10 Tips to Find Self Motivation to Just Do It

It is so easy for people to say ‘just do it’ if you tell them you procrastinate. Here are some tips to help you to resolve this. I have given examples of how I use these for my self motivation, but we are all different. You don’t have to do all 10. Of course, if you are unmotivated, you may not even bother to read this.

“If you want to make an easy job seem mighty hard, just keep putting off doing it.” – Olin Miller

1. Challenge your beliefs

What is your belief about your self motivation? If you are telling yourself, ‘I am hopeless at self motivation’, then it will become a self fulfilling prophesy. I have to catch myself and listen to the self talk and then change it. Be how you want to be, not what you believe yourself to be – ‘Fake it until you make it’. For example, keep telling yourself ‘I am a completer finisher’ until it becomes the new you.

2. Believe in yourself

Low self belief can be exacerbated by not doing things and then beating yourself up for not having done them.  I choose to feel good about myself. If I don’t do something, I stop myself from being negative about it by focusing on what I have achieved. What do you choose to believe about yourself?

3. Take control of events

Self esteem is related to how much you feel in control of events and that will impact on your performance. If you feel you are not in control, performance can go down and so does your self esteem. Alternatively, taking control of events improves performance and therefore self esteem. What could you choose to take control of today?

4. Nurture the energy

The energy you need to find that self motivation requires the whole of your body, so it is important that you are taking care of your mind, body and spirit. With a  busy lifestyle it is easy to neglect aspects of yourself. Are you eating healthily, exercising enough and having sufficient ‘me’ time?

5. Have no regrets

My mantra is to ‘die happy with no regrets’. I like to live life to the full. Imagine you are on your deathbed, what regrets will you have? If you don’t want any, then start doing what you want to do.

6. Find your buzz

Coming out of your comfort zone to do things requires energy. What lights your fire – gives you a buzz? You can then apply it to the task in hand. What motivates me is making a difference. I can apply this to get me started by thinking about how I can do it quicker, easier, better; or the impact doing it will have on others.

7. Reward yourself

You can make the task pleasanter by rewarding yourself on completion. I will do something I like doing (riding or meeting a friend for coffee). What reward could you give yourself?

8. Set a deadline

Having a deadline works for some people. It gives a horizon on an otherwise endless (and this can be scary) scene. I find I work best when there is a start time and a deadline. Do deadlines work for you?

9. Make it fun

If you are enjoying life, it is easier to summon up the energy. There are a million ways to make it fun, but it has to be right for you. For me, it can be having music on or having the odd joke or chat with someone to break up the task. How could you bring fun into what you do?

10. Recall that feeling

Think about a time when you were highly motivated. How did that feel? Conjure up what you saw and heard and how you felt. Amplify those senses and anchor it in your mind. (Let me know if you would like more information on anchoring). Next time you are struggling to find self motivation, recall those feelings and remember how good it is to ‘just do it’.

Let me know if you require further information or I can help in any way.