How To Motivate Yourself – Self Motivation

 

Staying motivated is a struggle — our drive is constantly assaulted by negative thoughts and anxiety about the future. Everyone faces doubt and depression. What separates the highly successful is the ability to keep moving forward.

There is no simple solution for a lack of motivation. Even after beating it, the problem reappears at the first sign of failure. The key is understanding your thoughts and how they drive your emotions. By learning how to nurture motivating thoughts, neutralize negative ones, and focus on the task at hand, you can pull yourself out of a slump before it gains momentum.

Reasons We Lose Motivation

There are 3 primary reasons we lose motivation.

  1. Lack of confidence – If you don’t believe you can succeed, what’s the point in trying?
  2. Lack of focus – If you don’t know what you want, do you really want anything?
  3. Lack of direction – If you don’t know what to do, how can you be motivated to do it?

How to Boost Confidence

The first motivation killer is a lack of confidence. When this happens to me, it’s usually because I’m focusing entirely on what I want and neglecting what I already have. When you only think about what you want, your mind creates explanations for why you aren’t getting it. This creates negative thoughts. Past failures, bad breaks, and personal weaknesses dominate your mind. You become jealous of your competitors and start making excuses for why you can’t succeed. In this state, you tend to make a bad impression, assume the worst about others, and lose self confidence.

The way to get out of this thought pattern is to focus on gratitude. Set aside time to focus on everything positive in your life. Make a mental list of your strengths, past successes, and current advantages. We tend to take our strengths for granted and dwell on our failures. By making an effort to feel grateful, you’ll realize how competent and successful you already are. This will rejuvenate your confidence and get you motivated to build on your current success.

It might sound strange that repeating things you already know can improve your mindset, but it’s amazingly effective. The mind distorts reality to confirm what it wants to believe. The more negatively you think, the more examples your mind will discover to confirm that belief. When you truly believe that you deserve success, your mind will generate ways to achieve it. The best way to bring success to yourself is to genuinely desire to create value for the rest of the world.

Developing Tangible Focus

The second motivation killer is a lack of focus. How often do you focus on what you don’t want, rather than on a concrete goal? We normally think in terms of fear. I’m afraid of being poor. I’m afraid no one will respect me. I’m afraid of being alone. The problem with this type of thinking is that fear alone isn’t actionable. Instead of doing something about our fear, it feeds on itself and drains our motivation.

If you’re caught up in fear based thinking, the first step is focusing that energy on a well defined goal. By defining a goal, you automatically define a set of actions. If you have a fear of poverty, create a plan to increase your income. It could be going back to school, obtaining a higher paying job, or developing a profitable website. The key is moving from an intangible desire to concrete, measurable steps.

By focusing your mind on a positive goal instead of an ambiguous fear, you put your brain to work. It instantly begins devising a plan for success. Instead of worrying about the future you start to do something about it. This is the first step in motivating yourself to take action. When know what you want, you become motivated to take action.

Developing Direction

The final piece in the motivational puzzle is direction. If focus means having an ultimate goal, direction is having a day-to-day strategy to achieve it. A lack of direction kills motivation because without an obvious next action we succumb to procrastination. An example of this is a person who wants to have a popular blog, but who spends more time reading posts about blogging than actually writing articles.

The key to finding direction is identifying the activities that lead to success. For every goal, there are activities that pay off and those that don’t. Make a list of all your activities and arrange them based on results. Then make a make an action plan that focuses on the activities that lead to big returns. To continue the example from above, a blogger’s list would look something like this:

  1. Write content
  2. Research relevant topics
  3. Network with other bloggers
  4. Optimize design and ad placements
  5. Answer comments and email
  6. Read other blogs

Keeping track of your most important tasks will direct your energy towards success. Without a constant reminder, it’s easy to waste entire days on filler activities like reading RSS feeds, email, and random web surfing.

When my motivation starts to wane, I regain direction by creating a plan that contains two positive actions. The first one should be a small task you’ve been meaning to do, while the second should be a long-term goal. I immediately do the smaller task. This creates positive momentum. After that I take the first step towards achieving the long-term goal. Doing this periodically is great for getting out of a slump, creating positive reinforcement, and getting long-term plans moving.

It’s inevitable that you’ll encounter periods of low energy, bad luck, and even the occasional failure. If you don’t discipline your mind, these minor speed bumps can turn into mental monsters. By being on guard against the top 3 motivation killers you can preserve your motivation and propel yourself to success.

