How to Keep Oneself Motivated

We often wonder why other people behave as they do. People have a wide range of motives and their action often stem from such motives. In other words, most of our everyday explanation of behavior is given in terms of motives. Behaviour is goal-driven. Goal-seeking behavior tends to persist until the goal is accomplished. For achieving their goals people plan and perform different activities.

The term motivation is derived from the Latin word ‘movere’ meaning movement or activity. It is internal processes that activate, guide and maintain people’s actions.

However, most of us at one time or the other feels that getting motivated to do the things we should do is difficult if not impossible. Are there any kinds of techniques that can be used to overcome such lethargy?

Here are some practical tips for motivating oneself and others:

1. Be planned and organized in whatever you do.

2. Set goals which are specific, challenging and attainable. Prioritize your goals, both long-term and short-term goals. Put them into 1, 2, 3 etc. Set short-term targets in terms of a few days, a week or a month. And most importantly, be committed to your goals.

3. Reward yourself for achieving the set goals. When choosing your goals, also identify the rewards you will give yourself for achieving them. For instance, you may reward yourself with new book, new pen, and watching favourite movie or give yourself a break.

4. Compliment yourself every time you achieve your goals. E.g., say “cheers! I did it”, “I really can do something worth smartly”, “I am good at doing this” etc.

5. If the set goals seem difficult to achieve then break them up into smaller ones and approach them one by one.

6. Imagine or visualize the joy or happiness that will accompany the goal once you attain it after all the hard work.