Sometimes the only thing that stands between you and the goal is motivation. As you know, the most difficult thing in any business is to force yourself to work, in order to then move forward, overcome difficulties and reach the limit of your own capabilities, surprisingly easily stepping over it. This is about student life, office or gym, and motivation is a key component for self-development.
Fortunately, there are scientifically based ways to motivate yourself like high impact manly quotes for an action. Below are five easy tips to help you get better today.
1. Start small
Getting started is always the hardest part. So, making the first step, whatever it is connected with, try to make it easier. The bigger the challenge, the more depressed you may feel at the very beginning.
At the same time, research in the field of psychology shows that if you break this task up into subtasks, and take only a small initial piece as the first point of the plan, things will go faster.
Let’s say you have planned a real fitness marathon five times a week to get in shape. Do not spend more than an hour during the first two weeks, and dedicate the first three days to the rhythmic step on the treadmill.
2. Set deadlines
The closer the deadline for the delivery of an important project, the more motivated you feel to complete the task. But if you have a week, and you get down to business on the last day, there is a risk of not having time to complete what you have begun and to break the deadlines.
An analysis of studies published in the journal Psychological Science shows that it is more logical in this case to set your own terms, leaving 5-7 days in stock. Let the deadline be as close as possible to the present moment, and this will help you feel the need to complete the task in the near future, and not “some time afterward”.
3. Think positive
The proper attitude to the task can seriously affect the level of motivation. So, if you set yourself up for success, then the probability of productive work and effective elimination of problems arising in the process will increase several times.
Byrdie.co.uk refers to a study conducted by Daniel Akste, in which students’ motivation for educational work was studied. During the experiment, we managed to find out that those of the participants who were not distracted for anything were less motivated than those who had access to fun entertainment.
According to the researcher, this was due to the maintenance of a good mood among students from the second group. So if you feel that you are tired and can no longer work, get distracted by the series of your favorite series (but, mind you, just one!) Or play “bubbles” on your smartphone – in order to return to the task with new forces in half an hour.
4. Follow the progress
“Progress is the most powerful motivator,” writes Teresa Emebile, director of research at Harvard Business School, in her book The Progress Principle. Use your progress as positive feedback to incite motivation.
If your goal is career growth, decide on the frequency of success tracking, and do not forget to mark them in a diary explicitly instituted for this occasion. Get ready to run the first marathon? A fitness tracker will provide an instant assessment of your progress and will not allow you to lose motivation, as you will see the results online.
5. Keep secrets
While it may seem like a good idea to share your goals and promises with others, in reality, this will put unnecessary pressure on you, as evidenced by research at New York University. Pressure will ultimately turn into stress, which will reduce any motivation to nothing. To avoid a vicious circle, try to keep your achievements (at least in the first stage) in secret. On the other hand, the verbalization of intentions can increase motivation so it would be useful to have a paper or electronic diary, which you will check with if necessary.
Conclusion
Motivation puts us many traps. But two stand out above all of them:
- The idea that the rewards are always good
- The idea that you need to feel motivated before doing something
Once you have this clear, the next thing is to give meaning to your goals, find the values that will guide you, and establish small stages that allow you to measure your progress.
If you also train your will power and begin to identify more with your future, you will be on the road to building a bombproof motivation. I assure you it’s simpler than it looks
Believe in yourself – and everything will work out.
