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Ten Motivation Tactics to Get You Going

For those times you need a quick boost, these motivation tactics can help you to start a task or to help maintain your momentum to get something done. These suggestions can aid in motivating yourself when you are struggling to get started on or to finish a task.

1. Music for Motivation

Music has great power to change your emotional state. It can charge you up, make you feel happy or sad, or to help you get excited or to relax.

Experiment to find out what effect different types of music have on you, and find something that puts you in a positive state of mind or gets you pumped up. Then use that music to give you a boost when you want to get started on something or to help you keep going when your motivation starts to give out.

2. Increase Energy by Eating Better

Low levels of motivation can stem from low energy levels. In the short term, you can give yourself a quick energy boost by eating a snack (preferably something relatively healthy) to get you going again.

An even more powerful motivation tactic is to get in the habit of eating healthy and energizing foods.

Pay attention to what you are eating and what effect the food has on you. For example, do you feel different during the day when you eat a solid breakfast vs. when you skip it? Experiment with your eating habits, try some healthy alternatives and find what things best work to increase your overall energy.

3. Take a Power Nap

If you find your energy flagging and you are having a tough time staying focused on your task, take a power nap. The idea of sleeping to get motivated may seem backwards, but a short 20 minute nap may rejuvenate you and give you a lift in energy to help you get more done.

Many people don't get enough sleep each night, which can sap energy and decrease motivation. The power nap is one of the easier motivation tactics to implement, and it can have very positive effects on your energy level.

4. Exercise

Sometimes all you need to get motivated is to get the blood pumping with a little exercise. Get up, take a 10-15 minute walk around the block, do some calisthenics, or even just dance around for a few minutes. The physical activity can give you a boost in energy and aid in motivating yourself to accomplish your goal.

5. Find an Easy Victory

A small victory can help provide the motivation to tackle larger tasks. If you are feeling stuck, find some small task you need to do and that you can complete quickly and easily. The feeling of getting something done can help in motivating yourself to complete something else. Sometimes all you need is just a little win to get you going again.

6. Set a 30 Minute Goal

A large task can seem daunting, and getting the motivation to start can be difficult. Setting a time based goal can help you get started. Rather than feeling like you have to finish the task, just set a goal to work on it exclusively for 30 minutes, and once the 30 minutes is up you can do something else.

Just getting started on a task can help in motivating yourself, and working on it for 30 minutes will give you a sense of accomplishment towards the project.

7. Review your Long Term Goals

There are times where you may wonder why you bother with trying to do a task. A great motivation tactic is to step back for a moment and gain some perspective on your activities.

Reviewing your long term goals can help reinvigorate your motivation to act by reminding you how the smaller tasks fit into the bigger picture, and how the small steps can help you achieve your larger goals.

8. Make a Commitment to Someone

Committing to someone that you'll get something done can provide an extra level motivation to get started, as well as some pressure to finish. It is easy to put something off when there are no consequences, but as soon as you set up an obligation to someone else to have something done, you may find you have a greater incentive to complete it.

9. Create Mini Rewards

Find some way to reward yourself after taking action, whether it be a small treat or some other indulgence. Set firm parameters- for example, you must work for an uninterrupted period of time (like 30 or more minutes) or you must finish a specific task. Once you have reached the parameter you set, give yourself a mini-reward. This motivation tactic reinforces your behavior and creates a habit of taking action.

10. Focus on the Present

Sometimes our motivation is lagging because our mind is elsewhere- thinking about what we'd rather be doing, worrying about a pending problem, or replaying a past event. When our minds are preoccupied with irrelevant thoughts, it can be hard to maintain motivation for your current activity.

Center yourself, focus on the moment and completely involve yourself in your task. A focus on the present moment can help you to get into a flow state where you accomplish more and feel more motivated in your efforts.

Using these motivation tactics can help to give you a temporary boost, to help you get going on a task and maintain your motivation through completion. For longer term motivation, these motivation techniques can help give you a broader foundation for developing your overall level of self motivation.

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