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154 Comments

  1. DweezelJazz on 19.07.2007 at 08:23 (Reply)

    Thank you for the brilliant article. It was very timely and helps tremendously. Cheers

    1. raji on 10.10.2008 at 03:31 (Reply)

      i agree with you…
      nice article..

  2. ZHereford on 19.07.2007 at 09:12 (Reply)

    This is definitely a timely article John!
    I need a serious kick in the pants. You’re right about how easy it is to get distracted and the need for focus. Thanks.

  3. Armand on 19.07.2007 at 13:55 (Reply)

    Right on time. I am just crossing a low-motivation period and your article is really helpful!

    Congratulations, you did it again!

  4. John Wesley on 19.07.2007 at 14:19 (Reply)

    Thanks all! I’m glad you found the article useful.

    1. juma on 21.04.2008 at 11:23 (Reply)

      i have just gone through your article and its timing is superb.i have been undergoings low moments this past few days and what you are saying is exactly what i was going through.
      i had literally forgotten how gifted and blessed i was in my bid to secure my future.since all ma friends had gotten jobs i was constantly doubting my self since things had not been smooth sailing om my part.
      otherwise thanks for the article it has really rejuvinated my spirits.

    2. R S on 02.12.2008 at 01:26 (Reply)

      That was a really good article.
      Thanks for such reasonable and clear reflection on this topic. It should definitely help lots of people who need to boost up their self-confidence. And I am sure it will help me as well =)

  5. Shine on 20.07.2007 at 06:14 (Reply)

    Hi John,

    Great article. Thank you for analysing the problem and providing the solutions in such a systemetic manner. Clear and precise, as always.

    Wanna also thank you for this is timely for me – and found that all other commenters said that same thing – it’s really common to lose drive from time to time…

  6. Gray on 20.07.2007 at 15:35 (Reply)

    I recently wrote about this as well and found your post to be an enjoyable read today! There is no such thing as too much motivation :-)

  7. lifelessons on 21.07.2007 at 19:57 (Reply)

    HEy Johnny,

    Thanks for this superb post. It was presented powerfully. It is so easy to
    lose focus and motivation as well.

    I think fear has being killing a lot of people for so long and they are just
    incapacitated by it. I was able to destroy fear in my life when I discovered
    a maxim some years back. I hope it will be helpful to someone reading this:

    “Whosoever has conquered fear, has conquered failure.”

    When I discovered this, I decided to conquer my fear so that failure
    will have no place in my life. It is a perfect concept so many of us should
    adopt.

    God bless you John for bringing this up.

    Adebola

  8. [...] to Motivate [...]

  9. Patrick on 23.07.2007 at 00:24 (Reply)

    Very inspiring article. I like your blog!

    1. raji on 10.10.2008 at 03:34 (Reply)

      patrick,i need your help..
      what do you think about my blog.
      Thnks b 4..

  10. Nate Just on 23.07.2007 at 13:19 (Reply)

    I particularly found the “finding focus” and “developing direction” parts helpful. It’s really hard getting motivated, when you’re not sure what the goal is. Also, once the goal is clearly defined, developing clearly defining the steps necessary to get you there is crucial. Basically, it’s having a clear picture of what you want, and a step by step plan to get you there.

  11. Pamela on 23.07.2007 at 20:47 (Reply)

    It’s true about confidence issues. We need to prepare our mind and bodies for real thing first before we make the changes. Lack of confidence is a problem that can truly stop us from being motivated.

  12. [...] Wesley presents How To Motivate Yourself posted at Pick the [...]

  13. 100 Tips for Better Life « printf on 31.07.2007 at 03:41

    [...] Motivate Yourself. This post will teach you to recognize the primary motivation killers and how to beat them. [...]

  14. [...] Wesley presents How To Motivate Yourself posted at Pick the [...]

  15. [...] Motivate Yourself. This post will teach you to recognize the primary motivation killers and how to beat them. [...]

  16. I am doing all 6 things under Developing Direction. Thanks, it is good to know that as a new blogger, I am doing things right.

  17. [...] HOW TO MOTIVATE YOURSELF by John Wesley [...]

  18. [...] to John Wesley’s article, How to Motivate Yourself, it is a struggle for people to remain motivated. I believe that struggle has a lot to do with the [...]

  19. [...] [How To Motivate Yourself] from Pick the Brain [...]

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  21. [...] Motivate Yourself. This post will teach you to recognize the primary motivation killers and how to beat them. [...]

