How to find motivation to act. The right motivation on the path to success. Mistakes in motivation that can kill a business
To achieve your goals, you need to know how to properly motivate yourself. Otherwise, titanic efforts may lead to zero results. I invite you, reader, to learn the simple rules of successful self-motivation.
Discover the main tricks to overcome laziness and doubts. Learn the principle of prioritization and proper organization of every day, week, and year you live. Let's look at classic techniques for working with your own subconscious.
How to properly motivate yourself to achieve maximum results
The entire universe exists according to a simple principle: any physical body or system strives to occupy a position with the least amount of energy. It’s the same thing: we all love to be lazy, lie on the couch, and generally be idle.
But to make your dreams come true, you need to make some efforts. How to properly motivate yourself to achieve maximum results? When goals are unclear, their importance becomes blurred, everything is put off “for later”, and later forgotten. To change everything, you must first understand the depth of your personal desires.
- What do I want very, very much, at the thought of which my heart rejoices, I want to move mountains? Perhaps this is a desire to make repairs, or replenish your wardrobe, or maybe buy a new car... The desire must be quite clear, vividly realized by the imagination.
- When do I want to get it? Set a deadline after which you will have what you want. It is imperative to be guided by a sense of reality, only slightly seasoned with optimism. The deadline is set this way (example): no earlier than in a month, but no later than in two.
- How will I achieve this? Posing a question that excludes the doubting “can I?” By convincing yourself that your dream is real, everyone can achieve their goal. Provided of course a strong desire. Constantly keep an image of your dream in your head, which will serve as a guide on the way to achieving your goal.
Having decided on the goal and deadlines, there is little left to do: break everything down into small steps and start doing part of the work every day. Having worked hard, be sure to praise yourself, be happy with what you have done - you will receive an additional daily incentive, a lot of positive emotions. In general, work should be enjoyable.
It happens, it happens to overestimate own strength, there is not enough time, sometimes unforeseen things prevent you from accomplishing what you planned. You can’t be discouraged, scold yourself, or get angry. Just re-adjust what was unfinished in terms of deadlines, and then continue to move forward!
You will be surprised how a once difficult task was easily resolved, as if by magic new opportunities, abilities, and fortunate circumstances appeared. This happens because a person desires and acts! Remember the biblical: “ask and it will be given” + “faith without works is dead.” These two laws determine the main thing for a person: if you want, believe, strive, then you will definitely get what you want!
Having achieved a result, celebrate your labor victory, this will give unforgettable emotions that additionally stimulate the desire for new results. Thank God for the gift you have received. Now you know how to properly motivate yourself. Good luck to you, friends!
Competitive spirit
Remember your student years. Surely, in senior year, there was someone who had it easier, had better grades, and had girls hanging around like crazy. Imagine that you are standing next to him, he is a little ahead, his muscles are still larger than yours, but now you have every chance to wipe his nose. Use his image as motivation and you will succeed. If you were that popular senior student, then imagine that you are going to show the class to Arnie himself.
Weight visualization
Do you have someone you absolutely hate? The boss, your ex-wife, the postman or the honest traffic policeman who stopped you today for speeding? The time has come for this person to benefit you. Imagine that the loaded barbell or heavy dumbbell is him, her, or something that belongs to him (her), for example, a beloved dog. Push the weight with all the hate you can muster.
Reward for success
If you've really worked hard, the carrot method is here to stay. Reward yourself for your success with a new workout jersey or gloves. A new shaker, movie tickets, and car washing and polishing are also suitable as small gifts for yourself. We recommend that you refrain from alcoholic libations and feasts at McDonald's.
Change menu
Monotonous wholesome and healthy food tires you. Introduce a couple of new dishes into your regular diet. No, we don’t mean replacing cottage cheese with cakes, but eating steak instead of disgusting chicken breasts is easy. By the way, look for recipes on the Internet, and you can cook chicken fillet deliciously.
Try a new sports nutrition
Try a new taste, for example, apple instead of boring chocolate, or vice versa. Treat yourself to some protein bars. It's both tasty and healthy. Or use the old, proven Kachkovsky recipe: mix cottage cheese, egg whites, skim milk in a blender, add seasonal fruits or berries. Bon appetit!
Motivational film
Watch a movie. Rocky is a very motivating film, and five parts will last a long time. Appreciate the great results that grueling workouts have led to. And what amazing shape Sly is in at his age now. Do you want to look like this in 40 years? Go ahead and don't forget to download the soundtrack to your mp3 player.
