How to self-motivate

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Tips and tricks to boost your motivation

Motivation is a tricky thing to pin down. Some days you feel that you could conquer the world and you can work for hours without tiring. Other days, getting out of bed is a struggle, work seems an uphill battle, and your dreams seem so far away that any effort seems pointless.

Part of getting ahead is finding the self-motivation to actually put in the effort and do the work. But what do you do on the days when you have no motivation? How do you find motivation and boost self-motivation?

Whether you're working on a specific goal, starting a new business, want to jump-start your career or just want to find the motivation to be healthier, here's what you need to know.

What is self-motivation?

When you search for "what is self-motivation", you get a range of answers that all mention the same words; drive, force, inspiration, determination and initiation. And that is because self-motivation is hard to pinpoint because it looks different for everyone.

The broad definition of self-motivation is the same for everyone. To put it simply, it's whatever it takes for you to get up and actually get things done. It's the motivation, drive, determination and initiation it takes for you to take action. Self-motivation can also be determined by skills such as determination, inspiration, work ethic, resilience, a drive to improve yourself and good time management skills.

For some people, self-motivation comes from a personal work ethic. For other people, hating deadlines and liking to be organised is enough to get things done. For other people, self-motivation comes from the focus on a dream future or an end goal.

Whatever inspires you is your personal self-motivation.

Self-motivation theories

Self-motivation is an essential part of life, and so plenty of research has been done to better understand it.

One of the most accepted theories is the theory of self-determination. This theory says that for someone to be self-motivated, they need to have three things; Autonomy, competence and relatedness. People need the ability to control their actions, the experience and skill to make a change, and the belief that these changes will be positive ones.

Another theory of motivation focuses on the relationship between effort and rewards. Anyone can be driven if the action is easy and there is a high reward. Self-motivating relies on understanding the effort vs reward relationship.

A final theory focuses on intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation. Some people need to focus on external factors, in other words: rewards, praise, and admiration. Other people have intrinsic motivation based on internal factors such as self-esteem, feeling proud, feeling a purpose, or feeling success.

Why is self-motivation important?

Being able to self-motivate is a vital life skill. When we are children, our parents and teachers are generally responsible for ensuring we get things done, complete tasks on time and pursue goals. But when we grow up, there is no one there looking over our shoulder telling us to get off the sofa.

This means that you could stagnate unless you can find the motivation to get started and get things done. Not only will everything move more slowly, take longer and be more challenging, but you may find things more stressful.

It's an inaccurate assumption that anyone who isn't self-motivated has a more relaxing, slower-paced life. But this isn't true. People who lack self-motivation generally find life more stressful because they leave everything to the last minute, fail to achieve the desired results, and feel stressed and disappointed.

If you can find the ability to self-motivate, you are more likely to get things done before the deadline and meet your own expectations for a happier life. You're also more likely to meet others' expectations and find others willing to support you and spend time with you. No one wants to spend time with a person that is always running late, is lazy to get things done and never gives their best.

Whatever your goals in life, career, and relationships, self-motivation is the difference between scraping through and being your best version of yourself.

Think about it; if you're not willing to put in the effort, why would anyone else do it for you? You're not a child anymore!

Examples of self-motivation

All this talk of being inspired and becoming a high achiever makes self-motivation sound like a big deal. And it can be because getting stuff done really is the only way to change. But motivating yourself doesn't always have to be a big deal.

Sometimes, using your own motivation to tackle small changes is just as important. Self-motivation just means taking the initiative to get the job done without being forced to do it. You may be surprised how this can change your relationship with other people and change your life in small ways.

Here are some examples of self-motivation and the impact it can have.

Self-motivation at work: Coming to a meeting with additional research, volunteering for new responsibilities, asking for a performance review

Self-motivation at home: Completing chores without being asked, ensuring your home is clean and tidy, doing laundry frequently

Self-motivation in relationships: Working on yourself to be a better partner, facing problems together, kind acts to support your partner

10 self-motivation techniques to change your life

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Learning how to be self-motivated isn't actually that hard. Of course, if you lack motivation, getting started can be a challenge. Luckily, you can make some minor changes that can improve your self-motivation and help get the ball rolling.

Here are the best ways for staying motivated and to boost self-motivation for when you feel like crawling into bed and doing nothing.

Use SMART goals

No matter how much you want to achieve something, it's impossible to be motivated if it isn't realistic. If you want to ensure you can get and stay motivated, ensure that you are reasonable with your aims and actions.

Self-motivation begins when you have a goal and a plan. Setting clear goals will help you check that you have an aim, it's realistic, time-sensitive and something you could feasibly achieve. This will form the basis of knowing what you want to achieve and give you a clear path to follow. After all, you need to know what you are motivating yourself for!

Find out more about how to set SMART goals here!

Ask a friend to hold you accountable

If you are struggling to motivate yourself, it can be helpful to ask a friend to hold you accountable. Speak to family and friends about checking in on you, asking about your progress and making sure that you are continually thinking about and working towards your goals. Not only will this help ensure you stay focused, but it adds an extra layer of motivation.

If you can't find the inspiration within you just yet, external motivation in the form of pressure and expectations from family, friends and supportive people is a good substitute. This is extrinsic motivation. If you find self-motiving hard, you may find it easier to motivate yourself if you think others will be disappointed if you don't make progress. Even motivating yourself for others requires some self-motivation, even if you focus on someone else. It's an excellent place to start!

