Ask the Readers: How Do You Motivate Yourself? (& Book Giveaway)

Well what motivated me to post here was that looks like a really good book

On a more serious level (although I would still like the book), I think it depends on how you look at motivation. I don’t think that there are states called “being motivated” and “not being motivated” and a series of techniques can always flip you between the two. Somedays I just accept the fact that I am not very motivated and I am not going to get much done. Only if this lasts several days does this become a problem.

If I desperately need to motivate myself to do something, the following usually gets the job done:
a) Visualise the ultimate goal that I am aiming for
b) Walk the dog or some other light exercise
c) Use an egg-timer to do 30-minute bursts of activity followed by a reward

I think if you know you’re doing what you really like to be doing you will always find a reason to be motivated. If I have good ideas these ideas will give me the will to make them become reality. I don’t really have a certain trick to motivate myself though.

That seems like a nice book!

I have found that the best way for me to accomplish something is just to dive right in. If I think or plan too much, something usually will get in the way.
So, say I have a project around the house that needs to get done, I will assemble the materials I’ll need and hopefully put them all together so they can be easily found. Then on a day, hopefully not too long in the future, I’ll find myself with the time I need to accomplish the task and I’ll just dive in.
I’ve found that doing things this way cuts way down on any dread or anxiety associated with the task and I tend to enter into it with a clear mind and a much better attitude than if I had performed a long drawn out planning process and set a date and time.
I’m thinking this technique wouldn’t work for everybody but it works for me.
(Did I mention anywhere in there that I would really like a copy of the book?)

I have my own way to motivate myself. People love being awarded and I think about some goals I have to achieve and if I reach them totally I award myself with a small trip. I love traveling and this kind of award makes me more motivated as I know that if I accomplish my goals I’ll have something that I enjoy a lot in return.
Off course you can replace the “trip” for something else that can make you more motivated, it’s up to you to choose what is the best kind of award you can give yourself.
I can say It’s going to work for everybody but this is the way I’ve found to motivate myself.
Hope it works for you too.

Hey Peter! Thanks for the link love.

Oh yes. Smiling and laughing are great motivators for me. Stimulates our brain and contributes to having us be more creative to start new conversations, jokes, with various topics we can pick out from at any time!

Haha. That’s what keep me going for the day.

Daniel

I always find giving myself incentives motivates me.
eg Just do 5 minutes and then I can go outside, or just write a comment and you might win a cool book…

Peter,

Motivation is easy for me if the goal is a highly desirable one, and I enjoy performing the tasks that help support my goal.

My real problem is motivation for goals that I don’t have a personal interest in, or that involve tasks I dislike performing. It’s hard to nail down a specific technique because I probably use a combination of them.

One key is changing my thinking (fooling myself) so I do have a personal interest in the outcome. I also try to find ways to extract some kind of joy out of the mundane or difficult tasks. Also, I visualize the goal and try to make myself understand and truly believe that the long-term benefits of achieving the goal outweigh the short-term benefits of giving up — putting up with some discomfort and pain now, knowing that I will be credited with pleasure at a later date.

This one is opposite of visualizing the goal, but works for me too — I sometimes imagine the future memory of my possible failure, and don’t want to disappoint myself.

I’d love a copy of the book.
Thanks,
Frank

Thanks for the article. The book looks awesome.

I have been reading Pick the Brain for a while now and this is my first comment.

It’s easy enough to motivate myself to carry on with the way things are. Perhaps it’s the same for others – The motivators that make us get up, eat and to talk to other people throughout the day – I’ve found are largely just reactions to external stimuli that we have no control over – demands put on us by biological and social realities, but motivators of a kind nonetheless. We react to them and are motivated to action by them from fear of the alternative, of what happens if we don’t. It’s easy to respond to them because they’re immediate. We get ‘instant results’. The things we feel we need sufficient motivation for are most of the long term goals or dreams, things that are harder to judge certainty of success with because results can be a long time coming.

So the motivations that I have found are most useful to me when trying to crack on with pursuing my dream must be arguments to the contrary that come from within, because they’re the only motivations that can/could LAST the duration of time it might take for you to achieve or make real progress towards the desired end result. They can’t be external stimuli we react to in increments, as they are ephemeral and are always changing context and importance as time passes.

