23 Powerful Ways to Motivate Yourself

Motivation is something we’re supposed to carry within us, but it doesn’t always appear on its own. Sometimes we need a little help to find the motivation we need to run our businesses, to lead our companies, to support our teams and to help our customers.

Here are 23 ways to increase your motivation:

1. Get hungry. Find out what drives you–what you are passionate about–and stay focused on that desire.

2. Embrace your drive. The only way to get something done is to embrace it with all your confidence and will power. Make a promise to yourself that if you want something done, you will get it done, because nothing will ever happen by itself

3. Push all the right buttons. If things are going off the rails, tell yourself what you need to hear to take back control. There are many things we don’t have control over, but we always have control over how we react. Activate your positivity.

4. Tackle tiny tasks. Knock off a few little items from your to-do list and create small rituals to help give your motivation some momentum.

5. Be present. It’s easy to be so focused on the future that you lose sight of what’s right in front of you. Stay grounded in the present moment.

6. Do something badly. Perfectionism is motivation’s worst enemy. Undermine those instincts by learning to do something you have no talent or aptitude for. You’ll learn compassion for others in the same situation, and the next time you are confronted with the same circumstances you know exactly what to do.

7. Talk to thinkers. Stay close to the friends and family members who challenge your thinking and keep you focused, confident and positive.

8. Make it happen. Sometimes we don’t do the things we need to do because we secretly believe someone is going to come and rescue us. Remember the old adage “If it is to be, it is up to me.” It may be a frightening truth, but it’s honest.

9. Free your thinking. Don’t allow your thinking to become restricted or rigid, but try to experience new ways of doing things. Commit yourself to looking for innovative ideas–there’s nothing more motivating than the feeling of infinite possibility.

10. Keep moving. When the body moves, so does the mind. Think of enjoyable ways you can work some exercise into the day. Don’t think of it as time away from work–many people say they do their best thinking while they are running or walking.

11. Use your weakness. What you think of as a weakness can truly become a strength. Learn to take advantage of your weaknesses. Turn them around and see possibilities emerge.

12. Honor your habits. Trying to rid yourself of a bad habit is notoriously difficult. Instead, give your bad habits some respect and tweak them into something new that serve you more effectively.

13. Face your fears. Fear is the worst thing that can happen to motivation. If you want to stay motivated, you have to face down your fears.

14. Quit caring about what other people think. Tap into your self-esteem and free yourself of other people’s opinions and expectations. Leave your self -consciousness behind. Act on your instincts and take risks with abandon.

15. Be tenacious with yourself. If you’re in the habit of talking yourself out of action because you lack confidence, quiet that inner voice and refuse to take no for an answer.

16. Write your own script. Too often we are so busy living the script that other people have written for us that we don’t have time for the things we want and envision for ourselves. Take back ownership of your script and you’ll find your motivation.

17. Treat every problem as a gift. When you change the way you look at your–when you stop seeing them as problems–they turn into opportunities to discover a new solution. You always have a choice in how you respond to events.

18. Remind and rewind. If you’re at less than peak performance, keep reminding yourself of your most positive and inspiring thoughts, rewinding them in your mind so you don’t forget them.

19. Make time to think. Everything you do begins with a thought, and when you stop thinking you stop taking action. Do what it takes to devote some time to thinking, and watch your creativity and imagination take flight.

20. Choose to inspire. Sometimes the best way to get out of your own way is to focus on inspiring others. If you can’t have a prefect day, you still may be able to give one to somebody else.

21. Get comfortable with uncertainty. It’s easy to lose motivation when you’re scared. Uncertainty is a major source of fear, and if you can learn to make friends with uncertainty, you can eliminate a major source of uncertainty.

22. Keep it simple. It’s hard to stay motivated when you’re overflowing with challenges and complications and confusion. When you can keep what’s in front of you simple and specific, you can be more focused and more effective.

23. Get a coach. Sometimes even the smartest of people with the best of intentions need some help. A great coach can help you examine yourself in ways that would never occur to you on your own. It can be a frightening prospect but the rewards can be great. The prefect coach can lead you to discover your self -motivation and tap into a source