I do not know what I want
The time for your dreams is running out today...
What is motivation? This is how the last lazy people, slackers and parasites explain their reluctance to do anything. Did you think that we would feel sorry for you, pat you on the head and persuade you to start doing something? Yeah, now.
“How to motivate yourself to do something? No way, stay in the ass!” Artemy Andreevich Lebedev
How to motivate yourself to lose weight? How to motivate yourself to study? How to motivate yourself to work? How to motivate yourself to exercise? How to motivate for changes in life? How do you want to do something?
How many times have psychologists heard such questions when asked for advice? Millions of times. Psychologists said something about motivation and goals while working off their money. They prescribed sessions, different techniques and fooled the clients.
Others signed up for motivational training from business coaches Anthony Robbins and other business coaches. People pay a lot of money to find motivation, get an adrenaline rush, but nothing in life changes. Sound familiar?
This is all nonsense. Now we will tell you the truth. We don't need money for a therapy session. You can give them to those who need it most or to any charity.
Motivation is a person’s motivation to act and his ability to do the right things. This is scientifically from psychologists. But if in Russian, then everything is completely different. What is motivation in our opinion?
Motivation is what lazy assholes use to justify their inaction and unwillingness to do anything. We tried to find a synonym, but this expression best describes such people. Are you offended? No one here will feel sorry for you. If you, a lazy ass, are reading this article, then you have a problem with this. Do you need pity or real help?
How to achieve your dream in 7 steps?
Basics of successful motivation
There are criteria, taking into account which you can form a high-quality incentive to action, no matter what kind of motivation you need - for work, for development, for sports.
Truthfulness
To motivate yourself for success, the first thing you need is truthfulness, so cultivate this quality in yourself at every opportunity.
Lack of truthfulness deprives a person of a sober understanding of things, which also affects motivation. Surely you have come across advice from psychologists: in your soul it is important to distinguish what you want from what you just want to want. If you're confused about what motivates you, you'll either go where you don't want to go or you won't be able to motivate yourself.
Universality of purpose
Fear of wasted efforts slows down progress. Therefore, to motivate yourself to achieve a goal, answer: what value does the process of achieving it have for your development?
Process priority
Too strong a desire to receive or achieve often only prevents you from doing it. In this case, the person is not able to “let go” of his desire and fully concentrate on what is happening.
Therefore, learn to focus on the process - let it always come first, and the results come second. This will strengthen your motivation and also prevent you from the dangerous habit of running away from the “here and now.”
Striving to be rather than look happy
Whenever you want to motivate yourself, you make a choice about what to strive for: to look like your goal or to actually be like that. It doesn't matter whether it's noticeable to others or not.
Remember that as a result of false motivation, you will end up with something similar to a plastic cake: it looks beautiful, but it is impossible to eat.
Celebrate small victories
Achieving any goal takes time. Sometimes it takes years. To never give up, you need to celebrate every day the achievements that bring you closer to your dream.
The only way to get through this difficult journey is to celebrate your small successes along the way.
Frank Gruber, co-founder of media company Tech.Co
By regularly celebrating small victories, you will provide yourself with a daily dose of motivation to move and develop further.
Effective methods of self-motivation
Let's see what specific techniques will give you an understanding of how to motivate yourself.
Individual approach
We are all unique. And each of us has our own perception of the world in general and specific circumstances in particular. Focus on your capabilities and limits. First of all, consider your own vision of the situation.
Pareto rule
20% of effort produces 80% of the result, and the remaining 80% of effort produces only 20% of the result. By correctly choosing the minimum of the most important actions, you can quickly get a significant part of the planned full result.
How can you use this rule to motivate yourself?
If your goal is self-improvement, devote 80% of your resources to working on 20% of your character problem areas. Dedicate the remaining 20% of your attention and time to everything else.
If you need motivation to achieve, expect to get 80% of your results from 20% of your greatest strengths.
Inspiration
An effective method of self-motivation for every day is a creative approach.
To use it, exclude violence against yourself. Observe your reactions: what gives you enthusiasm and a natural desire to do something?
I don't mean the main purpose of your life. It could even be about washing dishes - the question is how you do it. For example:
- you must be sufficiently rested;
- you need to work at your own pace;
- you need to fully concentrate on one thing, giving up multitasking, etc.
Of course, at some moments you will have to act without inspiring conditions. But the rest of the time, you can take care of yourself and no longer worry about how to find motivation.
Conscious application of effort
Where do you get motivation when you don’t want to do anything at all? Take care of this in advance. Most often, such difficulties arise naturally: at a certain time, in a specific situation, or in relation to a particular matter.
Be aware of where you are spending your effort. There is something that happens to you as if by itself: it’s enough to get on the right track. With other things, everything is not so simple, but they also need to be done.
Dose the force correctly. You should not jump over your head - this will reduce all motivation to nothing. Find the point of application and the “size” of the current effort, let the rest remain as is for now.
Making rhythm
Monotonous, repetitive actions create an energetic structure that literally pushes you forward. It is like a stream: moving in it, you seem to be floating with the current, which carries you and powerfully motivates you.
Just keep an eye on the relevance of what you do out of habit or the dictates of an established rhythm. Don't let him force his will on you.
