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How To Stay Motivated - 10 Proven Strategies for Success!


Want to motivate yourself for success? Read this guide to learn how to stay motivated every day whilst you work toward your goals.

The guide includes 10 powerful strategies that will keep you motivated to achieve any type of goal, as well as frequently asked questions on motivation.

Contents:

Let's get started!

A woman working at her desk illustrates how to stay motivated!


How to Stay Motivated Every Day


Being successful in life depends on our ability to stay motivated! Not only when things are going well, but also when faced with setbacks! With the right techniques, you can stay focused, energized, and inspired to achieve your goals.

Read on to discover ten actionable tips on how to stay motivated each day.


1. Set achievable goals


The best way to stay motivated is to set goals that are just beyond your reach, but not impossible to accomplish. This will stretch you and keep you motivated but at the same time won't be impossible for you to achieve.

When faced with large or complex goals, break them down into a series of smaller tasks to make them more manageable. Smaller tasks are less overwhelming and make it easier to track progress, which is essential to stay motivated as you work on your goals.


2. Plan for action

Colleagues planning work tasks.


To become motivated to achieve a goal it's important to have a plan. Identify the steps required to achieve your goal and arrange them in sequence so you can clearly visualize what needs to be done.

Identify any obstacles or challenges that may prevent you from achieving your goal and establish a plan of action to overcome them.


3. Set deadlines


Establish a target date for achieving your goal and intermediate milestones along the way.

Having a deadline creates a sense of urgency that keeps you focused and motivated while working toward your goal.

Make sure that your deadlines are realistic. There's nothing more demotivating and spirit-crushing than not being able to meet a deadline you've set!


4. Get started!


The hardest part of achieving any goal is taking the first step.

Make the first step an easy one!

I find it so much easier to start on a task if I convince myself that I'm only going to spend a few minutes on it. Once I get started, it's easier to continue going.

Does that sound familiar?

Don't procrastinate…just get started!


5. Monitor progress


When you start working on your plan of action and accomplishing things, it builds confidence in your capability to achieve your goal. It also creates drive and momentum to continue moving forward and achieving more!

Use tools such as a to-do list where you can check off tasks as you complete them, or a progress bar to monitor progress on your goal.

Seeing progress is highly motivating!

A woman measuring progress on her fitness goal.


6. Create a positive environment

 
Make the journey to achieving your goal a positive one! This can be done in many ways:

  • Being around positive people: will help you feel motivated and drive you forward.
  • Motivational sources: articles, videos, podcasts, and quotes are all great ways to keep a positive mindset.
  • Positive Affirmations: Consciously repeating positive things to ourselves makes our subconscious mind believe them. This gives us the confidence to move forward.
  • Join a support group: Being around people with a common goal boosts perseverance and performance, even if you are working alone. Depending on your goal, this may be achieved by joining a weight-loss group, gym class, professional organization, or by doing a virtual challenge!
  • Start the day on a positive note: Getting up a little earlier to exercise, meditate, or do something positive is a great way to help keep you feeling energized, confident, and inspired!

Two speakers doing a motivational podcast.


7. Create a habit of working on your goal


A habit is a recurring behavior that is learned through repetition. Creating a new habit requires motivation, discipline, and perseverance, and depending on its complexity can take between three weeks and two months to create. Once created, a habit requires little thought or motivation which makes it much easier to do!

If you want to get into shape, you may decide to get into the habit of exercising daily before going to work. To develop this habit, you'll need to do this consistently every day for at least three weeks until it becomes effortless.

Start small by doing a short exercise routine and gradually increase the time as it becomes easier. The same technique can be applied to developing other types of habits.

Make working toward your goals a habit!


8. Practice self-care

Examples of self-care: a healthy meal, a woman sleeping, two women exercising, and someone pouring a glass of water.


