Find Your Key To Long-Term Motivation 

From an early age, we are taught that we can achieve any goal if we put enough effort to do so. But what to do in a situation where the brain works against you? How to force yourself to move on, if all that comes to mind is the thought of giving up? Many people believe that if you wait a little while, you are sure to get a wave of inspiration. And when this does not happen, they feel a loss of strength and unwillingness to perform the task. Or a person convinces himself that he is doing something useful, for example, watching a motivational video on YouTube, although this is just another form of procrastination.

The main source of motivation is action. Even small efforts create momentum to help move in the right direction. It takes the most persistence in the initial stages, then the movement becomes habitual and easier. If you feel that there is a wall on your way to your goal, the following recommendations are designed especially for you.

Create a list of your goals

List all of your goals and visualize the emotions you’ll feel when you achieve them. It feels good, doesn’t it? Start with small goals and focus on priorities. Be wary of multitasking. Studies show that humans expend a lot of mental energy when switching their attention between different activities. Some specialists suppose that the process of immersion into the state of total concentration can take up to 23 minutes. Therefore it is recommended to prioritize intelligently and not to disperse attention between a dozen different goals.

Stick to the certain daily schedule

Motivation is not a state that can be induced at any time. You need to be aware of your intentions, and then use them to shape behaviors that can lead to your goals. A schedule is an important structure that keeps you moving forward, regardless of mood or desire. Automating difficult, must-do tasks is an effective way to increase productivity. Allocate enough time to work on priority tasks, make a schedule, and follow it diligently. Only if you have managed your daily tasks, take a break (for example, navigate to gambling site or enjoy the latest Netflix series!) 

Stay physically active

This is advice for the ages, and it comes in handy in any field. Have you noticed that physical workers go home much happier than mental workers? It’s all about physical activity. When you exercise, your body produces happy hormones – endorphins.  If you feel that you get depressed, and you do not want to do anything, then start exercising. I just think that this is the most free way to produce happiness.

Analyze your weaknesses

Why do you want to give up?  Is it fear of failure or fear of public opinion? Boredom? Consciousness has a huge impact on how we feel. Sometimes people fall into a state of apathy and hopelessness for no physical reason. Having a goal that you want to fight for is critical to staying motivated. Find value in what you are doing. Try to understand why you want to keep moving toward a particular goal. Will it help you achieve something more? Or will it benefit those around you? People are much more enthusiastic when they understand the importance of a task and the benefits of accomplishing it.

Stay close to nature

Being outdoors is always good for you. You can go to the river for a swim, organize a picnic, go to the countryside, take a walk in the woods, and become an avid traveler. Nature revitalizes our soul, talking to nature, we feel as if we are renewed.

Be positive

The most important thing in motivation is to be positive. Sometimes it’s quite easy, sometimes you need to work on yourself. A positive person is always easier to act, easier to endure the hardships of life, and easier to make friends and relationships.  If you want to be motivated, always hope for the best, otherwise what’s it all for?

Reward yourself for moving towards your goals

Promise yourself something nice and satisfying right after you’ve done the planned amount of work, and be sure to keep your promise. The positive emotions from the reward will connect with the memory of the job, and it will be easier to get started next time.

Analyze what keeps you from getting started. For example, you sit down at the computer to study, but you start playing a computer game instead. Way out: disconnect the computer from the Internet, block social networks, or create two user profiles on the computer – for study and recreation. Then you can leave the programs you need for studies on the first one, and transfer all the entertainment and games to the second one.

Sometimes it helps to overcome resistance to clean your desk or the whole room, and sometimes it is enough to lock the door so that no one can enter your room for an hour and tear you away from your studies.

Talk to a friend

Self-motivation is never easy. It’s much easier if there’s someone else who holds you accountable. One simple way that you can get a boost of motivation without having to have a boss yelling at you is to bail you out. Talk to a friend who also has problems with motivation, and you’ll start looking out for your friend. At the end of each day (or at lunch or some other time that’s convenient for you), check-in and discuss with each other what you’ve accomplished. The thought of having to tell your friend that you’ve been on Facebook all day is likely to motivate you to do something.

If you want to take it even further, you can negotiate rewards and punishments with your friend, depending on your progress. 

Start with little steps

To do this, tell yourself that you will only study for five or ten minutes, just look in and read a few paragraphs of the desired paragraph, solve one problem, or draw one graph. Once you get down to business, the resistance will disappear, and you’ll be able to study for much more than five minutes. Make a plan and write down intermediate goals. They should be modest and you must be able to achieve them. For example, set a goal of studying one topic, to begin with. After that, move on to solving problems and doing practical exercises on that topic, and only then move on to the next topic. But don’t get carried away! It is better to stop at the most interesting place before you feel overworked and bored – then it will be easier to start next time.