I am motivated by going AGAINST the part of my inner logic system that shouts and screams that I’m being unrealistic or silly, I have to convince myself that what I’m doing is what is right for me LONG TERM, no matter what the current circumstances.

Oh, and a quick set of pull-ups.

This is a really hard subject to tackle for me. I admit that I was one of those people who originally stumbled onto this site via a “motivation” keyword on Google.

One day, while I was extra-unmotivated I started thinking about what it feels like to be motivated. At the time, it was such a foreign idea to me, but I forced myself to work through it. What I discovered was that certain pieces of media tend to get my blood pumping, and get me going for the rest of the day.

For example, have you ever watched “The Last Dragon” (1985)? I challenge you to not feel motivated after seeing this cheesy, but heartening flick. The same goes for lots of other movies, too: Lord of the Rings, Star Wars IV-VI, Hackers, Antitrust, Pirates of Silicon Valley, Buckaroo Bonzai, and many more.

It’s not necessarily limited to movies. A good song or other piece of art can really get me going. I have Escher and DaVinci prints in my office for that very reason.

This seems like an unorthodox way to glean a very small amount of motivation, but it does keep me going. Also, sometimes it’s really good to unplug and ‘grok’ what you’ve learned for the day.

Wow!! That sounds like my kind of book! Being a mary kay beauty consultant, I am always surrounded by different motivating forces… whether it be tapes or speeches or training. I think a key to getting and staying motivated is to plug in to something positive every day and not listen to the constant negativity that usually surrounds us in our every day lives. When I am listening to positive tapes and music, everything seems brighter and I feel more energized to get things done. Also, if you take something huge and break it down into bite size pieces and just focus on a little bit at a time, it is easier to stay motivated than if you look at a huge overwhelming problem and try to face it all at once!

Hi,

two situations get me motivated only; one is simple: small work required for a great gain, like, say, writing a comment to get a free book .

The other situation is a great obstacle that requires long planning and thinking. Once the thinking is done, algorithms are devised and plans done, I tend to lose any motivation whatsoever. After all, I resolved the problem (in theory) – now only tedious work is left to be done and that is not interesting at all. The result is obvious – goals are not achieved.

Gee, I guess I really do need this book.

Self-directed goals are more tricky than they sound of course. It’s all very well when you’re working for someone setting goals for you but the hardest part is when there’s no-one dangling carrots, and you have to go off and find your own, especially when they are time-consuming and elusive.

I motivate myself in that context by remembering that only difficult is worth doing, and that given time, difficult problems can always be broken down into small and simple problems.

To motivate myself, I like to make a list of my short- and long-term goals. The simple act of writing it down and referring to the list regularly make each goal important enough in my mind to take action. Once I act and accomplish a goal, I can check it off the list.

In addition, I am motivated if a task feels more natural and convenient. So I like to workout as soon as I wake up because it is established as part of my morning routine and it is easier than finding time later in the day.

Thanks for the good work on PTB…

I find that motivation comes when I’m relaxed, rested, and inspired. Conversely, my motivation is stolen when I’m overwhelmed, tired, and burned out. When I feel I need to jumpstart my motivation, I try to get away usually outdoors to a pretty place in nature. I relax and read something that stirs my thinking. For me, this is usually a surefire prescription for stimulating my passion and getting me off high-center.

I greatly appreciate the link to my article on how to beat high gas prices with a stacation! Also, I wish everyone luck on winning the book.

A big motivating factor for me is to think about the privileges society has given me. I was born into an educated middle-class family. I was also born a white male. It is unfortunate that circumstances of birth such as these can impose serious obstacles or pathways to success in people’s lives, but in our current societies we can not deny these realities. Because of societal privileges, I have been given opportunities that billions of people around the world do not have access to, and I feel as if I must utilize these privileges while standing in solidarity and struggling to improve the lives of those who do not have them, those who are often overlooked. This is a huge motivating factor for me in working towards a positive, supportive, and just future.

To motivate myself, I usually trick myself into completing whatever task I’m putting off by deciding to complete “just” the first step.

For example, if I’m trying to motivate myself to go for a run, it can be daunting to try to think about the entire task. Even though it will only take 30 minutes, I come up with lists of other things I could be doing, etc. So instead, I simply decide that I will “just” put my running shoes and clothes on. Then I tell myself that I’m “just” going to go outside. By the time I’m outside, I’m now prepared and in the mood to run and it happens naturally.

