What is Motivation?
Motivation is a state of mind. One minute it can be there providing you with inspiration and energy to do something and the next minute it can be gone. In this blog you will learn ways to give your motivation a boost and how to maintain the feeling regularly.
In order for you to master your motivation levels it’s essential that you know what motivation really is and how it works. It’s also important for you to know what causes low motivation levels so that you can take steps to prevent these from happening. More on that in another blog post.
Because motivation is a state of mind it can be fleeting. A state will come, it will peak and feel intense and then you will come down from that state.
Think of it like this, when you see someone you know and like down the street. You start off in a neutral feeling. You see them and you smile, you say hello, they respond, it makes you smile a bit harder, they keep walking and the smile fades and you go back to the neutral feeling. So, it starts, it peaks and then you come down.
But, there has to be a trigger to generate the feeling. Like the example above you weren’t walking and smiling so big to yourself for no reason. Seeing the person you knew was the trigger for your smile and feeling of happiness.
As a hypnotherapist I have people asking all the time “Can you hypnotise me to feel motivated.” The answer to that is yes, with a caveat.
In order to feel motivated, you need to know what you want to use that motivation for specifically. What would trigger the feeling of motivation for you. Lack of motivation has become a plausible excuse in not achieving things in life.
“I want to lose weight but I just can’t get motivated.”
“I just need some motivation and then I’ll start studying.”
“I really want to hit the gym but I can’t find the motivation.”
You get it. We’ve all used those bullshit excuses and what’s worse we convince ourselves that this mystical feeling of motivation is something that’s out of our control.
The good news is that motivation is 100% in your control in your power to turn on and off at will. You just need to know how. It’s very easy to do this through hypnotherapy I’m not gonna lie. But there are also practical steps you can take to switch on that amazing feeling too.
You need to work on your motivation consistently it’s not a one-time thing. Distractions can easily knock you out of your motivated state and so can feelings of overwhelm. This is when it’s easy to procrastinate and self-sabotage any success.
10 Tips To Boost Your Motivation
Following are 10 tips to help boost your motivation towards what you want to achieve. Make sure you have that clearly thought out first and that it has juice to it.
Make sure it lights you up just thinking about achieving it. Then incorporate all of the following or just the ones that call to you.
1: Use Visualisation
If you’re feeling your motivation levels waning then take a few minutes to visualize achieving your goal. Using visualization can help you to change your emotional state to one of motivation.
If you have never used visualization before then it can take a bit of practice, but it is an effective technique for a quick motivational boost.
When you’re visualizing be sure to experience the strong feelings of excitement and joy that you will get once you have achieved your goal. This will inspire you to take action and rekindle your motivation. Use all your senses to create an experience. This is similar to hypnosis.
The better you can use your senses the more vivid and real the experience will feel. Visualisation also gives instructions to your unconscious mind on what you are wanting to achieve.
Your unconscious mind wants to please you and will find ways to bring the imagery and experience into your existence.
2: Use Affirmations
Your self-talk is important. If you’re constantly bombarding your mind with negative thoughts your motivation is going to take a dive. Positive affirmations are a great way to prevent this.
Create a list of positive affirmations that are empowering and in line with the results you want to achieve. Maybe you want to lose weight or quit smoking.
Keep the list of affirmations close by so you can read through them and experience the power of positive thinking. When you’re saying your affirmations make sure that you feel the words and that they inspire you.
Don’t just say your affirmations in a monotone way because this will not help you at all.
You need to inject emotion into your affirmations. By reading your affirmations out loud with strong emotion you will boost your energy and your motivation levels. Keep practicing this until it works for you.
If you need some help take a look at Louise Hay books she is the queen of affirmations. Start with this one: You Can Heal Your Life.
3. Listen to some Uplifting Music
We all have some music that really uplifts us. So if you’re feeling your motivation levels are down put on that uplifting music to give you a boost. Don’t be tempted to listen to slow and sad music as this will put you in the wrong state. This kind of music can make you feel down and depressed.
Music evokes states and stirs feelings. In NLP we call this an anchor. A certain song can remind you of your first kiss or the time you drove your car for the first time.
Some music makes you want to jump around the room pretending you’re a rock star (And you are a rock star baby – don’t let anyone tell you different).
There’s certain music that you like to play when you’re working out at gym or going for a walk or run. Use music to your advantage to evoke the state of motivation and the feeling that you are unstoppable. Use a specific song that is empowering to you as your ringtone and your message alert or your alarm.
That means you will hear the song several times in the day and automatically and unconsciously trigger the feeling of motivation. Winning!
Use your phone to add uplifting music to a playlist so that you can access it wherever you are. When you’re a in a crowded place use earphones so that you don’t disturb others. Uplifting music works so make sure it’s available to you.
Looking for Help To Set Motivating Goals?
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The Goals & Productivity Planner is perfect if you’re looking to organise your life and set priorities.
This planner is filled with templates and exercises to help you define and determine what you want to achieve, how you want to achieve it and by when.
You will also find templates designed to keep you motivated, focused and your mindset on point.
Print the pages and use them over and over again to achieve your goals.
4. Get your Body Moving
When you’re in motion you create emotion. If you’re feeling demotivated get out of your chair and start moving around. Do whatever you need to do to get motivated. For example you can jump around and punch the air! This can make you feel energized, refreshed and raring to go.
Moving around like this will increase the flow of blood and oxygen to your brain. This is a great way to increase your motivation levels. Practice moving around in different ways until you find the right set of movements that will drive up your motivation levels. It really works so do it now!
