Motivation: A short guide on how to start and stay motivated

Rightly said by Jillian Michaels, “You can look for external sources of motivation and that can catalyze a change, but it won’t sustain one. It has to be from an internal desire.”

There is always something in our lives that we want to change or accomplish. It can be a bad routine, a habit we wish to change, or, a goal we want to accomplish. 

Talking of change and accomplishments, we all may agree that motivation is the very first thing that gets us going toward breaking a bad habit or achieving something great. It is powerful but also one tricky beast and the greatest challenge is to find that much-needed dose of motivation to start.

Sometimes, it is really easy to find motivation and get going while being wrapped up in the whirlpool of excitement. Other times, it becomes next to impossible to figure out how to motivate oneself to do anything.

So, through this comprehensive guide, we are going to dig motivation a little deeper and understand the ways to start and stay motivated.

What is motivation?

So, what is motivation exactly? You can share your definition of motivation in the comment section, but for now, let’s have a look at the one below.

Influenced by how much you want to achieve something, or, how desperately you want to break a bad habit, motivation is the drive to go after that set expectation. It is the force that makes you believe that it is okay to take an action while feeling insecure, rather than staying still and self-loathing all day. This internal urge, I think, is the main essence of motivation.

They say every choice comes with a price but when we are motivated, bearing the inconvenience that comes with the choice becomes easier. We somehow cross a line, after which, not doing something becomes more painful than doing it.

How to get motivated? (Even when you don’t feel like it!)

Most of us struggle to find the motivation we need to achieve something desirable. Well, that’s because we end up wasting our time and energy on other parts of the process. We usually keep thinking to ourselves, “Hope I find the motivation to do this or that” and so many other things.

To be honest, you will never be able to find motivation if you keep looking for it. It is not an object that you can find in your cupboard or resting peacefully on your dining. If you wish to have that motivation, you must start by setting a schedule. Setting a schedule for things you want to do means putting yourself on auto-pilot mode by giving time and place to your goal. So, stop waiting for motivation to strike you, and start now by setting a schedule.

Things to remember to stay motivated

Do you ever wonder how the most prolific artists in the world manage to motivate themselves? For starters, they don’t just set schedules, but build rituals. Their work is not merely dependent on motivation but on their set pattern and routine activities.

The power of ritual is such that it provides a route to your behavior, following which, your habits become easier. With ritual, you never feel the need to wonder over where to start first, what to do next, etc...

Now, to make sure that you stay motivated in the long run, remember these things:

YOUR MIND IS MERELY AN ENGINE THAT SUGGESTS

People usually hear what their mind suggests. What they fail to realize is, it is just a suggestion and not an order to follow. Even at this moment, as I am working on drafting this piece of motivation for you, my mind is suggesting that I am feeling tired and I should give up. At the same time, I am focusing on the fact that if I complete this, I will end up feeling good and motivated for my next write-up.

So, you must also remember that none of those suggestions are an order to follow. They are just options and YOU HOLD THE POWER TO MAKE A CHOICE.

DISCOMFORT IS OKAY. IT IS TEMPORARY

I have seen many people giving up on something they always wanted so badly just because of an episode of discomfort. Eventually, they start feeling that it is taking too much of them, maybe it’s not possible, or, they are not ready to face such difficult situations.

Well, if you ever get stuck in such a situation of discomfort, always remember that it is temporary. So, you must put yourself in that not-so-comfortable situation and ALLOW THE SAME TO STRENGTHEN YOU, BOTH MENTALLY AND PHYSICALLY.

YOU ARE NEVER GOING TO REGRET THE GOOD WORK

There will always be days when you will find it so damn hard to start working on your goal. You also might end up feeling tired and worse after putting all your efforts into doing that one thing. But, you have to keep yourself reminded WHY IT IS WORTH FINISHING. This is because you will never regret your efforts and good work after achieving your goal.

I hope that you will find this short guide on motivation useful. If you are looking for more meaningful ideas on motivation, stay tuned. I will come back with many more motivational posts.