Five Ways To Increase Your Motivation Right Now

This article was originally published on Forbes.com .

I have always been a notorious procrastinator. I always turned in my homework at the last minute, studied for tests at the last minute, and still put off doing dishes if I could get away with it.

It wasn’t until I delved deep into behavioral science and neuroscience for my work and noticed my penchant for postponing on a regular basis that I learned what was behind it.

A recent example was the lead-up to a speaking engagement with a very large audience. A speaker application was due, and even though I knew exactly what I wanted to say and had no shortage of strong opinions on the subject matter, I just couldn’t get myself to write the application.

Despite knowing what I should do, I wasn’t doing it.

Bridging the Know-Do Gap

This hesitance to just get it done is psychology’s know-do gap, a concept that sits at the core of why people don’t get healthy when they want to and, in this case, a timely self-diagnosis.

Through decades of pursuing the mystery of the know-do gap, as a physician, researcher, and health intervention designer, I believe I have found the answer. The know-do gap results from activating the brain’s habenula, a kill switch for motivation triggered by failure and all of its cousins—disappointment, disillusionment, frustration, and other negative narratives

Back to my procrastination story. I was worried about failing at the speaking application, and because of that, my habenula kicked on, shut down my motivation, and stuck me in a know-do gap! If I didn’t know this new neuroscience, I would have just continued blaming myself for being a procrastinator and feeling even more like a failure—which would cause even more motivation loss.

If you’ve been stuck in a similar know-do gap, there are new ways you should approach this common problem. Work with, instead of against, your brain.

Here are five ways to get unstuck, turn the ship around, and reignite your motivation:

1. Focus on Progress

At my company, our motto is “Practice Makes Progress.” Instead of getting bogged down with the fact that you’re not done with something or didn’t do everything perfectly, focus on how you’ve made progress. Any step forward can set the stage. In my stalling with the speaking application, I simply created a document with a rough outline as a kickstarter. Building a spark out of progress goes a long way in firing up your motivation.

2. Reframe the Past

Fear of or reluctance to do something today based on a past failure comes from a bias called loss aversion. If I had failed at previous speaking applications and this one triggered a specter of failure because of it, I might fear the same outcome and avoid trying again.

Instead, I can change the script by seeing those other opportunities weren’t for me and this one is more aligned with my work. I could let go of the past by reframing it from something negative like rejection to accepting that it was a learning experience—a stepping stone—and I’m more prepared and ready now.

3. Boost Inspiration

This can take many forms. For example, many people listen to pump-up music before a competition. Some people hang inspirational quotes or art on their walls.

My dad, a former Navy serviceman, had a framed piece in his office that said, “Ships in the harbor are safe, but that’s not what ships were built for.” Other people simply stick Post-Its on their kitchen fridges or follow motivational influencers on their phones. Such methods serve as powerful emotional touchstones to anchor what is important and meaningful for you.

4. Connect With Others

Humans today have lost their connection with one another. But we are wired for connection. In my research on weight loss and healthy lifestyles, I learned that people most successful in their changes didn’t do it alone. You can, too.

Join a group, take classes, grab a spouse, friend, or family member, and do something you wouldn’t do alone, wouldn’t be consistently doing, or wouldn’t have fun doing without them.

5. Find Traction

Ask yourself, “What can I get myself to do?” There is always something that can forward movement, and the fastest and most effective way to find traction and restore your motivation is to iterate. Iteration means you tweak and adjust what you’re trying until you find something that works.

For example, if I want to get my eating back in order, I’ll try to make smaller plates of food. If that doesn’t work, I try to remove sugary drinks. All that matters is that one part of me seems to be able to get the other part of me to do something, anything, positive.

Hack Your Habenula

When boosting your motivation—or sometimes even fishing it out of the garbage—you are both student and teacher, athlete and coach. Part of you perhaps lost hope and motivation from having your habenula triggered, while the other is trying to get you back on the horse.

Every one of us gets triggered by failure, accidentally activates our habenulae, and unwittingly loses motivation. What’s most important is knowing how to recover your motivation as quickly as possible, and these five techniques offer a powerful set of tools for you to keep going until you are unstoppable.

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