In this BIT: Need to get motivated? Try these motivation tips to motivate yourself and keep yourself motivated!
Getting started is the hardest part. To step out of procrastination and to step into the long-awaited to-do list. Whether it’s responding to emails, washing the dishes, heading to the gym, or even reading a book. Sometimes, we even start to rely on other people to motivate us. For example, our boss, a friend who goes to the gym with us, or our family members. How can we find the fire to get started (AKA motivation) within ourselves? If that’s the question that you’re asking, you’re in the right place.
People say “discipline over motivation”, but it’s not so simple. In conversation with former Navy SEAL Commander Rorke Denver, he explained that “motivation is the spark plug, and discipline is the rest. The fuel, the grinds, the gears – everything that makes a vehicle actually succeed.” In order to get started, we need motivation. We can’t rely solely on the burning desire to complete tasks as fuel for getting things done in life. Nonetheless, a spark is important in getting any task or goal going. Below are our top tips on how to motivate yourself.
Purpose-based tasks bring us the most motivation. Before working on anything, ask yourself WHY you’re doing this. For cleaning your room, perhaps the WHY is to have a clearer and calmer mindset. For packing your lunch in the evening rather than the morning, maybe your WHY is so that you can sleep-in a bit longer. Know WHY you’re working towards something, and let that purpose fuel you.
Look towards the future and imagine yourself finishing this goal! See your room tidy, your boss promoting you, your laundry done, or your book completed. How will you feel in this moment? What would this future version of yourself tell you now? According to studies conducted at Stanford University, when people think about their future selves, their brain perceives this future self as a total stranger. Hence, we often make choices that gratify us in the present, not in the long haul. Get closer to that stranger in the future — how do they feel once this task is complete?
Stop waiting to feel ready in order to take action! Life is always busy. We’ll always be able to focus our attention onto another task, worry, or thought pattern. Rather than waiting for your brain to be ready and willing to hop into your to-do list, just jump into the tasks that you need to do. The ability to do things that you know are in your best interest, even in moments when you do not feel like doing them, builds strong habits, relationships, and gains.
As you put these tangible motivation tips into practice, we hope that you find a Small Bit of Happiness in getting motivated and accomplishing the goals that you’ve set out to see through. Practice makes perfect, and the more you practice pushing through moments of procrastination, the stronger these habits and thought-patterns will become in your life.
For more happiness check out our Mood Boost page.
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