How to Find Motivation: 7 Ways to Ignite Your Self-Motivation

Motivation is the internal driving force people draw upon to work hard and achieve their goals. Without this aspect of human behavior, it would be impossible to learn new skills, better ourselves, and seek out new experiences. In general, motivation breaks down into two larger categories: extrinsic and intrinsic motivation.

Extrinsic motivation refers to the drive to achieve influenced by external factors. These external factors can either reward or penalize you should you achieve or not achieve your goals respectively. Intrinsic motivation, by contrast, comes from within. While extrinsic forces might be able to keep you going sporadically, intrinsic motivation helps you stay the course even when times seem bleak.

It’s natural to lose motivation from time to time, even for the most dedicated and hardworking of people. Here are four reasons you might find yourself in the doldrums:

1. 1. Burnout: Overworking to meet your goals can backfire, leading to burnout and decreased motivation as a result. Burnout is your body’s notification to your brain it needs rest to perform to the best ability. When you continue to push yourself past this point, you’re more likely to engage in failed attempts to achieve your goals since you’re operating at less than full capacity. This can, in turn, further compound the demotivation.
2. 2. Fear: Your lack of motivation might stem from fear or self-doubt. It’s easy to feel unmotivated when you have to explore a new and foreign area of your life. To regain your sense of motivation, face your fear gradually or head-on. Once you realize you can still surmount your anxieties, it’s easier to find yourself motivated to pursue your goals again.
3. 3. Lack of interest: You might feel demotivated because you were never interested in achieving a goal in the first place. Continual procrastination might signal your heart’s just not in it—and that’s okay. Check in with yourself to see whether your lack of motivation is just a short-term stumbling block or a sign to reevaluate what you want to achieve in the first place.
4. 4. Mental health issues: Your mental state and well-being are paramount to staying motivated, so if you find yourself experiencing depression, anxiety, or other mental health issues, seek help. Finding treatment for these concerns will free you up to live a happier and more contented life and enable you to regain the motivation you lost while struggling.

Learning how to find motivation takes practice and resolve. Keep these tips in mind as you try to reignite your self-motivation:

• Exercise when possible. The endorphin rush you get from exercise can help boost your motivation levels, especially when you work out outdoors and get some vitamin D in the sun. Additionally, each time you exercise, you prove to yourself you can set goals—however small—and achieve them.
• Fake it until you make it. To achieve long-term goals, follow through even on the days you feel uninterested and disengaged. Encountering this sort of internal resistance is normal. The more times you work through it, the easier it will be to unlock a flow state and regain motivation.
• Practice self-care. As you learn how to get motivated, remember it’s okay to take breaks and to feel discouraged at times. Forgive yourself—self-compassion is one of the main keys to self-motivation. You’ll be back on track in no time. Give yourself small rewards for all your hard work, too. This type of self-care anchors your sense of accomplishment in a more tangible way.
• Seek out inspiration. Try to find resources you can draw on to keep yourself inspired and motivated to achieve your goals. Create an upbeat playlist of your favorite songs. Listen to podcasts about the same things you want to achieve. Read self-improvement books to get a better grasp of how you can turn your dreams into realities. Try out apps that can help you plan out how to achieve your goals while also offering you nuggets of inspiration along the way.
• Set manageable goals. Do your best to set goals you think you can realistically achieve. When you set manageable milestones for yourself, it takes less time to achieve them than if you’d set a big goal without considering the smaller steps. Remember the SMART goals acronym: set goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.
• Take baby steps. Rather than try to achieve a big goal all at once, break up your main objective into a bunch of smaller items. This sort of to-do list—combined with time management techniques—helps you slowly but steadily win the race you set for yourself. The hardest part of remaining motivated is often the sheer amount of time it takes to break a bad habit, learn a new skill, and achieve other goals. By breaking up that time into smaller steps, each move forward can feel like a victory of its own.
• Talk to an advisor. If you’re having a hard time staying motivated, tap into your support network. Talk to a coworker or friend you trust. Reach out to a trusted mentor. If you suspect you’re struggling with your mental health, find a qualified therapist. Trained professionals can help you rewire your brain to engage in the sort of positive self-talk you need to stay both happy and motivated.

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