This strategy usually helps with any procrastination. By giving yourself smaller objectives you have less excuses not to, and you will be more likely to get over the motivation hump.

Hi All

First of all, thanks for creating and maintaining this site. The site alone could be a response to what motivates me!

Seriously, my motivational tools differ depending on the situation. For getting myself through more mundane tasks, such as painting a wall, or walking a long distance, I try to trick myself into ‘competing’ against myself. As an example, I’ll time how long it takes to complete a section of the task, such as walking from one lamp-post to the next, then try to beat it the for the next section.

For emotional motivation, I use my past experiences and the experiences of others to try and remind myself that things aren’t actually as bad as they seem. As an example, 18 months ago, I was in a temporary job, which could have either turned into a permanent position, or be abolished. I loved that job, and had set my sights on getting the job full time. Unfortunately, I was let go. Although I was devastated, I reminded myself that I’d been out of work before, and got through it, and that at least I was made redundant at a time when the local job market was on the up. I also reminded myself of times of great personal loss, and how I got through to the other side of that, so in reality, this was no big deal.

I work on side projects occasionally, as part of my new job. Although I always start them with great enthusiasm, sometimes this early energy will wane. This for me is the most difficult type of lack of enthusiasm to deal with. However, a trick that I picked up was to leave the project for a day or two. The end result tends to be that I find the project playing on my mind, making me want to rush back to carry on. I resist the urge to do so, until the time that I have allocated to follow it up. By this point, I’m usually dieing to carry on, and my enthusiasm returns. A side effect of this practice is that the time I spend on the task becomes more focused, and milestones are reached quicker.

Thanks again for the site, and thanks to anyone who manages to read through that lot.

All the best

MLP

I consider myself a very self-motivated person, but of course I do have those days when I feel completely unmotivated due to certain circumstances. I often can find motivation in reading a good book or certain blogs. Usually when I feel a lack of motivation, I try to mentally motivate myself back to the level I feel strongest at… but it’s not always easy.

Just thinking about becoming motivated and reading strategies motivates me. Any time I find a way to make my life more efficient and easier, I become driven to find even more ways to optimize my life. Scoring a big win (or even a small one) definitely pushes me further.

TR Douglas: I have found that making lists helps me too! Especially when I can go back and check things off and show how far I have come and what I have accomplished. I have journals from years ago where I listed goals- daily, weekly, yearly, and I can now go back and see which ones I have done. Often I have found that in working to complete one goal I inadvertantly achieve some of the others that I have!

Thanks for this site! I enjoy it daily!

I believe the act of motivation is hyper-intentional and, therefore, often counter-productive.

If we want to motivate ourselves, we should intentionally try NOT to motivate ourselves. Life, just like nature, goes through seasonal changes and to force a movement in another direction is no different than wishing for Spring at the onset of Winter.

We should first embrace our de-motivation as an opportunity to reflect on what events or circumstances got us to this low place. If we focus on the low point as a problem and hyper-intentionally attempt to force a change, we may make matters worse.

We should give our low points a meaning, let the seasons of our life naturally progress, and be thankful for them and stop trying to question their purpose…

“Freedom from the desire for an answer is essential to the understanding of a problem.” ~ Jiddu Krishnamurti

“Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.” ~ Lau tzu

To stay motivated you should decide what you want and write it down with as much detail as possible. Visualize yourself achieving your goal. Set up a way to measure how much you’ve progressed toward achieving your goal. Join a community of people on or offline who are working toward achieving that same goal. Buy books or magazines related to your goal and read them. Set up your environment to keep you motivated (an uncluttered, comfortable environment that you consider to be beautiful will go a long way toward helping you accomplish your goals). Oh yeah, and when someone offers you the possibility of winning a free book, that helps too:-)

i stay motivated by looking at every day with new eyes and remembering how short our time here really is.
its easier to have a good day than to have a bad one, and more enjoyable knowing that you live with little regret or grudge.

I motivate myself towards a goal by completely immersing myself in it. Right now I’m working on losing weight and have lost 70 pounds out of the 110 I’m aiming for.