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  23. Nick Yunis on 29.08.2007 at 16:33 (Reply)

    Absolutely fantastic. Great work, John. Keep it up!
    -Nick

  24. prashant gajare on 03.09.2007 at 08:55 (Reply)

    grate simply grate work to motivate people. just keep it up man

  25. Balaji Shinde on 05.09.2007 at 06:05 (Reply)

    This article is very important to get motivated and to motivate others for betterment in every field.

  26. [...] still be a powerful self improvement tool. The web is an amazing medium, and a blog will help you build motivation while also serving as a container of [...]

  27. GAUTAM PAUL on 20.09.2007 at 10:34 (Reply)

    I am a very pesimestic kind of a person….i dont know know how to motivate myself….article is very good

  28. [...] – 16 Ways to Get Motivated When You’re in a Slump pickthebrain.com – How To Motivate Yourself – Self Motivation stevepavlina.com – 33 Rules to Boost Your [...]

  29. Natasha on 12.10.2007 at 10:39 (Reply)

    Wow, I’ve been going through a major slump… was suppose to have my site up months ago and have been lacking the drive to complete the project. Then today I find this article and am so grateful you wrote it. Thanks so much, very motivating. ;)

    ~Natasha

  30. Michael Vroegop on 24.10.2007 at 20:56 (Reply)

    You have some awesome articles, I like the signal-to-noise ratio here.

    I’ll be stopping back by when I get demotivated.

  31. John Wesley on 24.10.2007 at 22:30 (Reply)

    Thanks, Michael!

  32. [...] Developing Self Motivation [...]

  33. Jerry on 30.10.2007 at 21:56 (Reply)

    Hi John,

    now i’m in the low motivation period, feeling boring with job and life. I’m happy when i searched self motivation website, I found yours. That’s absolutely correct about Lack of Focus.

    I have many good idea on my mind, but it seems i have no power\strenght to complete them. One of the reasons is lack of focus.

    Thanks,
    Jerry

  34. [...] There is no simple solution for a lack of motivation. Even after beating it, the problem reappears at the first sign of failure. The key is understanding your thoughts and how they drive your emotions. By learning how to nurture motivating thoughts, neutralize negative ones, and focus on the task at hand, you can pull yourself out of a slump before it gains momentum.  Read on … [...]

  35. Mike Pedersen Golf on 11.11.2007 at 12:05 (Reply)

    I think the critical factor is ACTION! Not delaying. Doing something right now that creates momentum. It’s like putting on your exercise shoes right now to do some exercise. Once the shoes are on, it’s easy to get going.

  36. Nico on 21.11.2007 at 12:27 (Reply)

    Great post!
    http://www.thesecretsofsuccess.info

  37. peter DeLaRosa on 09.12.2007 at 11:24 (Reply)

    I woke up this morning and was a little, no a lot, of discouragement was in my head.
    And God sent me to this and now I’m ready to focus on the act of doing something instead of reacting and not doing anything.
    Thank you again,
    Peter D

  38. Pavel on 19.12.2007 at 06:28 (Reply)

    Thank you for this insight, John. I was thinking a lot on these demotivation factors, and from my experience there is one more: lack of energy. I don’t know if this resonates with you.

  39. Jim on 30.12.2007 at 04:17 (Reply)

    inspiring

  40. tracy ho on 03.01.2008 at 02:59 (Reply)

    Thanks , great motivation tips,

    To your advance success,

    Happy New Year,

    Tracy Ho
    wisdomgettingloaded

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  43. Methe Shivaji on 25.01.2008 at 06:39 (Reply)

    Thanks for this superb post. It was presented powerfully. It is so easy to
    lose focus and motivation as well.

    I think fear has being killing a lot of people for so long and they are just
    incapacitated by it. I was able to destroy fear in my life when I discovered
    a maxim some years back. I hope it will be helpful to someone reading this:

    “Whosoever has conquered fear, has conquered failure.”

    When I discovered this, I decided to conquer my fear so that failure
    will have no place in my life. It is a perfect concept so many of us should
    adopt.

    so it is the of motivation in our life.

    1. John Wesley on 25.01.2008 at 14:04 (Reply)

      I agree with that maxim, thanks for sharing it. In many ways, failure only occurs through fear. Once we get past fear, failures become learning experiences.

  44. Anwer on 05.02.2008 at 11:32 (Reply)

    thanks a good tip for my motivation , i have a fear about my confidence & other think

  45. [...] the textbook definition may be true, it certainly isn’t very, lets say, motivating. Motivation is the act of creating passion and passion is the fuel for great teams. Great teams feed on passion [...]

  46. Vitaliy on 08.02.2008 at 02:12 (Reply)

    Great article, just what I was looking for.
    Great tips that I think need to be reminded to us more often.

