were motivated enough to read this far, so you’ll be fine. Oh, and humor is number seven. A good laugh can overcome that feeling of being overwhelmed that sucks away self-motivation.
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