You can call a friend or return work calls while you walk. We call this the Walk and Talk Power Sessions. You will be amazed at how many steps you clock up when you walk and talk.
Movement is a good way to release negative energy whilst generating clean energy. So dance, squat, walk, jump do whatever you can to keep the energy flowing.
5. Take Power Naps
If you take power naps you can quickly restore your alertness and feel refreshed. After a power nap you’re sensory perception will be heightened and you’ll feel more creative and motivated.
Famous people like Thomas Edison, Albert Einstein and Leonardo da Vinci were all supporters and practitioners of the power nap. If it was good enough for them to raise their motivation levels then it’s good enough for you!
Be sure to keep them short. A long sleep will not have the same benefits and can work against the goal keeping you feeling tired and sluggish.
6. Create a Motivational Anchor
This is really easy to do and really effective. What you have to do here is find a time when you’re feeling super motivated and then create a physical anchor by doing something with your body. This can be something like squeezing your thumb and forefinger together.
For this to work effectively the feelings of motivation must be really strong. Once you have set the anchor test it out and see if you feel motivated again.
When you have an anchor that works you can use it for an instant motivational boost. This is a really simple and effective technique but it can take practice to do it in this way.
I’m an NLP Trainer but I prefer creating anchors in other ways. For example I have a coffee mug that says Rise and Grind. And another that says Just a girl Building Her Empire.
The words motivate me. I will only use those mugs if I am working on a project that requires my full attention and I have a set amount of time I can deep dive into the project.
I will not use those mugs unless I am doing deep work. I have “hug mugs” for my relaxing breaks and down time. I only tie my hair up if I am working out or working hard on a project. I wear my hair out when I’m relaxing or with friends.
You see, different things trigger different feelings. You can use jewellery, perfume/aftershave, clothes, music, hairstyles, candles, oils, food, drinks, places, vision boards, affirmations all these things and more to trigger the feeling of motivation.
Think about the things you do that have become a pattern. Use them to create anchors for motivation.
7. Make Changes to your Environment
There has been a lot of research that proves your environment can severely affect your mood. If you need to sit in a chair for several hours each day and your chair is not comfortable, this can really drive down your motivational levels.
So the simple solution here is to get a more comfortable chair. There are other things that you can do as well to make your environment more inspiring. For example you can put up motivational posters around your workspace.
Do the colors in the room feel warm and inviting or bright and happy or dull and boring? Can you burn essential oils to create an ambience in the room that is relaxed and comfortable or fresh and alert? Do you have nice stationery, tools that are in good condition?
Take a look around your environment and see what you can tweak to make you feel more motivated.
8. Motivational Videos & Quotes
You will find lots of motivational videos on YouTube and other websites. Some of these motivational videos can be quite long so we recommend that you find a shorter video that will really inspire you.
The only danger with this technique is that YouTube is very addictive and if you’re not disciplined you can find yourself watching other videos and wasting a ton of time.
So find one or two videos that aren’t too long which will give you a motivational boost and after you have watched them get straight back to working on your goals.
If you don’t have time for videos a quick search on Pinterest for Motivational Quotes can also give you a boost. This is my go to source for motivation and inspiration.
I do this either in the morning when I first wake up to set the mood for the day (anchoring a state) or I read them while I’m power walking and getting my steps in for the day (anchoring motivation again).
The good thing with Pinterest is you can search motivational quotes in specific niches like motivation for weight loss quotes or gym/workout quotes, giving up addictions quotes, happy marriage quotes, personal strength quotes etc.
If we are not friends on Pinterest you can follow me here.
9. Ask yourself Questions & Journal Your Answers
This is another very easy and powerful technique to raise your motivation levels. Most people say they journal for mental health but they don’t actually ask any questions and therefore do not get any solutions. They really just do a brain dump which is fine but doesn’t do a lot for motivation.
For this to work you must ask the right questions of yourself so you can dig deeper into your unconscious mind to find solutions. Most people ask themselves the completely wrong questions when they’re feeling demotivated.
Avoid these kinds of questions at all costs:
- Why is this work so boring?
- Why can’t I get this finished?
- Why can’t I lose weight?
- Why don’t I have any willpower?
- What if I’m not good enough to achieve my goals?
These kinds of questions will leave you in a demotivated state. You need to ask empowering questions like these below:
- What are my recent achievements that make me feel proud?
- What can I do right now to move closer to my goal?
- How will I feel when I achieve my goals?
- What do I need to do to overcome any roadblocks to achieving my goal?
Can you see the difference here? These questions are empowering and will certainly give you a quick motivational boost
10. Complete an Easy Task
If you have a number of tasks on your daily to-do list then I recommend you start off by completing an easy one first. The reason for doing this is because you will get a sense of accomplishment from completing the task and you will ease that mental to-do-list that can feel like it never ends.
Some people will tell you to tackle the difficult tasks first, but the problem with this is if you get stuck and find it difficult to complete the task this can lead to your motivation levels decreasing rapidly.
By completing an easy task your motivation levels will rise and you’ll be keen to move on to the next task. It will build your confidence by building up your successes.
Conclusion
There you have 10 quick tips to boost your motivation levels. Start with a goal in mind that feel so awesome that when you achieve them it’s gonna be a game changer. If you’re not excited about your goals then you’re not thinking big enough.
Your goals should excite you and scare you a little bit at the same time. Then you make your plan and follow the plan. Along the way you sprinkle in some of these tips above to keep your motivation driving you towards your end game. You got this.
If you want some tools for motivation then checkout the Goals & Productivity Planner in the store and the Self-Esteem Planner to get you started.
If you need help click here to make an appointment and I can help you in person or over Skype/Zoom.
