8 Easy Steps for Self Motivation

Self motivation is often what separates success from failure. It can help you to break bad habits like over eating or smoking. Self motivation can help you to achieve great things, like running a marathon or securing that promotion. Indeed, the right self motivation can help you get ahead in work and life. However, finding self motivation, and subsequently keeping it, can be harder than you might think.

One of the most important things is to remember that you need have a positive attitude. You may not be able to control the events in your life, but you can control how you react to them! The old cliché holds true – if you think you can’t, then you are right. Thus, think positively and follow these simple steps for self motivation to see real results in your life.

1. Keep motivators in sight. What is it that motivates you? Do you want a new house, a new car, to get that next colored belt in karate? Put that motivation to good work. Get a picture or something tangible that you can place in plain view in your work area – whether it is on your desk or hanging on the wall in your home gym. For example, keep a travel guide on Fiji vacations on your desk at work to inspire you to earn that extra commission, or hang that size 6 dress next to the exercise bike to inspire you to lose that extra 20 pounds.

2. Make positive associates. Another one of the steps for self motivation is to spend time with people that have a positive influence on your life. When the people around you are positive, it is easier for you to stay positive as well. Go out for lunch, chat via IM, or even talk on the phone with other people who are motivated and positive.

3. Study your subject matter. The next in steps for self motivation involves educating yourself. The more you know about the goal you are attempting to undertake, the more confidence you will have when you embark upon the activity. For instance, if you plan on running a marathon, learn all you can about running in general, as well as information specific to endurance running for marathons. When you start training, you will feel confident in all of your knowledge.

4. Keep a positive outlook. One of the most important steps for self motivation is to keep a positive outlook at all times. You will come across obstacles regardless of what you do, and therefore, you need to develop your ability to overcome them with positivity. Remember, a failure is just a chance to learn what didn’t work, not a sign that you should give up.

5. Don’t over think your steps. There comes a point where too much thought can be a bad thing – especially if you are using it as a way to come up with reasons why you cannot engage in a particular activity. While working on your steps for self motivation, remember that at some point, you just have to do the action and stop thinking so much!

6. Be self aware. One of the best ways to keep track of your self motivation steps is to maintain a log. Make a note of the times where you have been less motivated and the times where you have been more motivated. Try to see if there is a pattern as to what you were doing, the time of day, or other things that could affect your progress. Once you learn what works, as well as what doesn’t, you can work on steps to keep yourself motivated more often.

7. Keep track of what you do. It is easier to stay self-motivated if you keep track of the self motivation steps that you are enacting, as well as your progress on a particular project. Track your work out times, pounds lost, achievements earned, and other markers of success so that you can stay inspired. If you ever feel disheartened, look back on your markers to show how far you have come – and how much more you can achieve.

8. Motivate others. This is an important self motivation step because it not only helps yourself, but those around you. Motivating friends or family members will not only help them, but it can give you the inspiration to stay motivated. Plus, it will help you to sharpen your other self motivation steps so that you are constantly re-motivating yourself over and over again as you refresh ideas.

Go ahead and get started! You can never motivate yourself if you never begin the self motivation steps. The sooner you get started, the sooner you will start to see results.