1. Motivation is what drives you to do something. You’ll never achieve a goal, whether it’s as difficult as climbing Mount Everest or as simple as getting out of bed, unless you can find a way to motivate yourself.
2. Some people rely on extrinsic motivation. That’s the external rewards, like words of praise or being given a trophy. This can be useful in the short term, but it’s not always the best when it comes to sustaining long-term goals.
3. For that, you need intrinsic motivation – the kind that comes from inside you. It’s being able to feel personal satisfaction in your achievements. It’s not always possible, but when it happens, it’s the strongest, most sustainable motivation you can imagine.
4. The first time you need motivation when trying to achieve a goal is when you first get started. It’s the activation stage. That’s when you first say you’re going to do something and maybe sign up to a class or buy equipment.
5. Motivation doesn’t stop there, though. You’ll need it to help you persist through the hard part, the ongoing work that can take a while. You’ve invested time, money and other resources, yet you’re willing to invest even more and keep going when it becomes more difficult. You can’t stop.
6. How effective you are at achieving your goals may also depend on intensity. This is another component of motivation and involves not just working, but working hard. How much energy can you put into what you want? How hard do you concentrate? Do you do the minimum, or do you push yourself further?
7. Simple steps to try to improve motivation include setting realistic goals and regularly reminding yourself of what you’ve already achieved.
8. Try to avoid thinking that any challenge has one simple solution or that because something worked for someone else, it may work for you. Everyone’s different, and figuring out what is effective for you takes time.
9. Sometimes, low motivation is more than a phase. It may represent a symptom of a serious mental health condition, like depression. If you’re constantly having serious problems with motivation, you may need to visit your doctor.
10. Motivation is something that fascinates psychologists. They’re always looking for new ways to improve it, and there is lots of research you could check out about how to improve it.
