How to Motivate Yourself

Are you feeling unmotivated? Do you have something that you need to get done but just can’t bring yourself to do it? Have you been procrastinating instead of doing the thing you actually need to do?

You are not alone! Many people struggle with motivation. Here are some things you can try that might help you in your struggle.

Note: Not all these things will work for everyone, but this list should give you some options that you may not have tried before. See what works for you!

1. Break up your task into smaller steps, and then break those steps into smaller steps until you find a step small enough that you’re willing to do.
2. Reframe the problem as a challenge instead of an obstacle. Turn your task into a game.
3. Practice mindfulness to understand why you’re feeling unmotivated.
4. Practice meditation to improve your ability to focus, increase your tolerance for discomfort, or relax yourself for upcoming tasks.
5. Take stock of what you value in your life, and determine how this task helps you achieve your values.
6. Think about how you’ll feel when you complete the task, and use that to motivate you to complete it to get those feelings.
7. Think about how you’ll feel when you don’t complete the task, and use that to motivate you to complete it to avoid those feelings.
8. Consider whether you have a fear of failure, and work on solving that problem first.
9. Consider whether you have a fear of success, and work on solving that problem first.
10. Consider whether you have a fear of judgment, and work on solving that problem first.

11. Don’t compare yourself to other people. Everyone is on their own journey. Life is not a competition.
12. Take on a “Beginner’s mind.” Think of yourself as a beginner, rather than an expert. Consider this a learning experience and allow yourself to make mistakes or fail.
13. Figure out a way to enjoy the process rather than just enjoying the outcome.
14. Play music you enjoy while you work. Or an audiobook.
15. Set up a deadline for yourself, and hold yourself accountable to it.
16. Just do it. Stop thinking about it and just get up and do it.
17. Focus more on actions and less on thoughts and worries.
18. Remember that it’s okay to fail or make a mistake.
19. Set a timer for 5 minutes and set a rule that you can only work on your task in those 5 minutes.
20. Give yourself a minute or two to “throw a tantrum.” Let yourself feel how much you don’t want to do the task to release that energy. Accept those feelings and appreciate how difficult this task is for you.

21. Remind yourself that you can overcome difficulties. You are resilient.
22. If you are not resilient, think of this as practice to become more resilient.
23. Do a less difficult task to practice more resiliency and gain more confidence.
24. Read blog posts about motivation and find what resonates with you, or what gives you inspiration. 😉
25. Count down from 10, like you’re a rocketship preparing to take off. Once you reach 0, lift off! Stand up and go do your task with that burst of rocketship energy.
26. Write a list of all the things you have to do and prioritize it to show the next most important thing to do. Ignore the rest of the list and focus on that one thing.
27. Do a different small and easier task to get a confidence boost to do harder tasks.
28. Fake it ‘til you make it. What would a motivated person do? Pretend that you are a motivated person, take that persona. You might find it was in you all along.
29. Distract yourself to give yourself some relief. Take a break, and don’t beat yourself up about it so you can come back to the task refreshed.
30. Don’t distract yourself, so you don’t procrastinate forever.

31. Decide not to allow yourself to do anything else until you complete this task. If you don’t want to do it, just sit and do absolutely nothing. Notice all the tricks your mind goes through trying to convince you not to do the task. Don’t give in to those thoughts. When you finally get a thought that suggests you do something you should be doing, then take action on that thought.
32. Have compassion for your future self. Do this for him/her, and thank yourself later for it.
33. Give yourself some slack and compassion. Treat yourself like a good friend or a good parent should treat you.
34. Cheer yourself on. You can do it!
35. What advice would you give to a friend who has the same problem? Tell it to yourself, take your own advice.
36. Figure out if you need outside help, and find someone to help you if you need it.
37. Talk your problems out with a friend who’s a good listener.
38. Find other people that need to do the same or a similar task and help motivate each other.
39. Find someone who has already completed the task and ask what motivated them to do it. But keep in mind whether they found the task more or less difficult than you. Don’t beat yourself up if they found it easy while you found it hard.
40. Find someone to hold you accountable to completing the task.

41. Talk to a psychologist.
42. Talk to a life coach.
43. Talk your problems out to a rubber duck and you may stumble on a solution.
44. Figure out what time of day you tend to be the most productive, or naturally feel the most motivated. Schedule to do your task then.
45. Set yourself up for success. Prepare your workstation to make the task easier to complete. If scheduling your task for later, set up an area so you can get started on it right away.
46. Move your workstation somewhere else to help shift the way you feel to something new, and to stop doing bad habits associated with the old location.
47. If your task is on a computer, find a “focus mode”, or a website blocker that will prevent you from doing other things you’re not supposed to be doing.
48. If your task is not on a computer, turn off your computer.
49. Make it difficult to do the things you’re not supposed to do, and make it easy to do the tasks you are supposed to do.
50. If your task is large, set up a schedule to do little chunks of your task at a time. Remember to include breaks in your schedule.

51. Declutter your space to reduce your stress.
52. Reward yourself for even small bits of progress, and forgive yourself for setbacks.
53. Every little bit helps. Even if you only do a little part of your task, recognize that you will be that much closer to completing it.
54. Remember that if you fail in your task, it wasn’t a waste of time. That time had to be spent anyway since you didn’t know it would fail.
55. Figure out when you’ve successfully completed tasks in the past and what motivated you then. Think about how to use those motivations for your current task.
56. Look back at things (like a video, photo, quote, story, etc.) that motivate and inspire you. When you find something that motivates or inspires you in everyday life, write it down or save it somewhere to look back on in moments when you’re feeling unmotivated and uninspired.
57. If you’d rather do something else, recognize that you’re not actually unmotivated, you’re just motivated in the wrong direction. Figure out what is motivating you in the other direction and how you can use that motivation for your task at hand. Or figure out what need that other task is fulfilling and see if there this is a need that has to be satisfied first. Find healthy ways to satisfy that need so you can eventually free yourself up to do the task you should be doing.

Which of these tips worked for you? Do you have any other tips that aren’t listed here? Let me know in the comments!