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How do I independently motivate myself?

150 Answers
Last Updated: 05/12/2022 at 1:16pm
How do I independently motivate myself?
1 Tip to Feel Better
United Kingdom
Moderated by

Tanyia Hughes, Adv Dip Psy

Psychotherapist

I have been through a lot in life too, which helps me to be able to empathize with situations, thoughts and feelings that we have. Sometimes, it's not easy just being human.

Top Rated Answers
Youleque
January 14th, 2018 8:10pm
Find both short-term and long-term goals for what you have to do. Tell yourself that after you finish doing it, you will feel more productive and accomplished and think about the long-term goals aswell to keep yourself motivated after finishing what you have to do aswell.
soulTaco29
January 18th, 2018 3:35am
There is no one-single way to motivate yourself. What works for someone might not work for you. Heck, what worked for you a couple of months ago, might not work for your now. This is a chance for you to use your knowledge of yourself, and get creative! Here are some things that have worked for me in the past: spend time every day imagining the best version of yourself; use an application that tracks how many days you complete a task in a row; research and get involved in what you need to be motivated to do (e.g. search 'fitness' on Instagram or Google 'easy home workouts' if you are trying to get fit); create a goals and rewards system; play music in the morning to get you up in the morning; do little things to prepare and make getting motivated easier...
Anonymous
February 3rd, 2018 12:51am
Try finding things that you enjoy to do and you can reward yourself with those things. For example if you need motivation to finish your homework, tell yourself that when you are done you will watch netflix or something. If you need motivation for something bigger than homework, try focusing on the future and how you see yourself there.
Chiyoko
February 4th, 2018 1:42am
By educating yourself. Read self-help books, watch videos that motivate your (ted talks are amazing), and have people to look up too that you somewhat want to be like.
oakhenge1
February 28th, 2018 2:10am
I get enough rest. If I'm tired, I'm not motivated no matter what. Next, I eat lots of happy greens!
Anonymous
March 1st, 2018 1:06pm
By writing my thoughts on what I like to do or describe a scene, sketch cartoonish images, bike for several miles on a path, or listen to my favorite music.
kindsoul1000
March 9th, 2018 8:11pm
Think of reasons why I am good at the thing i want to motivate myself to do. And be convinced that you have the potential to do so :) Know that you can do that and that the beginning is often the hardest :) success begins with the decision to try ! :) so try doing your best first :) and if u might fail be a hero and be strong and know that ur aboth taht and that u can still archieve your goals ! and as long as it was a great experience its allready a win! :) remind yourself that its better than how it were if u havent tried :) Your great and take breaks and praise yourself for everysingle good thing you have done allready. dont compare yourself. :) Your great. Your doing great and as long as it feels liek succes its the right way towards it :)
Mbali313
April 6th, 2018 9:27pm
Set alarms/reminders, put up sticky notes & reward yourself small when you get to your goal. You get out of life what you put in and that always gives me motivation to do something, even if it’s just to be nice to a stranger.
Zealous
April 7th, 2018 5:45am
Mindfulness and staying in the moment. There is no past that needs attention, and the future can wait. Attending to now helps me savor every moment.
Pumpkin74
April 26th, 2018 3:17pm
Motivation comes in so many ways from ourselves. Even when you find someone that motivates you, it is your acceptance of being uplifted that makes it work. Perhaps you can create a vision board of favorite quotes, pictures and goals that will guide you on days you are not feeling so motivated :)
Nasrz8
April 28th, 2018 8:40am
Through targets & goals. Set targets and keep tracking them with papers or computer (excel maybe). Each achievement you do or that gets you closer to your goal write it down, so you can count at the end the achievements you've done.
Ky23
May 12th, 2018 3:36am
-- Self care is so important. There is a difference between vanity and taking care of your self. When you feel good, you will feel better and go throughout the day feeling that much better. -- Planners + Calendars= Goals. Use these to independently motivate yourself by writing down events, keeping track of homework or meetings at work, and even tracking things like weight or money you are earning. -- Be realistic. Set small goals along the way, that are easier to check off the list and give you a sense of accomplishment while you are working towards a bigger goal. Being realistic means you are also setting aside time for things like breaks, sleep, and activities you enjoy. -- Don't forget to ask for help either. Asking for a small favor or help with something gives yourself more time to do the things you need to get done.
