Note: This article is taken from the blog "Pace Smith", where she talks about 17 ways to motivate yourself.
Consider a goal you'd like to accomplish but are finding it difficult to stay motivated for. You care about it, which makes it clear. That's the reason you chose your goal. Motivation is to remember why and how much you care, so read these ideas with your goal in mind and think about how you can apply one of them today to remind yourself how important your goal is and why.
Seventeen ways to motivate yourself
1. Design the Vision Board
Get a board on which you can put stickers, cut out clippings from magazines, collect several pictures and words that remind you why you care about your goal, and hang them where you can see them.
2. Set a desktop or smartphone wallpaper
You can count it as a digital board, find an image, or create one that reminds you of why you care about your goal, then set it as a desktop or smartphone background for you to see all the time.
3. Set a reminder
Set an alarm that goes off every morning with a reminder of why you care about your goal. Personally, I use my iPhone, and I set an alarm to play nice and quiet music with a message that reminds me of what I want to feel.
4. Use an app
There are apps designed specifically to remind you of your goals. For example, there is an app that helps you achieve the goal of taking a picture every day, an app for the goal of feeling grateful every day, and an app for drinking enough water every day. Find an app that helps you achieve your goal.
5. Write a reminder
Write a reminder to yourself of why you paid attention to the goal in the first place, and place it in a convenient place so that you see it every day.
6. Use reminder codes
If you share your private space with someone else, you may not want others to read your goals, so you can use a code that reminds you of your reasons for interest and put it in a place where you can see it daily.
7. Leave your tools in their usual place
The equipment you use to help you achieve your goal can remind you of the reasons for your interest. For instance, I constantly remind myself to ride my bike three times a week by keeping it in a visible location. The added advantage of leaving it in a visible place is that you won't have to look for it.
8. Jewelry
Buy, make, or order a piece of jewelry that reminds you of your reasons for interest, and wear it. I have a necklace that reminds me of my main goal for this year.
9. Daily questions
Find a partner and ask each other these questions every day:
- Why do you care about your goal?
- Is there anything I can do to help or support you today?
This combination of support and accountability will work wonders.
10. Write daily
It is the introvert's way of conducting a daily self-accountability process. Write your answers to these three questions every day:
- Why do I care about my goal?
- What can I do today to take one step toward my goal?
- What kind of support do I need?
- Even if the answer to the first question is exactly the same every day, writing it down over and over again helps motivate you.
11. Put your motivation in sight
Find a place that reminds you of your motivation, and make it a daily ritual.
12. Surround yourself with supportive people
Surround yourself with people who have qualities that motivate you and remind you of your purpose.
13. Bookmark
If a web page reminds you of your interest, bookmark it and make it your homepage. If there is an email reminding you of your interest, you can bookmark it in Gmail, so when you click on it, you will remember your motivation.
14. Write a self-love letter
When you feel motivated, write a love letter that addresses yourself as you imagine it in the future, tell yourself exactly what you will need to hear to help you feel motivated again, and then put the letter in a convenient place so that you remember to read it when you need.
15. Read a book
Read a book that reminds you why you care about your goal.
16. Watch a movie
Watch a movie that makes you feel motivated.
17. Visit a friend
Go out with a friend who reminds you why you care about your goal.
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