Whether you are not feeling motivated enough to continue exercising or start on a new project, a lack of motivation is often the largest barrier that prevents you from achieving your goals in life.
Motivation is the process that creates, commands and sustains goal-oriented behaviors, which is what causes you to act a certain way. It is the driving force behind our actions everyday.
Being able to control your motivation levels can help you take action, become more efficient and avoid unhealthy behaviors. This will in turn make you happier and more in control of your life!
You might encounter negative thinking traps like all-or-nothing thinking or perfectionist thinking. With the all-or-nothing mindset, you feel unmotivated when you can’t solve something immediately or achieve something all at once. It is important to remember that reaching your goals will take time.
With the perfectionist mindset, you struggle to begin tasks in fear of not being able to achieve a perfect result. You have to remember that we are not inherently perfect and that making mistakes can actually help us learn.
If you struggle with self-motivation, here are 4 psychological hacks to get motivated:
1. Force yourself to get started
Getting started on a task is often the hardest part. Whether it be in fear of rejection or uncertainty, getting yourself to take the first step is key! It can push you to continue on with the task rather than not making any progress at all.
Force yourself to start working on the task but allow yourself to quit it after 10 minutes if you want to. Oftentimes, we will end up getting too immersed in the task and will work on it for longer than the 10 minutes we set out to do so.
2. Break up the task
If a problem is too complicated, it is easier to just split them into smaller tasks! Not only does the problem seem more approachable to tackle, you can make more progress than not even starting at all!
3. Positive reinforcement
Create a small reward that you can enjoy after you have completed a task to help keep you motivated. Rewards can be anything from a small snack to a short break, or even an outing with friends! You can consider giving yourself small but regular rewards throughout or a large reward at the end of completing a task.
Another alternative to consider is allowing yourself to enjoy the reward while working on the task. You can reward yourself by listening to your favorite music or snacking while working on the task.
4. Visualize your success
Creating a mental visualization in your head of what you wish to achieve will help make that idea seem more available and concrete, which will help you to become more motivated. The more specific it is, the more realistic it will seem. You can also visualize the steps you need to achieve your goal, if it seems too big.
Information extracted:
https://nickwignall.com/stay-motivated/