I visualize myself after I’ve reached the goal and try to really internalize the associated feelings. I read about an talk to others who have accomplished the same goal before me to not only learn from their experience, but to solidify the belief that what I’m after is achievable and has been done before. I found that if I wanted to become a fit person, then I would have to think and live like a fit person would and my body would eventually catch up as a side effect.

The most important thing I realized about motivation is that internal motivation is only half of the picture. You need a support network of people who will push you and motivate you when your internal motivation fails. No matter what, you will eventually fail and hit a stumbling block. It’s at that moment when having others to push you means the most, because they give you strength to continue where you couldn’t alone.

When I started off last June, I put up a blog (http://www.amanreborn.com) that chronicled everything I was doing to work towards my weight loss goals. I then sent an email out with the address to all of my friends and family and told them what I was setting out to accomplish. It was very hard for me to do so because I had always been a very shy and closed-off person, but that was another aspect of my life I wanted to change, so I pushed through the fear.

It was the best decision I ever made – my friends and family really have pushed me and believed in me. They always ask how I’m doing and they follow the blog. I went through some tough times and stopped updating for a bit and they were on me right away to get back into it. Even when they’re not directly pushing me, they still motivate me because I feel like I want to succeed for them as well. It’s brought me closer to a lot of people and really helped me open up a lot as well.

Immerse yourself in your goal and involve others and the motivation will follow. Once you get past that initial push there’s a snowball effect, so it gets a lot easier the longer you are at it.

Confucius said, “Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.” Truer words could not have been spoken! Achieving goals isn’t hard if you know what you want, why you want it, and have a solid plan to get there. Ultimately, we all have a desire for growth and this desire must be satisfied. Choose a vision for your life that is meaningful and work towards that vision everyday. And remember to take it one day at a time. Wake up every morning with the conscious intention to go out and “maximize” each moment that comes your way. It really doesn’t have to be any more complex than that.

When you feel unmotivated, change you physiology, i.e. you body posture and movement and that will change your psychology, i.e. your feeling.

It’s a daily struggle for me to motivate myself and actually get things accomplished that work towards my goal. The one problem is that you need a clearly defined goal in the first place. I find my goals change too often or that I have too many of them.

It’s funny, but I can conceptualize and verbalize what I need to do, but when the time comes to do it, I find and excuse or something of no importance takes my attention away. Focus and discipline are part of motivation and with all the distractions (like writing this for one). It takes a strong will and sacrifice to give up the instant gratification of goofing off for the eventual reward of working hard “now” instead.

I have a cork board that has clipping of pictures of my goals. Like the business I would love to eventually open, my dream home, & the PRS guitar that I’ve always wanted. Looking at those every day helps. I also try to imagine and visualize myself with those things, like they already happened. I read books and business magazines about other success stories that inspire me, and that gives me alittle kick in the butt. Most of all, I try to think of my families future happiness.

There is no trick. There is no easy answer. It’s a daily struggle to find that inner strength. Aristotle wrote, “we are what we repeatedly do, Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”

Good luck and make motivation not a random act, but a continual habit.

Some of the tricks I use to get motivated (or essentially, overcome procrastination) are:

-make a game of the task (works great for mundane tasks)
-incentive/reward (I can have that Scotch once the kitchen is cleaned; OK, maybe a bad example)
-visualize the end goal (being in shape, nailing the presentation)
-visualize the negative if I don’t do this (Tony Robbins approach).

But probably the best tool for me is to commit only 10-15 minutes to the task. Only a tiny amount of time, so little commitment, but usually once you get started, you get “into the zone” and caught up in the task and you continue.

Those 21 tips for motivation were very helpful. I’ve found that I only get motivated when I have a reason to. That reason usually comes from setting outrageous goals that REQUIRE motivation. But that’s just me.

Hi, I just found your blog and I am signing up to your feed. Great blog you have. What a very nice giveaway. I would love to be enter for this book giveaway. What motivates me is reading motivation books, movies and my fiance. Also writing down my goals and what I want in life.

Thank You, Have a wonderful weekend.

Motivation is something I’m struggling with right now, especially at work. I’ll be checking out some of your articles and tips.

I’ve discovered that I’m not motivated by external rewards – the promise of a new something-or-other or a pampering treat (massage, etc.)

I just wrote a post last night about tackling my work without whining and procrastinating; and today I jumped in and did what I had to do, and that pressure off my mind is the best motivator for me.