    Vitaliy

    ps.,if anyone wants free hosting for a blog or something, I’m giving it away.
    My new free web site

  47. [...] How to Motivate Yourself [...]

  48. Megan on 20.02.2008 at 20:18 (Reply)

    Thanks, hope you don’t mind if I link this article to my site. I think it is well written. :)

  49. dereck smith jones on 21.02.2008 at 15:36 (Reply)

    That was a great article, and speek sence becasue i am from the uk

  50. ponorist on 05.03.2008 at 09:17 (Reply)

    Hello – I’m from the UK too and I’ve just read through some of your “highlighted” best read posts.

    The concept of “self improvement” is a truly admirable aim, and I applaud all your effort here, but it can be agonizingly unhelpful for a person with low self-esteem and/or depressive tendencies.

    It’s a bit like someone with no legs hearing about another person with no legs “pulling themselves together” and climbing a mountain unaided. The first guy can actually feel even more incompetent, after hearing how “well” this similarly effected other guy has “conquered all” by sheer will power and well placed self-help strategies.

    Don’t misunderstand me,I like your blog – it’s packed full with positive ideas and extremely well thought out.

    I agree that we can all do some things to help ourselves but it is a myth that we can all be successful, rich and happy through self-effort and by definition: if we can’t all do this we deserve what’s coming to us.

    Hope you will take this in the spirit in which it was written.. I.e. just putting a slightly different angle on things.

    Thanks for giving me the space here to have my say :)

  51. Hi John,
    This insight on motivation is wonderful. While reading through it I was able to apply these traits to achieving success in many aspects of life and business.

    There is another way to be motivated that is a favorite of mine: PASSION.

    The gut-wrenching, burning passion that drives you to succeed in whatever it is you have that passion for. The thoughts that you will do whatever it takes to be successful at your job, lose the weight, or make money online.

    Really gets you going huh?

  52. yusaf on 03.04.2008 at 12:24 (Reply)

    thanks i’ll give it a go

  53. garry on 07.04.2008 at 20:08 (Reply)

    I find trying to stay focussed and motivated on what I’m trying to achieve can be a struggle at times, I waste too much time when I lose track of what I’m meant to be doing. This great article will help me with my motivation

  54. ivy on 04.05.2008 at 21:10 (Reply)

    hi john,
    thanks a lot. very helpful in my situation right now. in every failure, there is always a room for improvement and nothing can hinder us from what we truly wants. =p

  55. Kate on 14.05.2008 at 22:15 (Reply)

    I enjoyed this! thank you.

  56. ashok on 24.05.2008 at 02:34 (Reply)

    hi john,
    thanks a lot. very helpful in my situation right now. in every failure, there is always a room for improvement and nothing can hinder us from what we truly wants.—ashok

  57. ashok on 24.05.2008 at 02:35 (Reply)

    hi john,
    thanks a lot. very helpful in my situation right now. in every failure, there is always a room for improvement and nothing can hinder us from what we truly wants

  58. Phoebe on 26.05.2008 at 05:41 (Reply)

    Excellent Article. Clearly written and straightforward! I enjoyed it and will apply it in my life! Thanks very much.

  59. Shan on 26.05.2008 at 06:39 (Reply)

    Hi, I like your article so much! It’s very inspiring and you really got the highest point.

    Blessed be

    1. madhur on 13.06.2008 at 04:57 (Reply)

      very good

  60. [...] How To Motivate Yourself – Self Motivation [...]

  61. Dysprosium on 15.06.2008 at 21:43 (Reply)

    I just googled ‘motivate yourself’ and this was the first hit. Rightly so, I would say. ;)

    My problem was knowing all these things and indeed having taken the knowledge for granted. It’s just great when someone else tells you what you stashed away deep in your brain. Thanks for giving a short and concrete guide to fall back on. You’ve got great teaching potential, so keep it up.

    Cheers,
    Dysprosium

  62. Rohan on 19.06.2008 at 02:50 (Reply)

    It was an Awwsome article! Came at the right time when I needed. Thanks a million!

  63. shri on 20.06.2008 at 13:24 (Reply)

    REAL GOOD ONE.

  64. Valery on 22.06.2008 at 12:15 (Reply)

    Wow! That is really great post! You are so right! These tips are must -read when you are lack of motivation! Thank you! I’ve added a link to your post to my self motivation article. I think such information should be shared!
    Valery

  65. Amit on 24.06.2008 at 17:17 (Reply)

    thank you for this gr8 artical

  66. sean on 28.06.2008 at 23:53 (Reply)

    I don’t want to die on the Salmon ramp. Thanks.

