Anyone who has experienced setbacks, difficulties and negative situations outside of their control will be familiar with the reduction in motivation that follows. If you fall into a run of bad luck, these knocks on your motivation levels can quickly build up, making it difficult to break out of the cycle with significant impacts on your performance. Lack of energy, low self-confidence, procrastination and wanting to give up can quickly follow.
So, with all this being said, how can you motivate yourself? As a psychologist I can offer some expert advice:
1. Set achievable goals
Countless studies show that making progress towards your goals means that you naturally become motivated to continue. Progress shows that your efforts are worthwhile and that you are moving in the right direction. With this in mind, break your big goals down into smaller, more achievable short-term targets. Achieving short term goals means you will be motivated to continue working towards the bigger goal, knowing each step is going to help.
2. Understand not all rewards are tangible
While setting a reward for achieving a target is a great way to ensure that you remain motivated, it’s also essential to understand that not all rewards are tangible. Rewards for achieving goals should be a factor in your daily life, but try using activities as rewards. Taking time out for a walk, seeing a film or even catching up with a book can all help increase your motivation levels, while also ensuring that you relax and make the most of your downtime.
3. Remember that inaction has costs
While relaxing has many benefits, this should not be confused with inaction. Inaction has costs and delays you from achieving your goals. Changing your definition of inaction can also be helpful – your brain will give you dopamine for completing levels in video games, which may seem like an achievement, but does this really help you achieve your main life goals?
However, it’s important to understand that motivation is extremely personal, and working out how to increase your own motivation may be difficult. In these situations, it’s worth discussing matters with an expert. If you would like to know more about how to motivate yourself and achieve your goals, get in touch with me today. As an experienced health psychologist, we can work together to help make you the person you really want to be.