I’m hoping to make a habit of “just doing it” – getting my paid work done and out of the way so I can enjoy working on my personal projects without guilt.
Ann

I sit back for a moment and focus on all of the GOOD things people have said about my business, what we’re doing, and our methodologies. That drives me through the lows of when folks don’t seem to be subscribing to our services or reading my content. Then, magically…the phone tends to ring and goodness flows.

I’m beginning to really buy into the law of attraction. It doesn’t seem to fail me.

I hate to say it, but what generally motivates me is pain and suffering. I don’t want friends until I feel lonely. I don’t want food until I’m hungry. I don’t want a warm coat until I’m cold. I don’t think about a bigger house until I have no room in my current one. I don’t want to work until I have no money… I don’t read posts about motivation unless I lack motivation

I think we naturally seek balance and comfort, so we don’t make changes unless we sense an imbalance or discomfort.

Motivation is easy when you like what you do. Follow my simple principle Do more of what you want and less of what you don’t like

Doing more of what you like is easy. Here’s 8 Ways To Do Less Of What You Don’t Like

Hi,

My motivation comes from various sources depending on the task or goal in front of me.

Sometimes it’s good to change my environment (i.e., put on music or my iPod, go outside, go shopping LOL); sometimes breaking down and then writing down the steps I need to accomplish; sometimes just thinking the project through before I begin and then I’m not so overwhelmed by it.

I also have a bookshelf in my study with my fav books, some of which are self-help or positive thinking themes. When I’m stuck, I reach for a book to get me back on track. Just randomly opening it and reading a few pages is very inspiring on most days!

The most recent one I read and would like to recommend is The Woman’s Field Guide to Exceptional Lliving by Corrie Woods. For me it is the perfect blend of practical advice and deep wisdom. The quotes are lovely and the artwork really touches my heart. It has helped me focus on what I’m going to do with the rest of my life, now that we’re empty nesters. But I think women of all ages and in all walks of life would get something out of this book.

Thanks for the great post, and the chance to win a great book!

Cheers,
Linda

Peter,

I have a simple method to share with you for my motivation:

Visualization, Visualization, Visualization

Example:

Last year I had an intense desire to build a hotel with a restaurant. I did not know how I will accomplish my desire.
I drew a sketch of a hotel and a restaurant and started visualizing the drawing daily before going to bed and after waking up in the morning. It started creating a fire within few weeks of intense visualization.
I found a site and started negotiation for a lease purchase. I redesigned my sketch based on the land layout. Soon, I found three able partners to invest.
So, we signed up with a known brand and I revised my sketches again.
Just few months back, I’ve secured landing in excess of $6 million for the project. It’s an incredible journey which is still evolving.

I would not have accomplished this without an intense visualization.

Thanks

For me Acknowledge and recognition give me great motivation and which don’t happen often.

Other than that a long run or a good game of racquetball would keep me going.

At the same a nice inspirational song, Movie or reading an encouraging blog would also do.

Thanks.

Ways I motivate myself
1. Great uplifting music
2. A small movement and action can lead into a bigger action
3. Imagining the end goal

One song is all I need (e.g. I listened to it on repeat from 9am to 5pm straight to finish a school paper last semester). These are the lyrics that motivate me.

“The Gauntlet” by Eekwol
http://radio3.cbc.ca/bands/Eekwol/

Times get hard, go harder / Bruce Lee said be like water
keep your mind fluid / don’t try, do it
don’t just aim at the target, aim through it.

I’m ready for whatever come at / even under hectic conditions deep down I’m still happy / because I know circumstances will always test me.

And I can’t hide in a corner when life’s starting to stress me / gotta stay on my feet, stay on the job, be a soldier / momma told me what don’t kill me will make me stronger.

Never let the stress and the hatred devour you / gotta embrace it, face it, and make it enpower you.

No matter how rough life gets at times, remember, after even the darkest night the sun will still shine.

What motivates me is knowing myself. I have to know exactly how to strike when the iron is hot, and then I’m incredibly productive with very little effort. If the iron is not hot, I’m not hard on myself. I just follow the beat of my drummer and I end up as a happy, motivated person.