Set small goals
Formulate a goal for yourself. But without scope, for one or two workouts. Having formulated it, you should make sure that it is quite real. Of course, “lose 10 kg in 3 days” sounds attractive, but unrealistic. But “I want to increase my strength” or even “see abs by summer” sounds more down-to-earth. Unless, of course, you wished for a six-pack on your beer belly at the end of May.
Listen to your favorite music
Choose the most optimistic and driving songs and listen to them during your workout. If your coworkers don't share your musical tastes, buy an mp3 player and listen to Rammstein or Robbie Williams for your own pleasure, no one will say a word to you. Meanwhile, the right playlist greatly encourages you, distracting you from fatigue.
Take a vacation
You are entitled to vacation every two months (8 weeks). You can rest from training for a whole week without a twinge of conscience. We need to make a clarification: a week without cardio and without strength training. All you need is to rest mentally and follow a diet. Indeed, rest helps you gain strength and take on training with renewed enthusiasm.
Train for health
In fact, there is no other sport other than bodybuilding that requires you to eat so well. So exercise, eat healthy, and cheer yourself up with the thought that if I’m okay now, then in my fifth decade I’ll be absolutely amazing!
In spite of and in spite of
Motivation “what, weak?” Works great in bodybuilding too. If someone doubts your ability to break your own record from a week ago, let them boldly tell you about it to your face! The ability to literally effortlessly squeeze out a weight that recently seemed unbearable increases significantly after such gentle prodding.
Listen to your inner voice
Learn the old and effective saying of the experienced: “Willpower plus character...” The continuation depends on the situation. Willpower is a very powerful thing: you had no idea what your inner self is capable of.
Train with a partner
Firstly, it’s more fun, secondly, there is someone to support the heavy barbell and promptly encourage “come on, come on!”, thirdly, no one has canceled male solidarity in following a diet and training schedule. Well, in general, two mountains of muscles look more impressive than one.
Listen to advice, exchange experiences, learn useful things, remember the necessary information. Bodybuilders, despite their menacing appearance, are sociable people and love to discuss last news or know-how spotted on Kachkov’s forums.
Try to impress
You can repeat like a mantra thirty times a day that you train exclusively for yourself, but the bodybuilder who doesn’t like admiring glances is a bad bodybuilder. Therefore, impress: your parents, your grandmother, beautiful girls, it doesn’t matter who, this is a great motivation not to give up sports.
Use pictures for motivation
A huge field for imagination! If you have already outgrown the posters on the wall, then download it to your phone and put it on your screensaver cool photos: yourself under the winning light and in a good pose, Ronnie Coleman, the Terminator, or make a collage of all three.
Don't hesitate to help
Avoid routine
Routine is addictive and depressing. Change your daily routine from time to time, train in the morning instead of in the evening or vice versa. Do abs before training, not after or vice versa. Don't forget about vacation week(see paragraph 9)
Compare yourself to others
No one suggests looking at your fellow lifters with all their eyes, but subtle appraising glances will help you find someone you would like to emulate. There is nothing wrong with this; healthy competition is a great thing.
Train for your own pleasure!
Of course, you shouldn’t come to the gym to drink protein, discuss the latest news, sluggishly twitch dumbbells and take a shower. Of course, you will get pleasure from doing nothing. But it’s much more pleasant and effective to enjoy an exhausting workout, after which you can wring out a T-shirt, or to follow a diet, because interested girls’ looks on the beach will bring incomparable satisfaction!
The article shows just 20 ways to motivate yourself to take care of your body. Look for your own methods and secrets, don’t despair and don’t stop halfway! Good luck!
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The importance of motivation manifests itself in one of two cases: when a person is ready to study and work for hours without stopping, and when it is given to him with great difficulty. Everyone wants to be productive, but motivating yourself every day is incredibly difficult.
Does not exist simple way teach yourself to wake up in the morning with sparkling eyes and a desire to achieve goals. Therefore, this article is intended to collect all the most important and interesting things in order to help you understand yourself and your motives. We will look not only at motivation as such, but also go through different areas of life where it plays a special role: sports, study and work.
What is motivation
Motivation- the reason for the actions, desires and needs of people. It is also what makes a person want to repeat the behavior. A motive is what motivates a person to act in a certain way or at least to develop a tendency towards a particular behavior.
There are several more definitions of this phenomenon:
- an internal state or state that activates behavior and gives it direction
- a desire or need that fuels and guides goal-directed behavior
- the influence of needs and desires on the intensity and direction of behavior
- arousal, direction and consistency of behavior
Please note that the word “direction” appears in many definitions. We can say that a motivated person is a vector that has direction and strength. Even while at rest, he still makes efforts (for example, mental).