Zed17
May 18th, 2018 3:07pm
Write a list of your goals and aims - short term and long term, then a list of small steps you need to do to achieve these goals. Give yourself rewards. Use visual stimulus, like pictures, to help remind you of what you want.
Anonymous
June 15th, 2018 7:16pm
Look for inspiration. There always needs to be a reason for action, always, no exception to this rule. Weather it is to feel good or to get away from feeling bad there is reason to each and every individual action. Inaction is either a result of no reason to take action or because you don't want to feel bad because of an action you take. Get to know yourself more and know the reasons for your actions to really find some inspiration. You can also try getting yourself unstuck so you don't feel bad for taking certain actions. Example: I want to do more things for myself. (self love is the reason) But I'm afraid that I will be selfish. (being selfish is the reason I'm stuck and taking inaction). To get unstuck in this situation you will have to realize that in fact self love and selfishness are two completely different things. One is independent of the other.
Alecbows
June 16th, 2018 7:46pm
Keeping goal journals or dream boards are great! Finding people you look up to will also motivate you.
bountifulWhisper17
June 21st, 2018 6:44am
To independently motivate yourself, you should have goals. After each goal, having an award can modivate you to achieve that goal.
Anonymous
July 21st, 2018 7:33am
I set goals and I will make plans on how to achieve them. So it's like planning my own route to success that rewards me at every step :)
Anonymous
July 25th, 2018 9:19am
Generate a plan for yourself, with a variety of activities. Note to not set goals or plans that are hard to achieve as this might de-motivate yourself instead.
CallumJ
July 29th, 2018 3:54pm
Think about a goal, any goal and think about how much better you'd feel or the benefits you'd have from completing that goal. Remind yourself every morning, set a reminder on your phone and dedicate 10-30 minutes each day getting closer to completing that task! Motivation takes time and if you keep the end goal in your sights, you'll be there in no time!
Anonymous
August 9th, 2018 3:02pm
Think about what it is you’re trying to accomplish! (Example) If you’re trying to eat healthy, think about how much better you’ll feel once you cut out junk food! Set goals for yourself, but do make them attainable especially at first! Remember: even small accomplishments can be big deals. Don’t compare what you have or haven’t done to others. You are yourself!
DeepHeat100
October 12th, 2018 11:18am
This is actually a tough one. I often struggled with it, as well.. I would find myself only working when other people were involved, or with team sports and group work, etc. Personally, it helped when I started doing something that requires me to do my best for other people... So I'm studying medicine, now, and I know if I don't work hard, that's going to negatively affect all the people I need to be able to help. It isn't really fixing the problem, because I'm still not really self-motivated... But until I find myself and how to motivate myself, it helps to use what motivates me(other people) to get stuff done.
baseline18
November 3rd, 2018 4:56am
Ask yourself what you really want in life. Whether it be a pet or a big mansion. When you think about that, look up pictures on somewhere like Pinterest or Google. Example: I wanna become a dancer. So, I'm going to look up some choreographies I can learn. Another example: I want to be a journalist, so I should take some college English classes in high school (If your school offers them). Start off with the little things like a weekly to do list. Maybe even watch motivation videos if you can't seem to do it independently. Feel free to message me for other type of help if needed
smileswithasnapback18
November 4th, 2018 6:05am
I have to think of the future. I tend to get stuck in the past or present but thinking of my potential and what I could do is inspiring! I listen to uplifting and positive things so in my life I have a libaray of amazing positive self-talk mantras, motivational speakers, friends, and goal setting strategies I'm remnded of often. I have learned that I can't do it alone and I go to people and the proper professionals that will be able to help me move to the next step. I like to think of every single, small thing as a victory. Celebrate the small wins!
Anonymous
November 15th, 2018 7:14pm
Setting goals is incredibly effective, especially when you have an accurate way to visualize progress. When you see that you are actually succeeding with something it makes it so much easier to continue on and take the next step. Personally I am a man of my word and when I promise myself something I commit to it and achieve it as this is how I work, therefore if I promise myself something I will achieve it as it would break me not to. Sometimes building towards an internal Reward can spur you on by thinking of a productive treat you can afford yourself and putting in the work to strike a balance between work and play and maintain health