Proper self-care is essential to stay motivated and productive. Make sure you include the following aspects of self-care in your daily routine:

  • Healthy Eating: A balanced diet provides the nutrients our body and mind needs to work efficiently.
  • Exercise: Stimulates blood flow to the brain and helps us to stay focused. During exercise, our bodies produce endorphins "feel-good hormones", which make us feel energized and motivated.
  • Get Sufficient Sleep: We need to be sufficiently rested to be able to concentrate and focus effectively on our tasks.
  • Drink Plenty of Water: Dehydration makes us feel tired, this can dampen our spirits and drain our motivation. Drink at least 8 glasses of water daily to ensure you are properly hydrated.


9. Focus on the "why" behind achieving your goal


As we all know, achieving any significant goal entails hard work, making sacrifices, and overcoming challenges that appear along the way.

If we are unsure of "why" we want to achieve a goal, it's very likely we will give up when things become difficult.

Always keep in the forefront of your mind the reasons why you want to achieve your goals...focus on an image of the final outcome!

This could be an image of your dream house, your ideal job, or the physique you're aiming to achieve. Whatever your goal, being able to visualize a clear picture of the end result in your mind is a great way to keep yourself feeling motivated, especially through tough times.


10. Celebrate achievements


A very effective motivational strategy is to establish rewards to celebrate achievements. This can be as simple as allowing yourself to savor the victory of crossing off a task from your to-do list, taking a break, or treating yourself to your favorite snack.

For more significant accomplishments, you may choose a bigger incentive such as having an evening out with friends, a SPA session, or a weekend getaway.

When setting your goals, decide how you are going to celebrate achieving each milestone along the way.

Work colleagues celebrating their achievements.


BOTTOM LINE

Learning how to stay motivated is not as difficult as it may seem. The secret lies in how we set our goals and the strategies we use to generate motivation from within.

Set realistic objectives with a clear plan of action and incentives to drive you forward.

Find your best "YOU" by looking after yourself and keeping a positive mindset...and don't forget to celebrate your achievements along the way!


Frequently Asked Questions on Motivation

What is motivation?


Motivation is an internal force that drives us to take action to achieve a goal. The types of motivators which influence human behavior are both extrinsic and intrinsic.

  • Extrinsic motivation is driven by external factors such as money, recognition, praise from others, or avoidance of a negative outcome. This type is motivation uses rewards or punishment as an incentive to achieve a desired result.
  • Intrinsic motivation comes from within and is fueled by the desire to grow or succeed. This is believed to be the best form of motivation to achieve long-term success.

Understanding what motivates us is essential to determine the most appropriate plan of action to achieve our goals.

How do I stay motivated at work?


Here are eight simple tips on how to stay motivated at work:

  1. Break complex tasks into smaller manageable chunks.
  2. Create to-do lists and prioritize to ensure that high-impact tasks are addressed first.
  3. Prepare a daily schedule taking into account your energy levels throughout the day. Difficult tasks should be scheduled when your energy levels are highest and less demanding tasks during periods when your energy levels are lowest.
  4. Take regular breaks throughout the day to keep your mind focused.
  5. Remove distractions from your work environment.
  6. Keep track of the time and your progress throughout the day.
  7. Get help when you need it.
  8. Reward yourself when you achieve your objectives.

How can I stay motivated to work out?

Finding it hard to stay motivated to work out every day? Check out these five simple tips that will help you stay on track and achieve your fitness goals!

  1. Set realistic fitness goals: If you set goals that are too ambitious or unrealistic, you're setting yourself up for failure and disappointment. Start small and gradually build up!
  2. Find a workout buddy: Working out with a friend or family member can be a great way to stay motivated and accountable. Having someone to share your progress with can make the journey more enjoyable and rewarding.
  3. Add variety to your routine: Doing the same workout every day can quickly become boring and lead to a lack of motivation. To keep things interesting, mix up your routine by trying new exercises or activities.
  4. Reward yourself: When you achieve your fitness milestones, treat yourself to something you enjoy.
  5. Keep a positive attitude: Instead of focusing on what you haven’t achieved yet, celebrate the progress you’ve made so far. Remember that every workout counts, no matter how small!


Check out these articles to help you stay motivated to achieve your goals:


References

  1. Psychology of Human Motivation by Denis Waitley
  2. The Science of Motivation - Strategies & Techniques for Turning Dreams into Destiny by Brian Tracy
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