  67. marshall on 01.07.2008 at 04:53 (Reply)

    i was tunning in the tunnel of confussion ,but after reading your tips ,defnately i will slam the rock

  68. marshall on 01.07.2008 at 04:56 (Reply)

    really interesting ,promise to visit you everyday

  69. Anthony on 02.07.2008 at 01:14 (Reply)

    Thank you blog writer, you did something that doesn’t happen often.

    You got me off my lazy behind! Well, actually the work I procrastinate on involves sitting down anyways..

    I all of a sudden hit another slump while doing another one of my animation related goals-the thing about writing two positive tasks is genius, for the first time in a YEAR I actually did a full painting! Thank you!

  70. Jingles on 11.07.2008 at 01:45 (Reply)

    Thank you heaps for taking the time to write this John was an extreme help enjoy the rest of ya day,
    Cheers,
    Graeme Ingle

  71. [...] found this reasons in a website called Pick the Brain, that have an interesting article about how to motivate [...]

  72. Abishek on 17.07.2008 at 08:50 (Reply)

    thanx for tha article . it helped in rechannelising my goals and helped me move forward

  73. Andy on 18.07.2008 at 14:03 (Reply)

    I like this article very much because it shows one how to increase and fill their motivational capacity and help to keep it that way! An inspiring, systematic way of looking at things, I love it!

  74. Islam on 26.07.2008 at 23:02 (Reply)

    I really like this article, it a very good reminder,
    Thanks for posting!!!
    May Allah give rewards and blessing =]

  75. nandini r yogeesh on 01.08.2008 at 05:24 (Reply)

    right time .i came across this wonderful ,diagnostic ways of giving back the positive effects to those who have lost hopes . Read this article you leap up in confidence!

  76. Susan Gruner on 01.08.2008 at 13:47 (Reply)

    Wow!!!! You are gifted in putting your thoughts and emotions into words. And then, explaining how so many of us see and feel what is going on inside of ourselves. You are a great blessing of encouragement and light. What takes so many self help writers to explain in copious pages, you pinpointed in a very few paragraphs. I am starting a new business. I now see the face of my discouragement and I am back up and sluggin’.

    Thank you.
    Thank you.
    Thank you.

  77. Wormy on 02.08.2008 at 02:23 (Reply)

    Very good article indeed, I’ve been in a bit of a progression slump lately, and since reading it, I’ve decided to refine my goals into a more progressive, less overwhelming process.

    Thanks again.

  78. [...] teachers become the students and can use a little motivation themselves. Here are some ideas on boosting your own learning [...]

  79. Peter on 11.08.2008 at 02:13 (Reply)

    Thank you John. You slapped me in the face with your three points and I will start implementing them right now.

  80. ? on 14.08.2008 at 16:34 (Reply)

    Hi,
    laking in self-motivation, i know i need to focus on a goal and how can i find goal?
    From,
    No specific sense of direction,jus goin with the flow.

  81. dawn on 15.08.2008 at 05:27 (Reply)

    thank you.:-)

  82. Gaurav Chandra on 17.08.2008 at 16:10 (Reply)

    thanks,
    your article is really good.
    it will help me for focus and direction

  83. [...] How To Motivate Yourself (this is an old article, but a good one) [...]

  84. angel on 29.08.2008 at 04:35 (Reply)

    A person gets demotivated when he has lack of confidence.A person should never get demotivated by failures .

  85. Carnivall on 03.09.2008 at 13:08 (Reply)

    I found your article extremely helpful, i’m currently
    feeling highly unconfident and insecure with myself and have no motivation to do anything about it, but i think
    this might give me the boost to succeed and give me the kick up the arse i needed. cheers, much appretiated!!

  86. Eugene on 17.09.2008 at 23:51 (Reply)

    Thanks you for changing my life.
    God Bless you and what ever you’re doing. Thanks

  87. msshine on 18.09.2008 at 04:21 (Reply)

    Hi sir/ madam.
    i would like to appreciate the great job you do to the people. Thanks for your motivation in my life

  88. Anil Kumar on 20.09.2008 at 07:28 (Reply)

    Hi
    This is anil’
    I wud like to tell you that i have done hotel mgmt,initially i was working with hotel and i switched over to BPO sector bcoz i was offered a good amt of salary.Now the problem is i m finding it difficult as my Boss is very short tempered and even he abuses sometimes also, moreover this sector is totally new to me
    my Boss should understand that i might take some time to know the processes and systems.
    I m very tensed now a days due to this as i dont want to lose this job,I have a family to take care of.
    Under pressure & no support,No body can perform

