1.
Motivate Yourself Today ! Everything you Need to
Know.
Setting a goal—anything from getting a degree or landing a new job to
achieving a new level of physical fitness—is a big step toward improving your
life. But following through to achieve what we’ve set out to accomplish can be
challenging, especially on those days when motivation wanes. So how do you
follow through on your commitments during those times when you just don’t
feel like putting in the work?
We all lose motivation from time to time. When you’re feeling unmotivated, try
one of these science-backed strategies to get yourself back on track toward
your goal.
1. Put your goal on the calendar.
One way to give a boost to your internal motivation is to create some external
motivation: a target date. Whatever it is you’re aiming to accomplish, put it on
the calendar. You may be working toward a goal with a set finish date built in.
Examples include preparing for a test or taking a course with a fixed end date.
If your goal lacks this structure, you can add it by deciding on a date by which
you could realistically achieve your goal.
Want to run a 5k or marathon? Sign up for a race on or near your target date.
Considering a degree? Research the application deadline and write it down.
Aiming to learn a new career skill? Register for a course and set a target date
to finish.

2.
Having a target date not only helps you stay motivated, it also helps you track
your progress—you always know how much further you have to go. This can
have a big impact on your performance .
Tip: Setting a target date
Be realistic when setting your target date, but resist the urge to give
yourself more time than you’ll need. Studies show that we sometimes
perceive longer goals as more difficult, even when they’re not. This
can lead to a greater likelihood of procrastination or quitting .
2. Make working toward your goal a habit.
When you make working toward your goal a habit—an automatic conditioned
response—you no longer have to rely so much on feeling motivated. How do
you turn a behavior into a habit?
Identify a trigger.
Choose something that you already do everyday, like brushing your teeth or
eating lunch, to be a trigger for the action you want to make a habit. Write out
an “if-then” plan (also known as an implementation intention).

3.
For example, if you want to create a habit of studying for a class everyday,
your if-then plan might look like this:
If I pour my first cup of coffee, then I will spend five minutes on my math
homework.
To build consistency in exercise, it might look like this:
If I get up and brush my teeth, then I will immediately put on my workout clothes.
Making this plan and committing it to writing could increase the likelihood of
following through .
Start small.
Notice that the above examples do not say that you’ll read six chapters of your
textbook, watch two hours of lecture videos, or spend an hour sweating on the
treadmill.
Getting started is often the hardest part on low-motivation days, and starting is
much easier when the task is small: Five minutes of study or putting on your
workout clothes.
These seemingly small actions can prime your mind for the task at hand, so
the followthrough—a longer study session or a full workout—can happen
more naturally with less mental resistance, according to The Science of Self
Help.
3. Plan for imperfection.

4.
It’s great to feel excited and confident about achieving your goal, but it’s also
possible to be too optimistic .Not every day will go exactly as planned, and
that’s okay. Life happens.
But one way to boost motivation on difficult days is simply to plan for them. As
you think about your goal, jot down a list of the things that could get in your
way. If you’re taking an online course, this could include:
● Losing internet access
● Getting a phone call in the middle of a study session
● Having a child home sick
● Feeling stuck on a difficult concept or assignment
If your goal is to go running everyday, some obstacles might include:
● Rainy weather
● Injury
● Illness
● Getting asked to stay late at work during the time you usually run
We can’t predict everything that could happen, but we can predict those
obstacles that are likely to happen from time to time based on our unique
circumstances.
Once you have your list, make a plan for how to handle the obstacle. How can
you plan ahead for when your internet goes out? Maybe you could keep a few
lecture videos downloaded to your phone or computer for offline access, or
you could identify a nearby coffee shop that offers free wifi.
Now when that obstacle pops up, instead of losing motivation and feeling
deflated, you have a plan in place to keep the momentum going.
Keep in mind that for some obstacles, missing your task is a perfectly
acceptable plan.
The WOOP method

5.
Next time you’re setting a goal for yourself, practice the WOOP
technique, pioneered by Dr. Gabriele Oettingen. This stands for Wish,
Outcome, Obstacle, and Plan. What is your wish? What would be the
outcome of that wish coming true? What main obstacle stands in your
way? What can you do to overcome that obstacle?
4. Set small goals to build momentum.
“If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed. If you make
your bed every morning, you will have accomplished the first task of the day. It
will give you a small sense of pride, and it will encourage you to do another
task, and another, and another.”
Naval Admiral William H. McRaven gave this advice during his
commencement speech at the University of Texas at Austin in 2014. The
former Navy SEAL was onto something.
Research shows that frequent small successes can build a sense of
momentum that can in turn drive long-term success, especially early in the
process [7, 8]. Whatever your big goal may be, start by breaking it down into
smaller chunks. Getting a new job might be a big goal. Smaller goals could be
updating your resume, making a portfolio website, earning a certification, or
attending a networking event.

