Self-motivation is the best kind of motivation. Let us take two scenarios to understand this.
- Scenario 1: You have a task to complete. You are not excited or passionate about it, but you know that the task has to be completed at any cost. This feeling of obligation motivates you to work hard and complete the task.
- Scenario 2: You have a task to complete. You are passionate about your job and happy to put in time and effort to complete the task.
What do you think – in which scenario will you be more efficient and effective? Well, we are guessing the second scenario. Right?
It doesn’t come as a surprise that doing something that makes you feel happy and fulfilled is better than completing the tasks forcefully. Scenario 2 is an example of self-motivation, which is the most effective kind.
So, let us jump right into understanding what self-motivation is and what techniques you can follow to reach your goals and have a fulfilling life!
What is Self-Motivation?
Self-Motivation is the drive that pushes you towards your goals and encourages you to develop yourself and achieve personal fulfillment.
It is vital to note that self-motivation is primarily driven by intrinsic motivation that comes from wanting to achieve inherent rewards. On the other hand, extrinsic motivation also drives self-motivation, but it is usually based on external rewards like money, power, status, etc. Out of the two, intrinsic motivation is better for motivating oneself!
Benefits of Self-Motivation
Self-motivation is one of the most basic things that keep us moving every day. Motivation enables us to do the work better and accomplish our personal and professional goals.
Below are the benefits of self-motivation. Take a look!
- Offers you Vision
A critical element that makes us happy is our dreams. But to fulfill them, you must have a strong desire to work towards them despite all the hurdles. This is where self-motivation comes into play.
Self-motivation helps you have a plan of action and vision that enables you to get started with a specific task and follow it down the way!
- Overcome Indecisiveness
Being indecisive and unable to make decisions in your life can be quite problematic if you wish to expand and grow in your career. In this context, self-motivation is essential because it helps you overcome the hurdles of being indecisive. Furthermore, it enables you to make effective decisions that will be helpful for you in the near future.
- Overcome Negative Influences
Sometimes life can become challenging when you can’t control certain situations. We all have various negative influences in our lives, and self-motivation can be a sure-shot way to overcome all of them. This way, you will be able to focus on what is better for you, thereby inculcating faith in yourself.
- Makes you Positive
Motivation makes you a positive person and significantly impacts your life. It makes you open to more things and lets you see the good in everything. Interestingly, as long as you carry the feeling of self-motivation, nothing can bring you down! Thus, practicing self-motivation will make you a better person, and you will embrace everything that comes your way!
- Gives you Strength
While you are an adult, life throws certain challenges at you, and you need to get past them. This is when motivating yourself becomes essential. Motivation offers you the courage to go through such challenges and win over them. It also pushes you from within to stay motivated at all times and be intrepid in every situation.
Lack of motivation often prevents us from achieving our targets. But self-motivation instigates a sense of drive that helps us become successful in future!
Now, how can you motivate yourself? A lot of things might be going on in your mind. Right? Don’t worry! The following section offers certain motivation techniques to help you lead a meaningful and fulfilled life!
Top Self-Motivation Techniques
Self-motivation is essential for success, whether you are trying to lose weight, start a business, or break a bad habit. Here are the best techniques that will help you stay motivated. Take a look!
- Adopt the Five-Minute Strategy
Instead of overtiring yourself with work all at once, it is better to achieve goals by adopting the five-minute strategy. In this method, you have to work for five minutes, then take a short break. After that, you can begin with the other task or continue with the last one.
This strategy will give you a little push that will be enough to get you going!
- Read More Books
Reading is an essential habit that must be developed at any cost! As far as motivation is concerned, it is suggested that you read – not just self-help or motivational books but any book!
Books generate new and fresh ideas to get your mental gears turning and instigate motivation. Learning new ideas will put your brain in motion, resulting in requiring less time to speed up your tasks.
- Set SMART Goals
Setting SMART goals is an excellent way of enhancing motivation. When you set goals, make sure they are:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Attainable
- Realistic
- Timely
Creating short-term and long-term goals is one of the best things you can do to build a strong foundation for motivation. And if your goals are SMART, you are likely to achieve them soon!
- Change the Way of Communication
Motivated people often engage in positive self-talk, unlike demotivated people. Here are a few instances of negative self-talk:
- I am a terrible writer.
- I am not good at ……. thing/ task.
- This is going to have a bad outcome.
If such thoughts are going on in your mind, it’s no wonder you struggle to accomplish tasks. Therefore, instead of succumbing to negative self-talk, stay motivated and speak this to yourself:
- I am excited to do this task.
- I am thankful for the opportunity I have got.
- I can’t wait to have the reward at the end of this task.
If these statements would not work, try asking yourself these questions:
- How does this task contribute to my long-term goals?
- What benefits will I receive after completing this task?
- Did I want this task?
- Am I thankful for it?
The trick is to stay motivated no matter how many hurdles come your way! Try positive self-talk and ask yourself these questions to remain inspired in everything you do!
- Surround Yourself with the Right People
The people you are surrounded with make you the kind of person you are today. This is why it is always said that you must surround yourself with positive, ambitious, and motivated people.
Such people also help you set goals and inspire you to keep moving and working hard. Thus, this will give you mental clarity of what you want in life and improve your focus to achieve those goals!
- Increase the Visibility of your Goals
Everyone needs clearly defined goals. So, in order to create goals, it is best to write them down. They should be on top of your mind so that you keep on working towards them. Here are two ways to increase it:
- Create a Morning Routine
Begin every day by reviewing your goals. You can say them aloud, meditate on them, write them, or envision them as complete. This will make you feel empowered and motivated by the end.
- Integrate your goals into everyday tasks
The biggest goal-killers are to-do lists. Engaging in our day-to-day tasks often prevents us from thinking about the future. Thus, it is vital to counter this tendency by having long-term goals & giving them a constant spot among our everyday tasks.
Try to work on them a little bit daily, and you will see the results!
Self-Motivation: Your Key to Success!
Getting motivated is easy, but staying motivated is challenging. For motivation to last, it needs to become a habit, and we all know that establishing habits takes time.
Research shows that it takes almost 30-66 days to develop a positive habit, provided that you put in conscious efforts on your part. Of course, initially, you will make mistakes; everyone does! But as long you practice the techniques mentioned above and keep motivating yourself, you will be able to complete your tasks and accomplish your goals. Trust us – the rewards will be worth it!