A person can achieve a serious goal if he balances between motivation (when the task is interesting, brings pleasure and is completed with ease) and willpower (when the task is set, we don’t want to take on it, but we force ourselves because we have to).
Motivation is usually divided into drives and motives. Drives are primarily biological, such as thirst, hunger, sleepiness and the need to reproduce - all of which drive us to seek out and engage in certain activities. Drives are believed to reside within a person and do not require outside influence or encouragement.
Motives, on the other hand, are driven by social and psychological mechanisms such as work, family, and relationships. These include factors such as praise and approval.
Let's look at what theories of motivation exist and how they differ.
Theories of motivation
There are many theories of motivation, but we will highlight the most interesting and significant ones.
- Instinct Theory of Motivation. According to it, people are motivated to behave in certain ways because they are evolutionarily programmed to do so. For example, biological instincts that are important for the survival of the organism, such as fear, purity and love.
- Incentive theory of motivation. It suggests that people are motivated to do things because of external rewards. For example, your motivation could be salary.
- Drive and need theory. Processes such as eating, drinking and sleeping are dictated by physiological needs. Therefore, he is motivated enough when he feels their lack.
- Arousal theory of motivation. It suggests that people are motivated to do things that help them maintain an optimal level of arousal (called flow). A person with low arousal needs may engage in relaxing activities such as reading a book, while people with high arousal needs may be motivated to do something physically exciting such as motorcycle racing.
Motivation can also be viewed in terms of zone of influence. In this case, it is divided into external and internal.
External and internal motivation
Intrinsically motivated behavior is generated by the sense of personal satisfaction it brings. A person gets joy from completing a task. You can be called motivated if you study at university for fun and to become educated.
Intrinsic motivation is a critical element in cognitive, social and physical development; those people who are inherently motivated are more likely to perform better and improve their skills.
Extrinsically motivated behavior, on the other hand, is performed in order to obtain something from others. Employees may do their jobs because they want the company to pay them, not because they love it. Some athletes are driven by the goal of winning competitions and receiving praise from fans; they are not driven by the inner satisfaction they get from the game.
Likewise, if you go to university because you want to get a high-paying job or satisfy your parents, your motivation is more extrinsic.
This is in theory, but in reality everything is a little more complicated. Motivation is often a combination of both intrinsic and external factors, and their ratio may change over time. Therefore, it is recommended to try yourself in different areas and look for a hobby in order to understand which type of activity brings more pleasure.
We're done with the theory and it's time to figure out how to motivate yourself in different areas of life.
Motivation for learning
Many people find it difficult to motivate themselves to study for two reasons:
- They want to start working right away.
- They want instant returns in the form of money or approval.
When you study or program (that is, an activity that requires a fair amount of time without return), there is a high risk that after two weeks you will stop doing it. Training requires patience, because for a long time you will not receive any results or money. Therefore, motivation for learning is even more important than for work.
Below you will see a step-by-step structure that will increase your motivation in learning.
Goals. Start by recognizing and writing down two types of goals: long-term and short-term. Short-term goals will influence your level of motivation and move you towards long-term goals.
- Write down all your goals.
- Avoid ambiguity; goals should be clear and clear.
- Break complex goals into small ones.
- State how you intend to achieve your goal. The more details, the better.
- Visualize achieving your goal and how you will feel in the future when you achieve it.
- Reward yourself. External incentives should complement motivation, not determine it.
Just start. The brain is designed in such a way that it resists any change in activity because it does not want to lose energy. Knowing this, you should do everything possible to remain in a state of learning for as long as possible - over time, the desire to learn will arise. Now this process becomes the main one, and distraction from it becomes painful.
- Tell yourself, “I’ll study for just 30 minutes and then we’ll see.”
- Don't torture yourself by imagining alternatives to studying. Focusing on other activities will make learning exhausting.
- The faster you concentrate, the faster you will complete the lesson.
- Imagine the negative consequences of procrastination and laziness (we are afraid of inner pain).
- Imagine the positive consequences of achieving a goal (we strive to have fun).
- Eliminate distractions (put your phone on silent).
Achieve one small goal. You've already divided your long-term goal into several short-term ones, and now you just need to achieve one of them. This is important because it allows you to feel that you have become better, that you have reached a new level. very popular now and for good reason. In the game, motivation appears as if by itself: you don’t need to look for it and carve it out of stone.