6.
Did you know?
Setting goals at the start of a new week, month, or year can naturally
lead to increased motivation .We tend to mentally associate these
temporal landmarks with new beginnings while creating mental
distance from any perceived shortcomings in our past. Now that’s
what we call a motivational Monday.
5. Track your progress.
Seeing progress can be highly motivating. You’ll find many tools out there to
help you track your goals. This could be as simple as a to-do list or calendar
where you can cross off tasks or days as you complete them. Or you might
opt for a free tool like Trello, which allows you to create a personalized digital
task board to categorize your big goal into daily, weekly, monthly, or even
yearly sub goals.
Another option is to draw a progress bar on a sheet of poster board or paper.
Hang it somewhere where you’ll see it regularly, and fill it in as you get closer
to your goal.
What is a SMART goal?

7.
Sometimes the best goals are SMART goals—specific, measurable,
achievable, relevant, and time bound.
6. Reward yourself for the little wins as well
as the big ones.
It feels good to be rewarded for our work. But rewards can also improve
motivation and performance. Rewarding yourself for reaching small
milestones and completing big goals could boost your interest and enjoyment
in the work you’re doing.
These rewards don’t have to be big or cost a lot of money. Here’s a quick list
of ideas you could use to reward yourself:
● Take a short break
● Go for a walk outside
● Enjoy your favorite snack
● Read a chapter of your favorite book
● Spend a few minutes meditating
● Listen to an episode of your favorite podcast
● Plan a night out with friends
● Play an online game
● Visit a free museum or attraction
● Have a long bath or shower
● Call a friend or family member

8.
Spend a few minutes making your own reward list so that you’re ready to
celebrate your wins, big and small.
7. Embrace positive peer pressure.
You’re ultimately the one who puts in the work to achieve your goals. But other
people can be a great motivator.
Research shows that feeling like you’re part of a team can lead to boosted
perseverance, engagement, and performance, even if you’re working alone
[12]. Depending on your goal, this might mean joining a study group, running
team, gym class, professional organization, or virtual challenge.
Another study suggests that sharing your goal with someone whose opinion
you value can strengthen your commitment to attaining that goal . For work
goals, consider sharing with a mentor or supervisor. You might choose to
share educational goals with a teacher or academic advisor, or fitness goals
with a coach or fellow gym member who you admire.
8. Practice gratitude (including for
yourself).
It might seem like gratitude would lead to complacency and acceptance of the
status quo. Yet some studies have shown otherwise. Feelings of gratitude
can:
● Motivate self-improvement
● Make us feel connected to others (i.e. part of the team)
● Enhance motivation across time, beyond the duration of the gratitude
practice
● Induce a sense of wanting to give back
● Improve physical and mental health, as well as sleep

9.
There’s more than one way to foster an attitude of gratitude. Spend the first
five minutes after you wake up going through all the things you feel grateful
for. Better yet, write them down in a gratitude journal. Is there someone in
your life you’re particularly grateful for? Write them a letter expressing your
thanks.
9. Do some mood lifting.
A good mood has been linked to increased productivity, and improvement in
both quality and quantity of work. This doesn’t mean that you have to be
positive all the time—that’s not realistic. But if you’re feeling sluggish about
working toward your goal, a quick mood lift could be enough to get you
started.
Need some ideas for how to boost your mood? You could try to:
● Spend some time in nature (or at least get some sunlight)
● Look at some cute pictures or videos of animals
● Watch funny videos on YouTube
● Exercise
● Adopt an alter ego (i.e. the Batman effect)
10. Change your environment.
Sometimes a change of scenery can help you approach your task with fresh
eyes (and a new sense of motivation). This is called the novelty effect—a
short-term boost that comes from altering your environment
If you usually study at home, have a session at your local library. Do you
always watch lecture videos on your computer? Try downloading them to your
phone to watch outside in the park. Switch up your running route, or try a new
exercise routine.
11. Remember your “why.”

10.
Why is this goal important to you? Why is that reason important to you? Why
is that important to you? Keep digging until you get to your ultimate
“why”—the core value that’s driving your goal.
To further reinforce your “why,” set an alarm every morning to remind yourself
to spend one or two minutes visualizing what success would look like. What
would it feel like to achieve your goal?
For further motivation click on this link:https://bit.rancah.com/fs4mk