Self-Motivation

Hello there!!!

Self-motivation is the internal drive that leads us to take action towards a goal. It keeps us moving forward, even when we don’t want to. An example of this is when you’re going for a run. You set a goal to run for 20 minutes, but at 15 minutes you’re exhausted. You want to stop. Self-motivation is what keeps you disciplined to run out the clock.?

Most self-motivation definitions consider how you can find the ability to do what needs to be done without influence from other people or situations. Self-motivation is encouraging yourself to continue making progress toward a goal even when it feels challenging. It’s turning your 'shoulds' into 'musts'. When you have enough hunger, you can easily learn how to self-motivate to meet the goals you’ve set your mind and focus on.

WHY IS SELF-MOTIVATION ESSENTIAL?

The ability to self-motivate is the only sure way to achieve your goals and get everything you want in life. You won’t always have parents, partners, sibling, teachers or bosses to direct your energy or provide external motivations. You need to cultivate and draw on inner strength, a deep confidence in yourself that is completely unaffected by outside events and experiences. When you have this type of belief in yourself, you’ll be unstoppable.

Self-motivation is also essential to finding a fulfilling career and to acing job interviews. The question “Are you self-motivated?” often comes up during the interview process, and it’s not always easy to answer. Employers ask this to see if you’re a good culture fit and if you’ll be enthusiastic about the work you’ll be doing.?

WHAT DRIVES SELF-MOTIVATION?

So, why do so many people find themselves lacking motivation? The truth is that self-motivation techniques all come down to your psychology. First, you have to clearly know what it is you want. Why do you want to improve and develop in your career?? Think of the reason why you want to succeed and turn to this when things seem tough and you need help with self-motivation.

When you face a setback, do you tell yourself you’re not good enough to succeed? If so, it’s time to seriously change your psychology. When it’s time to self-motivate, think of the positive state you want to be in to get things done. How does your body feel when you’re motivated? Where are your energy levels? What messages are you conveying with your body language?

The Elements of Self-Motivation

1. Personal drive to achieve

You could think of a personal drive to achieve as ambition, or perhaps personal empowerment. However, it is also worth thinking about it in terms of mindset.

There are two types of mindset, fixed and growth.

Those with a fixed mindset believe that talent is ingrained, and that we cannot change our level of ability.

Those with a growth mindset believe that they can improve their skills through hard work and effort.

Research shows that those who believe that they can improve that is, who have a growth mindset are far more likely to achieve in whatever sphere they choose. A growth mindset is therefore an important element in a personal drive to succeed.

2. Commitment to goals

Goal-setting is very important to our general well-being. If you want to live a happy life, tie it to a goal, not to people or things.

You should set goals beyond your reach so you always have something to live for. Having an awareness of where you wish to be, and an understanding of how you plan to get there, is a vital part of staying motivated.

3. Initiative

Initiative is, effectively, the ability to take advantage of opportunities when they occur. It is all too easy to hesitate, and then the opportunity may be gone. However, the old sayings ‘look before you leap’ and ‘fools rush in where angels fear to tread’ have a lot of truth in them. It is also important to think things through and ensure that you are making the right decision for you.

Initiative can therefore be considered as a combination of courage and good risk management: Risk management is necessary to ensure that you identify the right opportunities to consider, and that they have the appropriate level of risk for you; and courage is necessary to overcome the fear of the unknown inherent in new opportunities.

4. Optimism or resilience

Optimism is the ability to look on the bright side, or think positively. Resilience is the ability to ‘bounce back’ after a setback, or keep positive in the face of challenges. The two are closely related, although not exactly the same.

Resilient people use their ability to think as a way to manage negative emotional responses to events. In other words, they use positive or rational thinking to examine, and if necessary, overcome reactions that they understand may not be entirely logical.?

Types of Motivators: Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivators

In thinking about self-motivation, it is helpful to understand what motivates you to do things.

There are two main types of motivators: ‘intrinsic’ and ‘extrinsic’.

In their simplest form you can think about these two types of motivation as:

Intrinsic: To perform an action or task based on the expected or perceived satisfaction of performing the action or task. Intrinsic motivators include having fun, being interested and personal challenge.

Extrinsic: To perform an action or task in order to attain some sort of external reward, including money, power and good marks or grades.

10 SELF-MOTIVATION TECHNIQUES FOR REACHING YOUR GOALS

1) TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR LIFE

Self-motivation is often difficult because it comes from you. If you don’t take care of the underlying issues that keep you from making progress, you can fall back on blaming others for your failure. In some cases, you can rely on external factors and friends for motivation, but at the end of the day, you’re the one who has to put in the work. You’re the one who must take charge of your life.

2) FIND YOUR WHY

Before you can learn how to self-motivate, you need to find your why. You need a compelling purpose that goes beyond material things or climbing the career ladder. Why do you want to build a business? It likely goes back to the ability to do what you want, when you want and with whom you want, which is the true definition of success. Connect your goals back to your purpose, and you’ll never lack self-motivation.

3) REEVALUATE YOUR GOALS

At any moment, the decision you make can change the course of your life forever. If you’re focused on your vision and purpose, but you’re still not feeling inspired, you may need to make a decision to go in a new direction. In other words, if your why isn’t motivating you, then you may need a new why. Reevaluate your blueprint for your life and don’t hesitate to create new goals. As long as you’re making progress, you’re ahead of everyone who isn’t making an effort.?

4) CREATE EMPOWERING BELIEFS

The only limitations in our lives are the ones we put on ourselves. If you don’t have enough self-motivation, it comes down to one reason: you don’t see yourself as a self-motivated person. Change your negative beliefs into positive ones by conditioning your mind and creating empowering beliefs. Catch yourself when you think negatively about yourself and transform that self-talk so that it motivates you instead of holding you back.

5) LEARN BETTER TIME MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES

Sometimes the key to self-motivation is having the necessary time-management tools and strategies under your belt. How are you managing your time? Find ways to stop procrastinating and start making progress.

6) CREATE A MASSIVE ACTION PLAN

Self-motivation techniques can be as straightforward as creating a massive action plan: writing down what it is you want, identifying your purpose behind it and creating a series of steps to help you reach your goal. Once you have your plan documented, you can refer to this for additional motivation when things get challenging along the way.

7) SCHEDULE AN OUTDOOR TIME

Even the most energized people will eventually get run down if they spend too much time in cramped spaces with artificial light. When learning how to self-motivate to reach your goals, don’t make the mistake of burning the midnight oil and staying confined to your office. Getting outside, spending time in nature, and tapping into beats and rhythms that boost your mood and energy levels is a perfect way to take a break and replenish your self-motivation.?

8) BANISH MULTITASKING

You may think that working on three projects at the same time is the best way to get things done and that your self-motivation will soar when you can simultaneously check multiple to-dos off your list. You’re wrong. Multi-tasking diminishes focus, and as Tony says, where focus goes, energy flows. Select the most important task you need to work on and concentrate solely on that until you’ve accomplished what you need to, then move on to the next one.

?9) GET MOVING

Self-motivation becomes much easier when you’re already in motion. It doesn’t matter whether you are figuring out how to self-motivate toward working out, tackling your tasks at work or preparing for that big presentation; the more you move, the more energy you will have.?

10) FOCUS ON GRATITUDE

It can be very difficult to learn how to self-motivate when you get caught up in negativity. Focus on gratitude and adopt an abundance mindset. Be thankful for all the good things in your life and steer your focus from all the things you wish you had. Stop comparing yourself to others and understand that life is happening for you, not to you. The more you look at everything good in your life, the more of it you will attract.

I’m always rooting for you!

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