Stop multitasking

Multitasking is a difficult one. It feels like you are getting lots done and making lots of progress, but in reality, it's often a form of procrastination and is a sign that you aren't motivated. Trying to complete multiple tasks means your mind isn't entirely focused on one thing, and therefore it can be hard to be genuinely motivated.

Staying ambitious requires a certain amount of effort and energy. If you are trying to do too much at once or trying to jump between tasks, you will likely lose your drive, and it'll be harder to find internal motivation in the future. It can be overwhelming if you are trying to complete several tasks, so it becomes easier to do nothing instead of doing everything. The reality is that it's better to do just one thing. It's much easier to become excited about smaller tasks, to begin with, so don't overwhelm yourself.

Set deadlines and use timers

If you struggle to motivate yourself to accomplish a task, setting a timer can be an excellent way to persuade yourself to work more. Research shows that many people struggle with self-motivation because they feel they have to be motivated for a long time. But studies also show that once you get started, it's easy to stay motivated.

So, to trick your brain into feeling motivated. Try setting a short-timer, just fifteen to twenty minutes. Tell yourself that it's okay to stop when the timer goes off. You'll be twenty minutes better off than you were. Most people who do this find that they are happy to keep going when the timer goes off. Self-motivation is funny; the more you motivate yourself, the easier it becomes!

Find your focus

Try to build habits that enable you to get work done and be self-motivated even on days when you don't feel good. Anyone can self-motivate when they feel good, but it's much harder on difficult days or when you have something on your to-do list that you don't want to do.

Cultivating positive habits that can help get you in the right mood to work will help you feel motivated and ready to accomplish tasks. You don't have to feel fantastic about it; you just need to get it done.

Some positive habits could include exercising first thing in the morning, playing a specific playlist to help you concentrate, having some screen-free evenings, and taking a proper lunch break. These habits will help look after your mind and body to find your focus and make it easier for you to inspire yourself.

Remove negative influences

You may notice that certain factors in your life make it hard to focus and prevent you from feeling motivated. Try to identify what these things are and, if possible, remove them from your daily routine. External factors such as other people's judgement, lousy work environment or lots of distractions can make staying motivated a challenge.

When you decide to focus and are ready to motivate yourself, you remove these distractions to give yourself the best shot at getting the work done. This means putting your phone away and staying off social media. Social media can be very motivating for some but disheartening for others. It can be a distraction, break your concentration, and hurt your mental health if you see other people living their best lives while struggling to stay motivated. It's important to remember that social media isn't real. Put your phone away and concentrate on your own challenges and goals.

Take time off

Being self-motivated isn't about being super motivated all the time. No one can be inspired the whole time. For you to have periods of intense ambition, it makes sense that you also need periods where you take time off. You'll find you have more self-motivation if you don't have to be motivated all the time.

Take short breaks daily and make sure you take holidays and day-off to do things you enjoy. High achievers know that taking a break is vital for your mental health, and you can't be motivated to succeed if you aren't in the right place mentally. You can't be motivated if you're burnt out and tired. Make sure you can stay positive before you try to motivate yourself.

Reward your efforts

Part of self-motivation is the rewards. Whether you find incentive in rewards or internal gratification, you should reward good progress. As you set goals and then work to accomplish your goals, you will find that recognising your achievements will help keep you motivated. As mentioned earlier, this technique works best with extrinsically motivated people who need external rewards.

Of course, the feeling of success and finishing tasks can be motivating. But giving yourself an extra little external motivation boost in the form of a reward can help. It doesn't have to be significant. But small treats such as going to the cinema to see the film you love, buying your favourite chocolates, finishing early on a Friday or taking a whole day off can be hugely motivating.

You should feel proud of your achievements and celebrate them. If you start to feel good about getting things done, it'll be much easier to motivate yourself in the future.

Re-evaluate things

One of the best ways to push yourself to go further is to see how far you've come. As well as celebrating your success, you should make sure you frequently evaluate your progress. If you can check your progress and see how far you've come, it can motivate you to keep going.

Re-evaluating your situation can be very useful. You may need to change your tactics, adjust your aim and head in a new direction. Making sure you know what needs to be done and having confidence that you are doing the right things can also help drive you. If you don't know what needs to be done or are unsure if completing a task will help you, it's no surprise you lack inspiration!

Have a vision

You need to have an overall vision for your future. By this, I don't just mean set goals. Think about your dream lifestyle and what you are working towards. It can be very motivating and give you the push you need to picture yourself in ten years and a bit of self-discovery never hurt! Think about where you want to be what you want to have achieved, and let this drive you forward.

Following aspirational social media accounts, creating a Pinterest body, decorating your workspace with motivational quotes and images can all help keep your life's vision in the front of your mind. You can use this dream future to help inspire you to work harder and succeed when you feel like giving up.

Boost motivation now

Finding your own self-motivation isn't always easy. The more drive you have, the more you can achieve, and you'll want to stay successful! The good news is that once you find how to boost self-motivation, there's no stopping you.

The drive to achieve can be very addictive once you get started. Don't hesitate to get in touch to improve your self-efficacy and work ethic and start making positive changes without your mum shouting at you. As a life and business coach, I have helped many people find a new direction and find the motivation to succeed.