A lot of us find ourselves in a motivational slump every now and then and when this happens, we put things off until tomorrow, or the day after that and all of a sudden we can’t get ourselves to do it at all. Motivation is like a continuous cycle where we are highly motivated for some time, then fall out of our motivation for whatever reason and have to start building our motivation back up again.
Motivation plays a significant role in our performance as well as our ability to reach success and there are a plethora of ways to get motivated to get things done. A lot of people derive their motivation from various outside sources such as rewards, fears, development, growth or social influences.
However, the best motivation to get the job done successfully comes from within ourselves. Self-Motivation is the drive and motivation to reach our goals without the influence or supervision from others. Keep in mind, motivation means that we have a motive to take action, a reason for what we do and what better way to become successful than to follow our own motives and reasons rather than following someone else’s directive.
Here are our TOP 10 tips to propel your self-motivation to new heights and reach your goals and dreams.
#1 Find Your Why
In order to be self-motivated you need to figure out your why and your compelling purpose. We all know what we do and some of us know how to do it, but only a handful of us can clearly communicate why we do what we do. Our why is what sets us apart from everyone else. It’s our unique purpose that inspires us to take action and what’s more, it also inspires others to take action. Finding your why is crucial to propel your self-motivation to its peak and keep it there, so take some time, dig deep and find your why.
#2 Eliminate Unnecessary Habits
It is quite common that we find ourselves doing something that gets in the way of achieving our goals and dreams. Maybe you are scrolling through your social media feed constantly, maybe you binge watch your favorite TV series, maybe you like to party all weekend and end up having to deal with a hangover. Know what gets you down and unmotivated and eliminate that habit as soon as possible. If you can minimize unnecessary habits that distract you from getting things done, you will be able to get your motivation in top condition.
#3 Strike a Power Pose
Body language is much more powerful than you can imagine. It doesn’t just affect how others perceive you, it also impacts your internal body chemistry. Assuming a power posture can literally change the way you are. If you get into a power pose – which means that you have an open body, chest out, arms spread and take up a great deal of space – you can increase your testosterone levels, which are linked to confidence and decrease your cortisol levels, which are linked to stress. And the best thing is that it only takes two minutes to reap the benefits and find your motivation.
#4 Eat Some Chocolate
A great hack to boost your motivation is pretty simple: Eat some chocolate. Besides being delicious and readily available, the impact of chocolate on the brain has been well studied. When you eat chocolate, you increase the neurotransmitter serotonin, which makes you calm, as well as phenylethylamine, which is stimulating. Chocolate also triggers the release of dopamine, which elevates the heart rate and significantly boosts motivation. On top of that, chocolate has mild anti-depressant properties because it promotes positive emotions, which will get you going in no time. Other foods that induce dopamine production include blueberries, fatty fish high in omega-3 fatty acids like salmon, avocado and spirulina.
#5 See Some Green
Certain colors can make us think of certain things and we get the biggest boost in energy and motivation from the color green. Research shows that if you surround yourself with a little bit of green, you can increase your motivation and even get a spark of creativity. The hypothesis is that seeing green makes us think of growth and is a clue that we can improve and have room to grow. So whenever you get a chance, get outside and take a stroll in a park or garden or find a few patches of grass close to your office. Besides being motivated by the color green, you feel a lot more motivated if you get some fresh air and move around.
#6 Continue Learning
Just because you have graduated from the traditional education system doesn’t mean that you should stop learning and adding to your knowledge. Take a class to increase your expertise, surf the internet for lots of valuable information and learn something new any chance you get. The more you learn and get more information, the more you boost the development of your brain. You gain new skills, can better reason and are exposed to new ideas, all of which inspires you to take action and get things done.
#7 Celebrate Your Achievements
Achieving something, no matter how big or small, deserves a celebration and a reward. Whenever you reach your desired goal, give yourself a reward. Whether that’s the shoes you have been dreaming about, a night out with friends or enjoying a day at the spa, rewards keep you motivated until you achieve your next milestone and can celebrate your new achievement.
#8 Take Action
The secret to motivation is that action more often than not comes before motivation. Nike had it right with their slogan ‘Just do it.’ Simply starting an activity will make your motivation kick in. Remember when you don’t feel like going to the gym or taking a yoga class and you’d rather veg out on the couch? More often than not, once you get started, you get into the flow and enjoy the workout. It’s the same with anything else. Once you get going, it is much easier to find your motivation and get things down.
#9 Reframe Your Language
If you tell yourself that you have to do this or must do that or should do the other, you can wait a long time for your motivation to kick in. However, words are extremely powerful and simply reframing your language and choosing to do something can have an incredibly empowering impact that boosts your motivation. Choose your words wisely and find motivating language that propels your motivation into action.
#10 Take Risks
Achieving the extraordinary is a huge boost to our motivation, but we can never achieve the extraordinary if we stay in our comfort zone. Leave your comfort zone, take risks and don’t limit yourself by fear of the unknown, because the bigger the risk, the bigger the reward and if you aren’t sure what’s going to happen next, you are much more motivated to keep on working to achieve the desired outcome. Now, we are not telling you to simply jump on any opportunity that comes your way without giving it a second thought. Evaluate the rewards and losses you may encounter and make a wise choice.
One of the best ways to be successful and achieve your goals and dreams is to master your motivation and drive. If you can master self-motivation you will not only be able to create new experiences for yourself and achieve anything your heart desires, you will also inspire others to find their way forward.
MOTIVATION MAKES THINGS HAPPEN
Joschi & Monika
#BoldNaked