Motivation is the driving force behind every step we take toward growth and success. Yet, staying motivated can often feel like an uphill battle. If you’ve ever struggled to push past inertia or reignite your passion, you’re not alone. In this blog, we’ll share 11 practical and empowering tips to help you stay motivated and committed to self-improvement. From building powerful habits to finding your “why,” these strategies are designed to inspire action and sustain progress. It’s time to unlock your potential, take charge of your journey, and create the life you’ve always envisioned!
Start your journey to self-improvement with simple, actionable steps for lasting change.
Introduction to Self-Motivation
Self-motivation is key to achieving any life goal–whether professional or personal. It is an important life skill that can help you reach new heights in every area of your life. The first step to self-improvement is having self-motivation. If you can motivate yourself to push yourself forward, you can attract better opportunities and resources to reach that next level in your life. Self-motivation helps you to not only set new goals but also achieve them aiding your personal growth.
Additionally, self-motivation helps build resilience, improve productivity, boost confidence, strengthen your relationships and cultivate a more positive mindset. If you feel like you struggle with motivating yourself, below we’ll discuss some science-backed ways on how to build self-motivation.
Explore this practical guide for goal setting with Arjun Aiyar on SoulSensei.
11 Tips on How to Motivate Yourself
The best of us struggle with self-motivation from time to time, as no two days are the same. Some days, you might feel energetic and productive, while on others, you might not even want to move a finger. But if you’re working on self-improvement, whether you like it or not, self-motivation plays a huge role in it. So, if you’ve found yourself asking, how to motivate yourself, here are some motivation tips that will keep you going:
1. Calendar Goal Setting
Set a goal that you would like to achieve in the near future and then put it on the calendar. Give yourself a finish line by which you have to achieve the goal. For example, completing a course within a set target date or reaching a set weight limit within the target date. This will help you stay motivated while also helping you track your progress towards the goal. That said, make sure to set a realistic date to avoid procrastination or quitting.
2. Make it a Habit
When you’re working towards your goal, make sure you do something every day to achieve it as part of your daily routine. For example, if you’re studying for an important exam, make it a habit to complete one chapter every day after having your morning coffee. If you take baby steps towards your goal every day, the bigger task feels much less overwhelming.
3. Plan for the Obstacles
Make a list of all the things that you can’t control, but that could go wrong. For example, if your goal is to run in a marathon, account for some days with bad weather, illness or injury that could potentially stop you from preparing to run every day. And then, based on this list, plan ahead. For instance, if you’re not able to practise running for a few days because it was raining, you could practise indoors on the treadmill. When you plan ahead for things that could go wrong, you are less likely to feel deflated when it happens and better prepared.
4. Start Small
Whenever you’re setting goals for yourself, break them down into smaller goals that you can work towards every day. When the task doesn’t feel too daunting, you’re more likely to finish it. Additionally, when you experience frequent small successes during your day it helps build momentum and makes you feel more motivated to move ahead.
5. Track Your Goals
Make a measurable to-do list and cross off those little goals every day. You could make a virtual or actual to-do list, that’s up to you. When you cross tasks off your list once they’re done, they give you a dopamine boost that can help increase motivation. The best way to track a goal is to set a specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound goal in the first place.
6. Reward Yourself
No matter if your win is big or small, make sure to celebrate it by rewarding yourself. For example, you completed your goal of reading one chapter on that day, reward yourself by taking a short break or eating a favourite snack. This could help boost your interest in the task at hand.
7. Find a Motivation Buddy
Yes, we’re discussing self-motivation here but research suggests that being part of a team makes you more likely to achieve a goal. When you share a goal with someone whose opinion matters to you, it can strengthen your drive to achieve that goal. For example, if you’re trying to get fitter, instead of heading to the gym alone, partner up with your fitness-interested friend and join a Pilates or HIIT class to make sure you both motivate each other and stay on track.
8. Words of Gratitude
Cultivating an attitude of gratitude can motivate self-improvement, enhance self-motivation and make you feel more connected with those around you. Not to mention the fact that it can also help you manifest your goals faster. So, create a gratitude journal where you spend five minutes every day writing about some people and situations you’re thankful for.
9. Practice Self-Care
Take out the time to do things that lift your mood like spending time in nature, exercising, eating right, talking to a friend etc. This can positively impact your productivity and motivation levels.
10. Change of Scenery
Sometimes, changing the environment helps refresh your mind and provide a renewed sense of motivation. For example, if you’re tired of working on an important project from your office, step outside for a coffee and do it from a café nearby.
11. Focus on ‘Why’
Instead of focusing on how to achieve your goal, remember the why of doing it. Delve deep inside and find out the core reasons why you want to achieve that particular goal. Visualise your goal every day and remind yourself why that goal is important to you.
Try this visualisation meditation to become your best self with Simran Pawa.
Self-motivation is an important life skill that all of us need to learn. Some ways to build self-motivation are – making them a habit, practising self-care, focusing on the ‘why’, changing up the environment, giving yourself a deadline, taking smaller steps towards your goals and rewarding yourself for big and small wins. Learn more about motivating yourself from experts on SoulSensei.
Read more: How to be mentally strong and fearless
Sources
- Pushfar – Self-motivation: 11 ways to increase personal motivation. By Leticia Miranda.
- Coursera – How to motivate yourself: 11 tips for self-improvement.
- Oberlo – How to motivate yourself: 11 ways to find motivation. By Thomas. J. Law
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most effective ways to boost motivation on a daily basis?
Some of the most effective ways to boost motivation every day are making a to-do list, practising self-care, getting enough sleep and exercise, taking regular breaks and surrounding yourself with highly motivated individuals.
How can I stay motivated?
You can stay motivated by tracking your progress at regular intervals, rewarding yourself for big and small wins, developing a routine where you do something to achieve your goal every day, finding a support system, cultivating a daily gratitude habit and being gentle with yourself.
What role does goal setting play in self-motivation?
Goal setting is key to self-motivation because it helps you stay driven and focused. It helps give you direction, clarity, confidence and mastery in the fields you’re interested in.
How to build self-motivation?
Some ways to build self-motivation are – making your goals a habit, practising self-care, focusing on the ‘why’, changing up the environment, giving yourself a deadline, taking smaller steps towards your goals and rewarding yourself for big and small wins.
How does self-improvement relate to motivation?
Self-improvement means bettering yourself personally and professionally. Motivation can play an important role in this because when you’re self-motivated, you’re more likely to take the necessary actions required to improve your life. If you lack that sense of intrinsic motivation, it’s difficult to push yourself to move ahead.