    Plz give some suggesions

    Rgds
    Anil

  89. Manuel on 27.09.2008 at 20:52 (Reply)

    I found this article very interesting and motivating. People should take a time everyday to motivate themselves, and that way enjoy life despite all the things that are constantly happening in this world. Read my extract of this article at TuBarca.com

  90. Heargorgo on 09.10.2008 at 07:30 (Reply)

    Ssangyong- the company who’s trying to come up with a lot of
    new modelsin the next few years to get a bigger slice of the market share, partnered with Shanghai
    Automotive Industries Group and showcased their newest compact SUV, dubbed C200, at the Paris
    Motor Show a few days ago. The design was done by Giugiaro because his ItalDesign styling house is in charge with the looks of the new models to be built.

  91. steven on 10.10.2008 at 06:21 (Reply)

    Thanks for your article. It is really useful. My thoughts have change and I believe I will success. Thanks again.:)

  92. Juntie on 28.10.2008 at 15:43 (Reply)

    Wow!!! your article really useful to student like me..to maintain focusing in study is hard and when i read your article, i realize what i should do next…Thank you… ^_^

  93. Boat on 29.10.2008 at 05:03 (Reply)

    Thank you. This article is very helpful for me.

  94. deepika on 01.11.2008 at 07:03 (Reply)

    I personally believe that there are two forces which motivate us or cause us to act. Inspiration or desperation. Always act out of inspiration and you will experience more joy in your day to day living.here i found some interesting quotes on motivation.co.in

  95. Chany on 03.11.2008 at 00:04 (Reply)

    I read your article. I think that you are right about the 3 reasons why we loose motivation. But there are more than those mentionned.While reading it, I was expecting to find a solution for myself. All i did, it just agreeing with your article without finding something for myself.

  96. farouk on 09.11.2008 at 06:45 (Reply)

    i liked the fact that repeating what i already know will convince my mind with it :)

    1. emmauel on 15.11.2008 at 09:55 (Reply)

      what a timely piece 4 me,what could be better than reading a piece which concides with my motivational talk topic in my local church,’building ur confidence’

  97. Valeria | TimelessLessons on 10.11.2008 at 05:05 (Reply)

    I’ve been in a bit of a progression slump lately, and since reading it, I’ve decided to refine my goals into a more progressive, less overwhelming process.

  98. neo on 10.11.2008 at 14:12 (Reply)

    hi
    i lost my jod a few months back started lossing every thing i had accurred in my life the was a point were i even felt suicidal but i could bring my self to it now i am tryin to get out of this slump i am goin through bt redefinding my goals
    thanks neo

  99. arv on 18.11.2008 at 09:56 (Reply)

    Thanks a million for this article!!!

    And Thank God google displayed your site, when I searched for” self -motivation”, when I was at loss of it…..hving trouble at my project….

  100. sher on 19.11.2008 at 01:44 (Reply)

    I was feeling less efficiency myself.This gave me very good answer and I hope it will direct me to recover back my enthusiasm.

    Thank you very much

  101. Sachin on 15.12.2008 at 21:44 (Reply)

    THanks a lot, I have exams ahead. In last exam i failed. It was first time i failed in any acadamies.

    Hope this article will help me.

    Thank you very much

  102. Venky on 16.12.2008 at 14:56 (Reply)

    Excellent article, I failed in 14 job appointments, out of which 3 were very close. I was just trying to boost my confidence by some article. I found ur article through google, it is infact a very motivating one. I dont know whether I got motivated or not. But I certainly say that my thinking will change after this moment.

    Thank you narayana(the name I call everyone)
    Regards
    Venky.

  103. mostafa on 19.12.2008 at 08:58 (Reply)

    hello i saw your site at first appointment in 15 dec 2008
    in our daily magazine now i think that im a diffrenet persson you change my opinion i really see my diffrenent in my life if you want to connecting with me and you want i speak about something that i saw in my life during this short time please gmail to me thanks i really thanks to you about your site i siad your address to all my friend
    i hope to send me gmail

  104. Relax on 23.12.2008 at 16:41 (Reply)

    I would like to share a few of my motivational tips

    1. find real life inspiration — the things can be done by real life person

    2. find a good mentor or leader or create one yourself

    3. Reward – people respond to incentive

    4. Punishment – people respond to negative incentive

    5. competition

    6. Deadline — forces people to act

    7. momentum — like a hand to push u

    8. Success — brings more success

    9. positive revenge… yeah, this is strong!!

    enjoy! :)

  105. [...] income. It could be going back to school, obtaining a higher paying job, or developing a profitable website. The key is moving from an intangible desire to concrete, measurable [...]

