Self-motivation Techniques

A friend of mine has been having a really tough time lately. She is in a state of absolute demotivation. She just sits around at office staring at the screen, its like her reserves to motivate herself to work have dissipated. Let me give you some background information. This woman was one of the top performers at her company. She was known for her efficiency, skill, and speed. In fact, she was also popular for her extremely sociable personality. However, a few months after she joined the organization, she had a few personal problems. Belonging to a creative occupation, it took a hit on her work as well. At such a time, she faced a lot of problems at work. Everyone wanted her over performance to continue and kept putting pressure on her. In such a situation, her motivation broke completely and she simply started procrastinating. You see, since no one in her organization and the management thought of motivating her, she had to resort to motivating herself. After an hour long sulking session with me, these are the activities that she agreed to do!

Techniques to Motivate Yourself

Technique # 1
Note down your goals. A major mistake that many people make, is that they have the goals set, in their "mind". What they fail to focus on, is that out of sight is often out of mind. If you note down all your goals, your "miles to go before you sleep" are right there in front of you. This will give you the drive to go on for the day (at the least). My suggestion, put up notes of your goals on your refrigerator, near your bed, on your workstation and in your diary! This way, whenever you are around any of these, you will be reminded of your goals.

Technique # 2
One of the most basic mistakes that many people make, is that they focus on the "bad feeling" that a certain activity gives them. In case of my friend, she started focusing on the fact that her senior's behavior made her feel really bad, worthless and like a slave. Don't focus on those feelings. Like the very popular saying goes, "Don't get mad, get even!" Use the bad feelings and focus on making them go away. Take it as a challenge. Let the lack of support, or external motivation be the fuel to your fire. Every time you feel like someone is putting your down, work twice as hard and prove them wrong!

Technique # 3
Procrastination is like the kryptonite for your motivation. If you procrastinate over your work, rest assured that it will not get done. Even if you are not very fond of the activities that you need to perform, procrastination is not the way to go. Best thing would be to start and get done with the work at the first instance. This way it will be out of your way. The longer you "think over it", the more time you keep it around. So, every time you feel demotivated, start working right away. Trust me, it worked for my friend it will work for you!

Technique # 4
Who would not like rewards and recognition? Well, it was rhetorical a question, everyone likes rewards for their hard work. So, every time you complete a project or a task, give yourself a treat. Be it an hour of shopping at the mall, or an hour long massage session, treat yourself. This technique goes a long way in keeping up the motivation. My niece gets a special gift every time she gets an 'A' at school. This is what makes her keep her grades up for the subjects she hates as well.

Technique # 5
Be disciplined. The right amount of nutrition and sleep go a long way in keeping your mood and motivation in check. While it is important to focus on having fun, it is also important to keep up-to-date with your responsibilities. Like if it is your job to take out the trash, do it. If you don't, the nagging in your own head will come in the way of your motivation about other things. If you spend all your free time on partying, you will face lack of sleep and your errands will be undone. Follow the right mix of work and play, it really helps at keeping a person motivated.

Lately motivation has been taken very lightly. Organizations find it hard to keep all their employees motivated and schools cannot work at keeping all their students motivated all the time. Self-motivation techniques for students also help bring out the best in them. Hence, the best bet would be to keep yourself motivated. After all, it is YOUR success that you are working at, not another's. This is where I sign off! All the best!