Choose the right music. Many people neglect this advice, but in vain. What is the most important thing in learning? Complete concentration. So download music that doesn't have lyrics and try to work for a few hours. If this is your thing, use this playlist more often.
Clear the table. Few people will sit at a table cluttered with piles of paper and various rubbish. A clean table means clear thoughts. It's always hard to start, and when you see a cluttered desk, you find yourself a lot of excuses for not doing anything.
Genuine Interest. You can force yourself, or you can fall in love with learning. What does it mean? For example, you teach English language and it seems boring. Read the book "You Can't Be Taught" foreign language» Nikolai Zamyatkin, which will allow you to become interested in the process of learning languages. Be interested not only in rules and boring theories, find Interesting Facts in any field that you master.
Motivation for sports
Everyone wants to be and clearly understands this. Why then do so few people play sports? Because they lack motivation. They have knowledge, they have understanding, they have a need, but there is no desire. You can even force yourself to work or study, but going for a run (if this is not your profession) is incredibly difficult. Here are some tips to help you do this.
Read books about sports. After reading an article about sports, the likelihood of doing it increases significantly. Much depends on the skill of the author, who may or may not evoke this desire. After a few days, motivation and enthusiasm disappear. Therefore, read books and exercise at the same time.
Athletes release their autobiographies - reading them will be an excellent motivating factor. There are books about fitness, proper breathing and much more. If they help you at least start doing morning exercises, then they are already performing some of their functions.
Track your progress. Smart watches are of particular value for those who play sports. It’s very exciting to see after a run how many kilometers you ran and how many calories you lost. Find popular apps for your mobile platform and use them.
Find a friend for sports. It will be much more difficult for you to refuse to go to the gym if you understand that you will let the person down. You can enjoy a great time together and help motivate each other. Someone who is better than you will usually be more motivated as you try to keep up with them. And vice versa.
Find music for sports. Motivation appears when strong positive emotions rage in your psyche. Music evokes them quickly.
Pack your bag and leave it near the door. This is the simplest and most effective trigger technique. We have already said that the brain does not want to change its activity, which means that any obstacle will be perceived as a reason not to do so. If your bag is packed and located near the door, you just need to put on your shoes and leave the apartment. Even if you have the strongest motivation for sports today, do not flatter yourself - it will disappear overnight.
Create a schedule. Replace the thought “I should go to the pool” with “I will go to the pool tomorrow, Thursday and Saturday right after work.” You don’t look for an excuse, but make peace with the decision you’ve made and plan your life, taking into account that two hours for the pool have already been scheduled.
Motivation to work
Work can bring suffering if you are mentally determined that you are doing it all for the money. Even what you love will become unpleasant after some time if you are fixated only on external rewards.
Motivation to work differs significantly from motivation to study in one important point: in studies it is important to start (the first 30 minutes), but in many cases you are forced to do the work. The problem is not getting the work done (you will do it), but enjoying it.
Let's see what methods and tips will help you avoid such a mistake.
Productive morning. No the best way hate your job than start your morning wrong. Wrong means unproductive and completely pointless. No matter what kind of work you have, in the office or at home, the first 30 minutes after waking up are of great importance.
What can and should be done during this time? Review your to-do list for today that you made ahead of time last night. This is important because it allows you to instantly get ready for work. Meditate and do exercises - the first clears your thoughts, the second takes you out of a state of laziness and peace.
Definition of the task. Work motivates when it is clear what exactly you are doing. Think about it: what good feeling does it feel like when you clearly understand a task or make serious progress on a big project? At the end of each day or week, create a “Done” list (opposite your to-do list) in which you outline all the tasks you have completed. For extra motivation, keep it in front of your eyes.
Diversity of skills. What completely kills motivation? Boredom, routine, repetition. When you do the same thing over and over, it drives you crazy. Whatever you do, there is always the opportunity to learn something new, study many books on the topic and immediately apply knowledge in practice. Get the job done different ways, mix different styles and demeanor.
Feedback. If you want to become motivated, collect feedback on your work. Not only for the ego boost (if the job is done well), but also because the right feedback can help sharpen skills. It is good because it unsettles the usual rut, offers fresh ideas and makes you question the usual order of things. It helps you look at yourself and your work from a different angle. Freshness appears and destroys routine.
Remind yourself why you do what you do.. Even if your work is enjoyable and has great value, you may forget about it. Remind yourself of its importance every day - in the morning and before bed. In any case, it will be done, so it’s better to do it with pleasure.
