How Do You Motivate Yourself?

“Whether you think you can or whether you think you can’t, you’re right.” – Henry Ford

Before you can accomplish anything, you’ve got to believe you can. And before you can believe in your ability, you have to develop a strong level of personal motivation.

The first step in motivating yourself is understanding what you want and why you want it. If this is less than clear, it will be difficult to maintain a high level of self-motivation. Goal setting is an important part of this process. It will help to provide direction and purpose. Once you set a goal, the next step is figuring out how you’re going to accomplish it.

Action planning is the bridge between goal-setting and accomplishment.  You need to create a plan that is aligned with your goals.

Get started… stop procrastinating. The thought of change can seem overwhelming, but taking that first step is necessary and gratifying.  The key to overcoming procrastination is to focus on the process rather than on the outcomes — shift your focus from the outcome to your immediate efforts.  Success will come once you have mastered the process of acting in the moment.  .

Long-term planning can help to make your goal more attainable. Quantum change doesn’t occur overnight, so “chunk down” your goal by setting incremental achievement points along the way — and then celebrate those small victories. Setting checkpoints along the way will also allow you to adjust your approach or strategy, if necessary.

Change usually involves changing your habits.  Initially, it takes a lot of motivation to make a change in your habits, but you can do it with discipline.  Although it’s easier said than done, you need to replace your bad habits with better habits.

Improve your self-esteem by taking responsibility for your actions, developing your strengths, and eliminating negative influences.

Build self-confidence by facing your fears, recalling past successes, building upon small successes, and creating a supportive environment.  Reinforce positive behavior and goal-attainment, and keep the momentum going.

Get STRONGER, Get FASTER!

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