Motivation
is rather elusive, isn't it?
Some
days you feel it, and other days you can't grab a measly corner of it no matter
how hard you try. You stare at the computer screen, willing yourself to type,
create, develop, and instead you find yourself simply going through the
motions, barely caring about the work you're producing. Needless to say, you're
totally uninspired,
and you don't know how to make yourself feel otherwise.
Quora users have been there, and they have real and practical solutions for digging up
that lost motivation and getting a job not just done — but completed with a sense
of passion. Read on for seven tips and tricks that'll get you motivated in no
time.
1. Don't think about it as hard work.
There
is only one way for me to motivate myself to work hard: I don't think about it
as hard work. I think about it as part of making myself into who I want to be.
Once I've made the choice to do something, I try not to think so much about how
difficult or frustrating or impossible that might be; I just think about how
good it must feel to be that, or how proud I might be to have done that. Make
hard look easy.
Marie
Stein: "Think about it: If the
project you're faced with isn't viewed as drudgery, but rather as a piece of
the puzzle that's helping you along your career path, then perhaps the energy
required to do it will be easier to come by."
2. Create small, bite-sized goals.
There's
a reason donut holes are so lovable. They're easy to eat. Before you know it,
you've eaten a dozen of them. This is how goals should be too. Of course you
should have a really big, audacious goal. But make sure you break down that
goal into bite-sized, consumable goals. This way you'll feel like you're making
progress in your journey and you'll also feel a sense of accomplishment when
you complete the smaller goals. A feeling of progress and achievement is a
beautiful combination.
Nelson
Wang: "You've no doubt heard
this advice before, but have you applied it to motivation?
Completing a large project is daunting when you don't know where to begin. How
can you finish if you don't even know where you're starting? So, rather than
focusing on a large, scary goal, take one thing at a time, and break the big
goal into ideas you can digest one at a time."
Successful
people like Bill Gates and Elon Musk say reading helped them reach their goals.
3
. Read daily.
Make sure you carve out time in your day to read.
(I recommend the early mornings before everyone is awake.) Read for at least
one hour a day. If that's too much, start with 20 minutes [a day] and do it for
one month (habit). Develop a belief that reading is the quickest way to
success. It will make reading a breeze, and extremely fun/rewarding (if you're
driven by success). The most successful people in the world attribute their
success to reading a lot of books (Warren Buffet, Bill Gates, Elon Musk).
Curtis Blackmore: "Although
it may sound counter-productive to set aside reading time when really what
you're looking for is motivation to work hard, sometimes it's necessary to do
something seemingly unrelated to tackle the task at hand. Developing a daily
reading habit is one thing that's likely to have a long-lasting impact on
your thought processes, ultimately inspiring you in all areas of your
life."
4. Stop caring about the things that don't matter.
Doing things that don't mean anything costs [us]
a ton of mental energy. Look at your aggregated to-do list, find things you
know that you don't care about, and get rid of as many of these activities as
possible. You will stay more consistently motivated if you're working on
activities that are inherently meaningful or are part of a larger mission.
Nick Miller: "Look
very carefully and closely at your list, and shave off anything that's both
truly demotivating and unnecessary for you to do. It's not always best to
finish what you started if, down the line, you can't even remember the reason
you started something in the first place."
You need
time to completely disconnect from work responsibilities.
5. Set a quit time.
Entrepreneurs tend to stray from the typical 8 to
5 workday, and global accessibility through emails and Skype makes it more than
easy to have a 24-hour workday. But it's important to recognize when enough is
enough. Set a realistic quitting time for yourself, and stick to it most days
of the week. Stop answering emails after 8 PM, or take Sundays off. You'll feel
more refreshed and more productive when you allow yourself some down time.
Matt Holmes: "Raise
your hand if you're motivated 24/7! I didn't think I'd see any hands. It's
unrealistic to feel energized all the time, to want to plow through tasks all
the time. You need to give yourself a rest, and if that means giving yourself a
specified set time to unplug or turn away from the demands of your job, then do
it. It's likely to help you perform harder and smarter in the hours that you do
allot
for work."
6. Just do it.
To get motivated to start doing something, from
my own experience, the most effective trick for me is to just do it (sounds
trite, but it works). As soon as you think something needs to be done, jump
into it, doing it immediately (of course, provided the conditions are
feasible). You must not think about anything else, suppressing all other
thoughts, keeping your mind blank, acting like a robot. Yes, it sounds weird,
but it does work! Otherwise, you will debate whether you should do it now or
there were too many issues with doing it, or there are other more pleasurable
and exciting things to do over this boring task.
Bob Win: "Now
here's some worthwhile advice: Instead of waiting around, willing yourself to
feel motivated, what if you just went ahead and started doing the work you know
you need to do? Dive into the project and trust that the focus
will be what you need."
7. Celebrate wins.
Start acknowledging all the good you are doing.
Don't discount the little things. I mean, how many times do you scold yourself
for doing something small that wasn't perfect? How often do you think the good
things such as being on time, or signing a new client is simply how it's meant
to be? They need celebrating. You need more wins in your life. This will
motivate you, encourage you, and help you see how brilliant you truly are.
Kai Ashley: "If you're constantly waiting for a
long-term payoff, you forget how crucial all the little
wins are. And it can be challenging to stay motivated and on top of things
if there's no reward in sight. Treat yourself with small things and don't
underestimate how gratifying it can feel to recognize tiny advancements."
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