awareflower
December 27th, 2018 2:09pm
Self motivation is a moving target and that's ok. At the very foundation is the question of self-esteem. Do I feel worthy of the success I would accomplish if I were to succeed at this goal. If the foundation is feeling shaky, working on self-esteem is a good starting point. Setting goals from a place of curiosity, desire to improve, interest in learning or some other positive, growth oriented place works better than setting goals based on fear or dread. Next it's helpful to use some self awareness about what process works best for yourself when looking to stay motivated as you work towards a goal. Does structure make it easier to stay on track or do you work better with less structure. No matter which level of structure works best for you, take the times to be specific about what, how and by when you want to accomplish your doing. Making sure to have the small steps designed to be do-able! And finally, seek whatever kind of support that is most likely to keep you on track and build in some positive acknowledgement for each small success!
optimisticPink84
January 9th, 2019 7:57pm
If you want to motivate yourself to reach a certain goal, I'd always suggest to ask yourself the question: Why do you want to reach this goal? What is the feeling you want to achieve by reaching the goal? The answers to those questions can also give you new ideas, on what you really want and why you're doing what needs to be done to achieve it. Furthermore, if your goal is a very big one, it can make sense to break down the big goal into smaller step-by-step goals that are faster and easier to achieve. This way you take one step at a time and it it easier to see yourself making progress and being motivated to take the next step.
Anonymous
January 13th, 2019 8:08pm
Use YouTube channels daily, there are many channels that are focused around motivation...you need to top up motivation daily, it runs out fast. keep focused on your goals...visualize that perfect body healthy fit body, visualize that degree hanging on the wall every time you feel a lacking in motivation. think who your doing it for and how many people will benefit from it. use affirmations that assist that you construct such as with study "Study makes me happy!" thought even if you dont hear the voice that says different its there and that can block you so saying it until you start enjoying studying is a must. treat yourself! reward yourself for completing a task! make it a plan before starting the task and think how good it will be to get that reward.
Anonymous
January 16th, 2019 10:45am
I am motivated by meeting set targets within deadlines, as it gives me a sense of accomplishment and it's something that I can look back on and say "I achieved that". I'm also motivated by visible results – for example, when I wrote an essay for my School to present about “overcoming struggles”, I got a sense of accomplishment from knowing that up to 1,000 students would hear it. I also motivate myself by listening to positive music I love such as, Arctic Monkeys. The gratification of overcoming an obstacle is my greatest motivator. Math has never been my best subject, but I opted to take calculus in college, even though it wasn’t required for my major because I wanted to prove to myself I could do it. The course wasn’t easy, and I spent many nights studying late, but I passed with an A. The feeling of accomplishment that comes with exceeding challenging goals is my motivation.
RyIsHere
January 18th, 2019 3:44am
I don't think anyone can do it alone. As humans we are social animals who thrive when together. Try support groups or even music. Music is a great motivation to get out of bed and go be awesome! Setting a reminder can also help you. Surprisingly, the more you remind yourself, the more you will want to do it. You could also listen to videos of motivational speakers speaking at different events. These speakers are very powerful, maybe try and see one in person if possible! Another tactic is self-talk. This harnesses the power of your brain. If you say something over and over again, you will start to do it!
Saturnstars
February 20th, 2019 9:43am
The biggest step is to go outside your comfort zone. Do something that you don’t normally do. Go somewhere you’ve never been. Wear an outfit you’ve been thinking about wearing for ages but was a little nervous. Talk to friends about motivation and maybe you can come up with a plan together. Make a goal to go for a walk everyday so you feel like you’ve still done something that makes you feel successful. It’s important to take care of yourself and be slow. Drink lots of water as this will help clear your mind. You’ll do great! Just let yourself breathe!