Detachment
Remain open to the course of events and your influence on them. Every moment is a new starting point.
When you let go of expectations, you stop trying to bend what happens to your will. This means you will save energy and increase your motivation: if you are a priori ready for different options, the fear of disappointment will not dominate you.
Remember what you are aiming for
“If you have a strong passion for something, you instinctively find ways to fuel it,” says Eileen Fisher, creator of the eponymous organic women's clothing brand. Her passion for sustainability has been a motivating factor for Eileen for decades.
Don't worry if your activities don't bring much benefit to the world yet. Start with yourself. For example, try, like Eileen Fisher and many others, to take care of the environment. Small steps in the direction you need will help you get closer to your cherished goal. Stick to your values, then motivation will not leave you.
Pitfalls that prevent you from motivating yourself
Let's look at the main demotivators and how you can deal with them.
Laziness
All people face the desire to do nothing at the wrong time. However, this condition should not be confused with elementary fatigue. But if you rested, got enough sleep or changed your activity, but you still haven’t increased your motivation, try the following cure for laziness.
Find meaning for yourself in what is happening. For example:
- if you need to do something routine, you can train your concentration and awareness;
- if the action is somehow connected with the benefit of others, direct your attention to the process of giving - the satisfaction that you are able to contribute something to this world will be an excellent help in the fight against laziness;
- if there is an element of creativity in the matter, just give yourself completely to it. Then next time you won’t want to be lazy and watch the series - the drive is not the same.
Self-examination
The habit of self-reflection and psychoanalysis can become an obstacle to self-motivation, because you can dig for a long time, unearthing different things and trying to rebuild. So long that a lifetime is not enough.
Therefore, if you find it reasonable, study the contents of your mind. But don't let this process take over your life and immobilize you.
Greed
This quality interferes when you feel sorry for your efforts, time, and mistakes made. “It’s better to do nothing than to endure such waste,” says the greedy person.
Abandoning such logic does not mean becoming reckless. This means accepting: you can't cook scrambled eggs without breaking eggs. And act, after the choice is made, decisively and boldly no matter what.
Depression
Problems with motivation may indicate depression. In some cases, you cannot do without the help of a specialist.
You can help yourself too. Follow a daily routine. Go to bed before 11:00 pm, or better yet, 10:00 pm (don’t watch TV before bedtime!), and get up at 6, or better yet, a little earlier and immediately take a cool shower (over your head, maybe through a cap). 60 – 70% of depression will go away on its own!
And also use foods that increase cheerfulness and optimism - banana, mango, dates, figs, etc. (eat them from 6 to 8 am or at least in the morning), pomegranate (you can eat from 10 to 19 hours).
Watch your health
According to the 2020 Virgin Pulse study LABOR OF LOVE: What Employees Love About Work & Ways To Keep The Spark Alive, the number one factor influencing employee motivation is their health. And this is quite logical, because one cannot expect great results from a person who has problems with physical or mental health.
If sport is not an integral part of your life, then at least start with daily walks. This way you will stay in shape. And you shouldn’t constantly put off going to the doctor, even if you have a lot of other important things to do. Remember that health comes first, otherwise you simply will not have the strength to move forward.
Remind yourself what you have already achieved
Julie Austin is the creator of the famous Swiggies water bottles, which are unique in that they attach to your wrist. At the beginning of her career, she had no idea how to bring a product to market. Before achieving success, she worked two jobs for several years, saved money and learned from many of her own mistakes. But Julie still sees this difficult path as a source of motivation.
By reminding yourself of where you once started and what heights you were able to achieve, you will understand that you can overcome even less difficult difficulties. This will not allow you to give up.
Workout
The main problem for both men and women is how to motivate themselves to play sports and not give up on physical activity later?
Exercise occupies an important place in the life of every person, improves health, and prevents the development of many diseases. Even realizing the importance of training, no one is in a hurry to get up in the morning to run or sign up for a gym, because they simply do not know how to motivate themselves to exercise.
We recommend: How do I know what I want?
Motivation for regular exercise:
- List everything that will change for the better after starting training. Supplement the list with images of your desired figure (for example, from magazines), a clear example will further motivate you to workout.
- Create negative incentives for yourself. They are more likely to help than positive motivation.
- For interesting activities and freedom from boredom, find a company or a good friend.
- Try to watch a feature film about sports achievements once a week.
- A living example of successful individuals is an excellent reason for self-improvement. Read about famous people or pay attention to a friend who got better from playing sports. Why are you worse? By the way, ask them how they motivate themselves to train?
- Please yourself with pleasant little things for the work done, even if it’s insignificant. Every little step is a path towards achieving your goal.
Believe that you are invincible
At the beginning of the 20th century, the typical American woman didn't wear makeup, but that didn't stop Elizabeth Arden, founder of the cosmetics company Elizabeth Arden, Inc. She was passionate about making makeup an integral part of a woman’s daily life. Some thought she was crazy, but she was unshakable. Thanks to her perseverance and self-confidence, she managed to build a global beauty empire.
If you believe that you are invincible and that anything is possible in this world, you will never lose motivation despite all the setbacks.
You will be amazed at the possibilities that will open up to you if you begin to truly believe that you can achieve anything.