I don’t think there’s any way to force myself to become motivated. Motivation implies an interest and excitement in the project; I can’t fake that. So, I usually just wait until I’m interested in something, then dive in head first and see how far I can swim. For stuff that just needs to get done (boring projects, laundry), it’s not about motivation; it’s about habit.

How I motivate myself? Normally if I feel unmotivated I will start to surf Internet for any interesting articles. One day I manage to google PickTheBrain and from the day onward whenever I feel unmotivated I will visit it. Besides that I feel I can gain motivation by reading success peoples story.

If I’m lacking motivation, it’s usually because the benefits of my long-term goals have been temporarily overshadowed by mismanaged “creature comforts” – giving in to impatience, the need to mentally dissociate, boredom, frustration, etc. The key here is /temporarily/. Of course, we all KNOW this, but don’t feel it! (and the warm bed coaxing us to oversleep, or the big bag of M&M’s, is certainly easy to feel at all times.) So, what I do to get back on track is not focus on what I /shouldn’t/ or want to do, but just close my eyes and promise myself a few minutes visualizing my next morning. How will I feel upon waking and reflecting on how I lived the day before? – that is, today, NOW? This /always/ is effective because I want to be nourishing and nurturing to my future self. Try it! Once you open your eyes you don’t have any sort of signed and sealed commitment to do or not do anything, but I guarantee you’ll WANT to do good.

For me it depends on the task on which i have to motivate me.
If it’s cleaning the room, it’s enough to turn up the music but if i have to study a lot for school it’s a bit more difficult but then i say me, if i get a grade here i’ll be able to get a good job, not as my parents. And being better than some people i don’t like is always a great feeling so sometimes it’s simple.

(I’m sorry for my bad english.. i learn english only at school)

Motivation comes from within. It is deeply linked to what you’re passionate about. Without passion, motivation is dead.

We all came here to accomplish a specific mission and I believe we spend a lifetime trying to determine what that is and because we’re not often aware of what we’re here to do (from a spiritual point of view), we often don’t know what motivates us but it’s there.

Having said all that, I believe what motivates me is something that feels connected to my heart and soul. It’s making a difference.

I think if you’re doing what you love, you don’t need motivation. If you’re not doing what you love then why are you doing it?

Idealistic, I know, but we should be more like this.

There are 3 really stand out factors..

1. When I am procrastinating due to a lack of motivation I soon realise as a deadline approaches I suddenly get a zest for working. Hence goal setting isn’t that effective.

2. Working in a team enables me to start a task quicker and sustain it for longer. Maybe it’s something programmed in our brain from pre-historic times.

3. When I am doing a task for someone else it seems I have extra motivation. Or a task with mutual benefit.

In general, if its something i’m passionate about doing, the motivation is there and good to go.

Sounds like a very interesting book. I’ve blogged it @ A Bookblogger’s Diary

For me, it is all about setting the scene. For example, if I have to work on my tax returns, I prepare for the task by setting up the kitchen table with lots of stationery, note pads, lap top, calculator etc. Of course, the kids will have to be at school too. Another example, if I was preparing a menu for a special family lunch, I would first set the scene by dragging out all me recipe books and cooking magazines, and spread them on the table. I usually flip through them and keep the pages open on those gorgeous photos of beautiful food. In no time, I would have a great menu ready for the event . So my tip is : Set The Scene.

Listening to good music,inspirational videos/books,scenic art,getting in touch with nature, talking with a true friend, humour, love, giving of myself to those that need it, smiling at people(especially when you don’t want to) are a few of the things that motivate me on a regular basis.

I find myself very unmotivated right now… it feels like some sort of vicious circle. These ideas might help. Thanks.

Hi there!

Right now, my personal main challenge in terms of motivation is getting started on days which have no time structure set by external events. When I can spend all of the day’s time freely, my mind tends to wander and I often find myself spending the entire morning sitting in front of the computer surfing the net aimlessly, just to avoid starting the seemingly “unpleasant” task.

In order to maintain high levels of motivation on those days, I have devised four habits which really help me in getting my inner drive back on a daily basis.

1. While still lying in bed, repeat some nice affirmations.

One sentence does wonders for me, and it is this: “Today is the most important day in my life, because only today I can act.” When I repeat this a few times in my head, I already get the urge to stand up and do something.