  106. Chinmoy on 11.01.2009 at 02:20 (Reply)

    Buddy !!!
    It’s just outstanding article. Thank you very much.
    God Bless !!! Cheers :)

  107. maryerline on 13.01.2009 at 00:41 (Reply)

    Thank you for writing this wonderful blog! It’s great to know others are going through this too…Have been super demotivated for quite some time now but with these tips I know I can start on the road to achieving my goals!

  108. [...] The one that resonated with me the best was this one by John Wesley on his blog at http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/how-to-motivate-yourself/ [...]

  109. [...] Pick The Brain – How To Motivate Yourself – Self Motivation – interesting post on why we lose motivation and how to get it back through confidence and focus [...]

  110. Phil on 24.01.2009 at 01:20 (Reply)

    Thank you for this John,

    Absolutely excellent article. Time to go save myself.

    Cheers,

    Phil

  111. Obedient on 29.01.2009 at 07:37 (Reply)

    God Bless You, Your article is absolutely needed for me on this day. I have been in a stagnant mode for about two weeks. I felt like I was not motivated and did not have a clue on what I needed to do next. I truly know that I need to stay focused on the things of God and seek Him first. Continue doing what you are doing because it is so wonderful to see so many people being blessed by you.

    Blessings,

    Obedient

  112. William on 01.02.2009 at 23:20 (Reply)

    Great article! Unfortunately, these are tough times and people need all of the motivation that they can get. If any of you guys are interested in more inspiring articles and quotes, do yourself a favor and visit Joan Marie Whelan’s BLOG.

  113. Bianca on 04.02.2009 at 14:09 (Reply)

    I’m having some serious motivation isssues. I’ve recently married the most wonderful man, who is giving, outgoing, willing do what it take to better himself and our future. He’s positive about life and that it has to offer. He has the struggles I don’t have, he’s illegal in this country working as a janetor, paying for school to be one day become and Architect, and he does it with such devotion and love. His obstacles are much greater than mine.

    I on the other hand, am a US Citizen, 25, no college education, not motivated, I don’t know what I want, I hate my job. I’m afraid to go back to school. I’m a mess. I don’t know were to start. I feel like I’m the only one who feels this way. I graduated high school in 2001. What have I done since then? I’m so depressed.

  114. [...] online, feeling demotivated and searching, you guessed it, about motivation or demotivation. This ‘pick the brain’ site says there are three reasons why people are [...]

  115. Rahul on 15.02.2009 at 05:02 (Reply)

    Hi…!!
    Excellent Article…!!
    I gained motivation from your article…!!
    Thank you and keep writing the articles…!!

  116. raj on 04.03.2009 at 03:56 (Reply)

    it is a good article. It analyses the problem of having motivation all the time. It keeps one on guard as to how to keep away the motivation killers and helps one get going. A great job done
    raj

  117. tia on 14.03.2009 at 00:10 (Reply)

    thanks4 the articles,it does help me_whalah!!

  118. Sai on 15.03.2009 at 13:32 (Reply)

    thanks, an excellent guide

  119. nathen on 24.03.2009 at 19:56 (Reply)

    Great article on how to motivate. It is very easy to get distracted. I read a good article in addition to this one about motivating at http://www.freemoneylessons.com/2008/10/how-to-fire-up-an-individual-or-team/

  120. Tony Rowe on 01.04.2009 at 22:29 (Reply)

    Thank you so much for this! I’m a young adult working from home. I’m only 19. My town is full of people hooked on crystal meth and there are no good jobs. I struggle because it is hard to work from home for me because of the lack of interaction with people. I want to find somewhere to work outside of the home with this same job but I have to be in a quiet area. It is just frustrating with the lack of other jobs. Once again thanks for you article!

  121. Bonne Vie » Are you motivated? on 03.04.2009 at 13:15

    [...] From PickTheBrain: How to Motivate Yourself [...]

  122. Sophie on 25.04.2009 at 02:50 (Reply)

    thank you for writing this article. The example of procrastination you used was really good. i was able to visualize myself in a similar situation whic I didnt realise I was doing! your comments helped me to move on and actually start succeeding in my job and day to day stuff! thank you so so so much

    Sophie

  123. Jamie on 09.05.2009 at 04:51 (Reply)

    Fantastic article, just what I needed to refresh my mind. Thanks a bunch!!

