How to Find Motivation

When all you feel is discouragement and motivation is scarce, everything can seem dark. The light that once guided you has now gone out, without reasonable hope of turning on again. But if there’s one thing to remember when you feel discouraged, it’s that there will always be calm after the storm.

Motivation is what pushes us to make decisions, make progress, and keep moving. If you lack motivation, you’ve probably been extremely tempted to procrastinate. Over time, if you don’t find a solutions, you’ll end up giving up on your projects and taking a blow to your self-esteem, since feelings of guilt won’t be far behind.

A lack of motivation can come from discouragement caused by various life circumstances, like when you can’t find a job and you end up thinking that the best option is to throw in the towel. In these times of crisis, when it seems like everything is dark and gray, there are ways out. But it’s necessary to keep pushing ahead and find a way to motivate yourself when motivation doesn’t come naturally.

Remember why you started

If you can’t find the motivation to do a task, first think about why you wanted to do it. The reasons why you want to do something will be your driving strength, and will help you to achieve your goal. One strong reason will be enough to gather all of your emotional courage and do what you need to do.

But if you don’t feel any motivation or you think that you don’t have the strength to achieve your goal, it’s because the reason behind doing it isn’t good enough. In other words, it doesn’t really interest you.

One example to illustrate this point is people who want to stop smoking. Most of the time, if they’re able to quit, it’s because they have a good reason to do so; for example, if they keep smoking, they’ll develop serious health problems. But if they don’t stop smoking, it’s because they’re not really convinced that they have to.

When you think about your goals, you should consider whether they’re strong enough to withstand all of the emotional investment they demand. If motivation doesn’t come, think about why you wanted to do it, and keep this in mind as you try to achieve your goal. This sense of purpose will enhance your intrinsic motivation.

Even if the dream is big, start little by little

You should always dream big so you feel inspired to achieve it. But when you start on the path towards achieving it, you should go little by little to reinforce yourself each time you complete another step.

For example, if you have a business and you have to call your clients, but you don’t want to because you don’t think they’ll respond positively to you, start by adopting a more realistic attitude and call just a few. It’s important to build a strong catapult that can push you ahead when difficulties arise. Little by little, without you even realizing it, your motivation will get stronger and stronger.

Don’t forget to take care of yourself

When you feel like you don’t have the will to keep going, or that things aren’t going the way you wanted them to, you need to find perseverance, courage, and pride somewhere inside you. There’s no reason to play the victim or think that everything is going wrong for you. There’s no room for that kind of thinking if you want to feel better and motivate yourself to achieve your goals. Don’t forget the following important points:

• Visualize success. Visualization is a powerful tool, because if you can imagine it, you’ll be one step closer to achieving it. The mind doesn’t differentiate between what’s real and what isn’t. Your mind can see your goal and imagine how to achieve it.
• Develop a good support system. Avoid negative people and surround yourself with people who help you feel motivated. But don’t depend solely on others to feel motivation; dedicate a few minutes each day to thinking positively.
• Remember that it’s not about the goal, it’s about the journey. If you enjoy what you do, you’ll always be able to find motivation.