Know your "why". First, step back and create a list that displays all the ideas, projects, and tasks floating around in your mind. Then take a look at the following questions:
- Why is this task important to me?
- Who and what does it affect?
- How will this affect my personal and professional life?
Even if you don't feel like doing the work today, still tell yourself, “I want to do this task,” rather than “I have to do it.” If you can't evoke the right emotion, take a couple of minutes and think: “Why is this so important to me?”
Self-motivation for procrastinators
When deadlines are not absolute or clearly defined, procrastinators do not cope well with them. All four strategies discussed below involve activating emotions that motivate performance.
Reducing available time
Scheduling a task around a job or activity gives procrastinators less available time to do something, thereby creating time pressure that activates driving emotions. Some people, encouraged by a deadline, challenge themselves before they start working or studying.
If you artificially limit yourself to time frames, then you begin to control yourself. As we know, work fills all the time allotted to it.
Forced incentives
Professionally successful people are emotionally attached to their goals. When they keep promises regarding them, they increase their motivation level. To-do lists are popular for a variety of reasons, but they are used as a tool for making commitments.
Financial considerations are also effective in setting an absolute deadline. This is especially important for those whose income is based on commissions or project completion. Regularly assessing the attractiveness of a financial goal and its impact on long term plan, you can evoke emotions that motivate action. It doesn't matter what incentives you find, real or unrealistic, the main thing is that it works.
Using working memory
The burst of energy needed to achieve something appears as the deadline approaches. When you think about a task without doing it, you become tired and waste a lot of energy without any benefit.
Get thoughts about the task out of your head until you begin to complete it. Otherwise, you will not be able to get to work, simultaneously reproaching yourself for it. Meditation and breathing exercises may help you.
Using external circumstances
Even though procrastinators like to wait for deadlines, under certain circumstances they are motivated to complete tasks early. For example, they can immediately solve it if the delay is associated with an intrapersonal conflict. That is, the pain of not getting the work done right now should be greater than the pain of putting it off.
You can set your priorities in such a way that you take on work in order not to let your loved one down. Some people's sense of self-shame is not as intense as the shame we feel in front of those we care about.
Books on motivation and self-motivation
- “33 ways to self-motivate” Igor Osipenko
- "100 Ways to Self-Motivate" Steve Chandler
- “It’s not harmful to dream” Barbara Sher
- "Be the best version of yourself" Dan Waldschmidt
- "No Self Pity" Erik Larssen
- "To hell with all of it! Take it and do it!” Richard Branson
- "Get Out of Your Comfort Zone" Brian Tracy
We wish you good luck!
Instructions
Before thinking about motivation, decide on your desires. Are you sure this is exactly what you want? Agree, there is a significant difference between such statements as “I want to go to this university because it is prestigious” and “I want to study at this university because only there I can fully master the business I am doing.” The first statement clearly shows the influence of other people on your desire: you do this in order to earn the recognition of others, perhaps not to deceive their expectations of you, perhaps to prove to others that you are “worth something.” In any case, this desire will be imposed on you from the outside, and “working” motivation can only be created for those desires, the implementation of which is significant for you.
Replace the word “need” with the word “want”. Be sure to do this mentally. The fact is that “should” is what you are forced to do, and the temptation to evade what is forced is so great. And “I want” is what is your need. Even a simple replacement of these concepts will make the upcoming work more enjoyable and easier.
Very often, people begin to motivate themselves “out of the blue”: “If I don’t do this report, I could be fired.” It's not worth starting with this. First, create positive motivation. Mentally answer the question: why do you want to do this or that thing? What will you get as a result? What “bonuses” will you get?
Close your eyes and in front of your mind’s eye draw a picture that most accurately reflects what you will get as a result of doing this or that task. Place your image in this picture - successful, happy, possessing the qualities that you want to acquire. Surround this image with symbols of what will happen in your life if you fulfill your intentions. Use the brightest, most joyful colors, do not be afraid to imagine a too rosy picture for yourself - let it be as attractive as possible. Admire your work, be imbued with its spirit, imagine that everything has already happened, stay in this pleasant reality. Place this picture in the upper right corner of your mental screen.
But now it's time to scare yourself a little. Imagine not doing what you set out to do. Paint the picture in your mind's eye again. Let your image be on it - the way you will become if this does not happen. Surround yourself with symbols of the worst consequences of your inaction. Don’t be afraid to thicken the colors, let this picture become grotesque and frightening for you. Get used to the world you have drawn, feel how uncomfortable it is there. Place it mentally in the lower left corner of the imaginary screen.
