Increase your motivation with these helpful tips.

For most, the desire to be successful is a huge part of life; although, success looks different to each person, one thing all must have in common is to find a way to increase motivation.  Motivation may be an easy task on the good days, but what about after several failures in a row when nothing seems to be working? Sometimes, it is not as simple as waking up and deciding to be motivated. It is hard to stay motivated when there are no results coming from all the hard work and countless hours.

Honestly, there is no person out there who will always be motivated. You will occasionally go through rough periods of time. Simply, this is a part of pushing yourself, and there is no way to avoid it.

Even though motivation comes and goes, you will become more resilient to the rough patches. You know your greatest work comes from periods of difficulty because it pushes you to work that much harder. The major difference between successful and ordinary people, is that successful people repeatedly fail, but never quit. It is not an option for them.

Figure out how to find the motivation to never quit with these 7 strategies. There are several important facts to consider when attempting to maximize your motivation. Remember, everyone goes through hard times, but the ones who come out as a better version of themselves, are the ones who fail, do not give up, and find the motivation deep within to succeed.

Check out these 7 facts about how to increase your motivation.

1. Understanding the “why” to increase motivation.

The first step to keeping motivation is to figure out the reason why that goal is important. If you understand deep down why you want to succeed in a certain area, then when difficulty arises, you will be much more prepared to withstand the hardships and push yourself past larger obstacles.

The need to find the “why” behind everything you do is critical. One must start giving up the unnecessary parts of their your life to focus on their most important goals. You will begin to focus your time and energy in pursuit to find fulfillment. A sense of purpose in life provides the motivation necessary to become unstoppable.

Motivation comes from within, so stop using outside factors as your source of motivation. These outside forces will cause for motivation to be inconsistent or extremely hard to find at times. Instead, focus on the why behind everything that you do and put into your life. Figure out your underlying reason and hold on to it. This is the best weapon against periods of difficulty, laziness, and countless early mornings and late nights spent on the grind.

You begin to wake up everyday focused and prepared to embrace the struggle. Passion is the foundation of motivation. When you find your purpose in life, you begin to lose the fears that once crippled you, choosing to avoid anything not aligned with your goals.

Stop wasting your time. Rather than procrastinating or being pessimistic, look at every obstacle as an opportunity for growth. Each obstacle crossed is one step closer to your dreams.

2. Goals include motives necessary for success.

Motivation is not easy to keep, especially when a person does not have clearly defined goals. Goals give direction in life, which is critical for achievement. Every small goal builds into a larger one, outlining a plan of what must be done in order to turn your dreams into reality.

Setting goals in life gives you motivation in the present, while envisioning and working towards long-term results. It is hard to succeed long-term in life without a plan or understanding the smaller steps one must take. Some people tend to avoid goals, as they want to live a care-free lifestyle, but without goals, you end up just wandering around aimlessly. Motivation does not last when bouncing around in all different directions.

The act of setting goals is said to be more important than talent; since goal-oriented individuals are much more successful at avoiding time wasters and preventing failures from causing them to quit. Success is largely dependent on focus and motivation over just talent. Goals give direction, alignment, and purpose. Knowing your direction and purpose helps to keep you flowing with motivation and inspires one to thrive through adversity.

“The reason most people never reach their goals is that they don’t define them, or ever seriously consider them as believable or achievable. Winners can tell you where they are going, what they plan to do along the way, and who will be sharing the adventure with them.”

– Denis Watiley

3. Break large goals into small, more manageable tasks.

Large goals are overwhelming and difficult to accomplish. The larger the goal, usually the longer it takes to succeed. If you do not break those large goals into smaller, more-manageable tasks in the short term, it can be quite easy to lose motivation.

The incorporation of small steps gives a path of more manageable actions to maximize effectiveness and efficiency. The reduction of feeling overwhelmed helps to ensure consistent motivation. The completion of smaller goals increases motivation incrementally, allowing you to stay focused for longer periods of time, without getting as burnt out. Large goals can be tremendously stressful, so breaking them into smaller steps to allow for motivation to be more consistent.

Though, it does feel incredible to accomplish goals no matter how small. The completion of goals incrementally maintains direction. Big dreams do not happen overnight, so the use of small steps aid to maintain consistent motivation as you reach for the top.

4. Take responsibility for the good and the bad.

Motivation comes from taking responsibility for one’s life, including one’s own actions, accomplishments, and failures. It is at this time when a person must stop blaming others for their current situation. In order to become the best version of yourself, one must take responsibility for the good and the bad within their life.

When you hold yourself accountable for the successes or failures of a certain goal, you become much more connected to the outcome. When closely connected to the outcome, you experience an increase in motivation to rise to the challenge.

Accountability is an empowering reminder that you have control over your life, including your perspective, actions, and behavior. Too often, people complain and blame others for why they are not successful, instead of getting to work. Take responsibility for your life, the good and the bad, and own everything as this is the only way to create change.

5. Action needs a plan to be productive.

Action is the first step to increasing your motivation. Nothing can be accomplished without the initial decision to create a plan for change. However, it is inefficient to aimlessly jump into action without any direction.

A clear, well-thought out plan is necessary to make the most out of all your hard work. Direction is critical when it comes down to finding motivation and creating change. Both take work and are very easy to lose when feeling lost or overwhelmed. When you have no idea what you are trying to accomplish, it is a hard task to maintain motivation over an extended period. There is a clear connection between dedication and an organized plan of action.

6. Creating lasting motivation. The importance of inspirational quotes, learning from other successful people, and supporting others.

While at times, it can be difficult to know the exact direction to take in life, there is no better way than to learn from those who have pushed past similar obstacles and became successful. Take the time to listen to their words of advice. Reach out or follow their story to learn from their mistakes. It is a productive way to learn, stay motivated, and create a plan towards your accomplishment.

A daily motivational quote is a fantastic way to start off the day on the right path. The words of encouragement increase motivation by fighting off laziness, procrastination, and a lack of ambition.

Surrounding yourself with the right people is essential to keeping motivation. When the people in your life are supportive to your goals and working hard on their own, it is motivating to keep pushing yourself to succeed. The right people in your life will make all the difference. They will promote good habits, help you solve problems, and be there for you when things get exhausting and you want to give up. They will be there to assist you through those times and prevent you from quitting.

Like-minded people, hungry for successful will push you to work harder, while having an outlet for encouragement. Successful people help to increase motivation. Just make sure you are the same supportive person back to them. Support in a friendship or relationship must be a two-way street.

7. Visualization, self-confidence, and conquering fear to enhance motivation.

If new to visualization, check out Guide to Visualization.

Visualize yourself with the confidence to overcome your fear. Visualization is often overlooked but can have a profound impact on your mindset and behavior.

Visualization is the process of creating mental imagery to drastically increase your energy and momentum, leading to constructive action. A person can experience the emotions prior to the activity, in turn enhancing future motivation and direction.

The best part is that visualization can be done anywhere. Your mind is a powerful tool, so keep exploring with the use of visualization, and watch your motivation continue to pour in as you create your ultimate life.

Visualization has the power to enhance your self-confidence. Self-confidence and motivation go hand and hand with one another. Incorporating some other healthy habits can increase your self-confidence including exercise, diet, socialization, and positivity. Individuals with high self-esteem see many positive mental health benefits including freedom from self-doubt, the motivation to act, reducing fear, and an increase in overall energy. Fear will not be able to stop your drive for something better in life.

If you enjoy this post make sure to check out How to Fuel Your Motivation.