2. Write down your goals – every day, first thing in the morning.

I had heard about the importance of thinking on paper for several years before I actually tried it myself. Immediately I was blown away by the intensity of it. Writing down my most important goals, long- and short-term, increased my feeling of “YES, I REALLY REALLY WANT THIS TO HAPPEN” tenfold, compared to merely thinking about them.

3. Good old NLP.

Whenever I notice myself actually being motivated, in a big or small way, I stop and pay attention to the qualities of that feeling. Where (in my body or mind) does it start? Is it a picture, a sound or a feeling in my body? After that, I make the pictures bigger and brighter, the sounds louder and clearer, or let the feelings cycle through my entire body. And lo and behold: the stronger I make this representation, the stronger the actual feeling of motivation becomes also.

4. Don’t start the computer for at least an hour after waking up.

This may seem trivial, and Peter has also already pointed this out in another post, but as an IT student (and geek), it’s quite natural for me to head towards the computer directly after standing up in the morning. By forcing myself not to use the computer before I have written out my goals in detail, I make sure to focus my thoughts first and to avoid wandering around aimlessly through the internet.

Hope this helps a bit

Motivation is challanging at times. I am self employed. I find my lack of effective time management skills affects my motivation at times. I found some ideas shared quite interesting though.

As a housewife and mother it is often hard to stay motivated, particularly to be busy at home. What I find helps is to always turn my eyes to Jesus. If I sing a hymn or some scripture songs it helps to refocus my attention away from myself, and gets me back on track, serving my family.

I read my favorite motivational blogs everyday to stay motivated!

One thing that I try to remind myself is that I don’t have to wait until I feel motivated to do something. Often when you just start going through “the motions” you get into whatever you are doing. This particularly helped me while I was in school. If I waited for when I felt like doing homework, it would never have happened. But I had a rule to work on it for at least 10 minutes. Once I started my timer and got to work, I would feel motivated and most of the time I would continue working WAY past the 10 minutes.

Motivation is sometimes as simple as taking that single step. I have significant avoidance issues, and the only way I’ve found to break the logjam is to start – start anywhere, no matter how small, but to do something. I find that this often gets the wheels rolling and I can make significant progress once I’m going.

I think everyone has something that motivates them. Whether it’s family, money, your job, etc, motivation can never hurt. I think a lot of motivation can always make you a lot of money

The powerlful motivators are

1. Enviousness – One must be careful with this. This gets the job done only if you use the energy to create better results than the person next to you. To be the best, you need to be envy to others who are still ahead. On the downside, this may harm you if you try to ruin the work of others instead of you “beating the competition”.

Easy to do in the morning: What / who I want to win today.

2. Mission – if you like something or someone enough to help without any reward in mind, you are most propably very motivated. You have a mission. Downside is that you really cannot make every task a personal mission.

Sometimes you just have to do it.

3. 5 minute rule – Sometimes you have to just “start doing it”. Make a 5 minute deal with yourself: “I’ll do this for five minutes and then take break”. Five minutes is so short time, anybody can do it. Only five minutes. It is not too bad. After 5 minutes you can move along or take break… or you find our yourself taking care of the whole task and don’t stop until 8 hours has passed.

This 5 minute rule also applies to those of you who would like to quit smoking. When you have desire for a smoke, wait for 5 minutes. Most propably your need for a smoke will fade away. Just wait for 5 minutes. It’s easy.

After writing my response to this post, I could not stop my thoughts of self-motivation so I decided to write them down in the form of a complete post on my blog.

The post is titled, “Self-Motivation & Other Hyper-Intentional Mistakes:” URL:
http://financialphilosopher.typepad.com/thefinancialphilosopher/2008/06/self-motivation-other-hyper-intentional-mistakes.html

I’m not necessarily making an extended effort to win the book but an effort to clarify my thoughts and to simply say “thank-you” for provoking thought, as always…

Cheers…

Kent (aka The Financial Philosopher)

Kent,

Your thoughts are always appreciated here on Pick The Brain. Great article – thanks for bringing my attention to it.

Meditation is one of the easiest techniques you can learn to refuel your body, mind and spirit. While many of us have heard of the benefits of meditation, few of us actually want to spend the time it takes to learn how to meditate. We often cling to stress, fear and anxiety because we think we need these things in order to function in this fast-paced world.