  124. shirleyP on 11.05.2009 at 11:11 (Reply)

    I pulled this info because of the counseling I do everyday with people that are unemployed or underemployed. Being in the Staffing Industry has really been hard in this economy. So many people are hurting and families too that is is hard to keep a positive attitude when everwhere you hear “we are not hiring”.

    I have been in the Employment/Staffing industry for more that 25 years and this is the hardest I have seen the employment field. We are seeing a little upturn but nothing to get excited about.

    Hopefully there won’t be too much family suffering before the economy turns around.

    I will be using some of your material at a group of challenged adults that are having a very bad time. So I am going to use my encouragement skills hopeing that will help. thanks

  125. John on 12.05.2009 at 04:38 (Reply)

    So, you watched ‘The Secret’ and then regurgitated the information as ‘How To Motivate Yourself’….

  126. Everything Counts on 26.05.2009 at 09:54 (Reply)

    Self motivation is the ability to motivate yourself. But, many of us find ourselves in motivational slumps that we have to work to get out of. A good way to be continuously self-motivated is to implement “Right Attitude”. There’s is nothing more powerful for self-motivation than the right attitude. You can’t choose or control your circumstance, but can choose your attitude towards your circumstances.- Max

  127. Fabi on 28.05.2009 at 07:21 (Reply)

    Wow this article was very empowering and help me relize that im not the only one who isnt self movativate ill keep these things in mind in the future thanks.

  128. Homers on 28.05.2009 at 13:13 (Reply)

    This is a really great article. It allows me to get to know more about my own problems. More importantly, it tells me how to get out of the trouble. Thanks!

  129. Adan on 15.06.2009 at 12:54 (Reply)

    Excellent post, just perfect timing as I needed it, it helps to organise thoughts, Thanks a lot ;)

  130. Tyr1358 on 22.06.2009 at 17:31 (Reply)

    Wow, this was exactly what I needed. Very informative, also very coherent to my natural experiences.

  131. akash kalwani on 02.07.2009 at 23:21 (Reply)

    Marvellous article,it rejuvinates my mind.whenever i feel low i read it…..Thanks

  132. [...] take too long to come to fruition? These are questions that we have to honestly ask ourselves (Check out this good post for ways to [...]

  133. erwin on 09.07.2009 at 05:56 (Reply)

    hi, a million thanks for the article..
    it helped me a lot..
    Godbless!

  134. RichT on 30.07.2009 at 06:00 (Reply)

    Love it! Well put.

  135. patel on 08.08.2009 at 10:03 (Reply)

    i read it just now and i m feeling good and i know this will work definitely , i m very gratefull to this artical, i was really just needed this one as i was going with un awarenes of these even i knew these ones already………..thanks alot

  136. Ben on 20.08.2009 at 04:30

    Ben…

  137. karthik on 28.09.2009 at 22:41 (Reply)

    This is really a very good article and timely helpful for me to regain my confidence. Thanks for the author.

  138. Deepa on 07.10.2009 at 07:21 (Reply)

    that’s really motivating…

  139. ken on 18.10.2009 at 02:06 (Reply)

    any reference on your article ?

  140. Prem Valluru on 19.10.2009 at 09:44 (Reply)

    Very Good Article, I like the line from the artlcle ….

    “The more negatively you think, the more examples your mind will discover to confirm that belief. When you truly believe that you deserve success, your mind will generate ways to achieve it.”

  141. Allen on 19.10.2009 at 17:55 (Reply)

    Or some of us just unfortunately suffer from ADD! :)

  142. Neeraj on 20.10.2009 at 23:43 (Reply)

    Its a very good article I like it and its help me to get motivate.
    Now i have a goal which i have to acheive any how with
    day to day planing.
    I Joined RMP Business and its help me to fulfill my dreams.

  143. Mark on 23.10.2009 at 19:55 (Reply)

    Exams are in less then a week and still am unable to get motivated!

    My plan is go to school and get motivated there! =P

    D= sucks

  144. [...] Get more great articles at : pickthebrain.com [...]

  145. Leah on 06.11.2009 at 10:30 (Reply)

    Great article check out what TheLeaderGuy has to say about motivation http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_LxE-Fedlc

  146. I am that I am on 12.11.2009 at 07:53 (Reply)

    This is just what I needed to hear. Thank you. :D

  147. Phil on 18.11.2009 at 23:03 (Reply)

    I never thought about the things you mentioned, but I now see that I in fact do come up with excuses and am afraid of the future. With your brilliant article though I’m wiling to try and work my way up! Thank you very much I really appreciate it.

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