Simple Steps To Becoming Self-Motivated

Written by Ashley Field. Narrated by Leigh Martinuzzi 

Nobody wants to have to rely on others to motivate themselves – as humans, we are social creatures and often like communicating and giving each other ‘pep talks’ to cheer our friends up and keep everyone moving through life. However, this isn’t always possible, and sometimes you need the internal power to be able to motivate yourself.

Maybe you don’t want to be a burden on others, or maybe you just need to take some time away from the people who usually surround you, but don’t want to suffer from a lack of energy and desire due to this. In these cases, and many others, self-motivation is a surprisingly easy answer, and it only takes a few simple steps to realize your potential in being able to motivate yourself.

Music

Have you ever taken a moment to consider the profound impact that music has on our lives? Sometimes, it can only take a few lines of a sad song to set you off weeping into your pillow, and companies often take advantage of this by manipulating your mind with the music that they play in stores and gyms, to get you chilled out and spending more time browsing their wares or pumped up and working for your ‘gains’.

“If everyone else in the world is trying to change your mindset through the medium of music, then it’s only fair that you can try out this easy trick as well,” Judith Hancock, a lifestyle blogger at Last Minute Writing and Draft Beyond, says. “Just spending a few minutes with your favourite tunes bursting through your earphones every morning can lighten your mood and prepare you for the day. Turn your commute into a concert with music that puts a bounce in your step, and use your lunch break as a chance to fill your mind with helpful beats that will increase your motivation and make your life so much better, with no aid from other people needed!”

Self-Analysis

Before you can properly begin to motivate yourself, you need to realize more about yourself, and why you need to motivate yourself – and, of course, more importantly, how you’re going to achieve that. Everyone is different, and only by searching through your mind and personality can you discover the right way to set your gears in motion every morning, and face the day with the right attitude. Taking a walk to relax and properly commune with yourself can do wonders, and strip your thoughts down to the bare minimum, which is the base upon which you can build a motivating mindset.

Goals

“Without goals, we are nothing. People need direction, or they’ll end up wallowing in directionless indecision,” Sean Forster, a productivity blogger at Writinity and Researchpapersuk, suggests, “so you need to find a way of setting goals for yourself, instead of depending on outside sources who might not be there when you need them most. Physically writing down a list of small goals that are easily achievable, then some long-term goals that will take more work. In many cases, your smaller goals will help you to move towards your long-term goals, and everything will fit together.”

Buying a notebook and regularly contributing to your goals (checking them off and writing new ones) can be an amazing way to realize that you’re making progress, which is an easy way to motivate yourself. If you want a more modern solution, then many smartphones will have apps to store goals in them, and also check off. That way, you will have your motivation in your pocket, and be able to update it at any time.

Rewards

Finally, when you do manage to motivate yourself, make sure that you reward yourself, so that you and your mind learn to recognize it as a positive behaviour, leading to more motivation in the future. This reward could be something physical, like your favourite chocolate or a nice hot drink, or it could be as simple as listening to your favourite song (linking to the positive effects of music, mentioned above) once you’ve become motivated and made some progress in whatever you’ve been trying to do – as long as it’s positive and you recognize it as being such, it’s a reward, and it’ll help you on your path to self-motivation.

Guest Bio

Ashley Field works as a marketing specialist, specifically in start-ups, at Lucky Assignments and GumEssays, who has had the pleasure of being involved in numerous projects and tasks associated with her fields of expertise. Writing and acquiring both experience and knowledge in marketing are her passions in life, along with helping clients to grow their individual brands – nothing gives her more joy than seeing the people she helps succeed in their life goals and ambitions.

Further Reading and Resources 

TED Talks: Ideas worth spreading

Psychology Today: Psychology Today is devoted exclusively to everybody’s favourite subject – Ourselves

Life Hack: Tips for Life

Elite Daily: The Voice of Generation Y

Four Hour Work Week: How to escape the 9-5, live anywhere and join the new rich.

The Minimalists: How to pursue a minimalist lifestyle and be happier.

Mind Hacks: Tips and Tricks for Using Your Brain

Rich Roll: Plantpowered Wellness Advocate

The Art of Charm: Build confidence, feel comfortable and networking differently.

American Psychological Association: The largest scientific and professional organization of psychologists in the United State

The Art of Manliness: Encouraging men to be better husbands, fathers, brothers, citizens.

Tiny Buddha: Simple wisdom for complex lives.

Brain Pickings: An inventory of cross-disciplinary interestingness, spanning art, science, design, history, philosophy, and more.

Mind Body Green: Lifestyle media brand dedicated to inspiring you to live your best life.

Zen Habits: Find simplicity and mindfulness in life.

Creative NonFiction: “true stories well told.” 

Addicted 2 Success: Motivation & Inspiration Website full of quotes and inspiring articles for entrepreneurs.

Barking Up the Wrong Tree: science-based answers and expert insight on how to be awesome at life.

The Positivity Blog: Practical articles on happiness, self-esteem, productivity and social skills.