10 Tips & Tricks to Improve Your Motivation

The struggle is real. Motivation for many of us has been an issue in the last couple of years. We've put things off, made excuses, and some things have been out of our control.

Even in standard times, motivation can be hard to summon, whether it's a work project, losing weight or just tidying the house. You know you want to, but somehow the energy or motivation just isn't there. 

If you are struggling with how to motivate yourself, here are 10 ways to regain your motivation. From the list below, find the ones you like and will use, just a couple to begin. This will start you on the path to feeling more energised. So, if you find yourself avoiding number 2, and I know there will be some of you out there 😊, be brave and dive in; you never know what might get revealed.  

1. Stop the self-criticism! 
   Telling yourself, you are lazy or unmotivated isn't going to help and will likely make you feel more unmotivated. In addition, it will create self-doubt and affect your confidence.

2. Be curious
   Ask yourself why you might be unmotivated. Maybe you're trying a new exercise regime, writing a report, or going out with friends. Ask yourself these questions: 

   • Am I bored?

   • How much do I enjoy doing this? (Yes, sometimes we do just have to do things even though we don't like them)

   • Do I know how to do this?

   • Do I need to be more organised?

3. Is it laziness?

   How many times have you heard someone say I'm lazy or a parent about their child say they are just lazy? I think it is rare that someone is lazy; it's usually related to the questions in number 2 or other reasons, for instance, needing to do something perfectly or if they can't do something well, they won't try at all.

4. Small steps
   Breaking things down makes them more manageable. If we constantly look ahead at the completion point, we can get overwhelmed with so much to do to complete the task. For example, when writing a marketing plan break it up into topics and begin with the easiest one.  

5. Plan
   Planning assists in providing focus. For work, if you find planning your day tricky, write the 3 most important things you want to achieve the next day before you leave your desk. Then when you arrive the next day, you are all set. 

6. Be compassionate
   Say nice things to yourself during the day, such as "you're okay, you're doing fine;" and "well done, you did that well." Giving yourself positive feedback will help your motivation.

7. Me time
   Make sure you have scheduled some "me" time into your day. Even if it's 10 minutes having a quick nap or walking around the block when in the office. It's amazing how just 10 minutes can re-energise. Choose something that brings you back to balance, and while doing this, focus on what you are doing, not worrying about what you will make for dinner etc.

8. Set goals you truly want
   Check you have important goals, not because you should or because they are others' expectations of you.

9. Connection
   Sometimes we are unmotivated because we feel alone or crave connection. So, check-in, do you have the right people in your life who care about you or would you like one or two more people to enjoy life with?

10. For everyday motivation: 
    Listen to music; walk around the block; write in a gratitude diary daily; celebrate the wins; catch yourself comparing; help others.

    Bonus tip – to start the day well, choose one thing that will motivate you each morning, e.g., listen to your favourite music, snuggle with your dog or partner, see the sunrise, eat something healthy and delicious you love or meditate.
    
    Conclusion:

    The first two points, Self-criticism and Being Curious, are the most important. If we can stop judging and criticising ourselves, how much easier would it be to get things done and achieve? And if we can quietly question and be curious about our lack of motivation, then there will be an opportunity to learn about ourselves. 

    Sometimes to get motivated, it's as simple as buying a new grip for your tennis racquet, which gets you back into tennis. Sometimes it's something more significant, such as being totally unmotivated in your job. 

    It does take a little bit of focus to take the time to implement something like this, and sometimes we get stuck in the trying. 

    If you would like to find out more about being stuck, I suggest you complete my checklist; how stuck are you. This will be useful to understand where you are right now and what might be stopping you from moving forward.

    Click on the link to download How Stuck Are You
    
    Go well,

    Allison

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