7 Psychology-Backed Hacks for Boosting Your MotivationPick the Brain

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Ask yourself different variations of the same question: “Why do I want this?”. This is a great way to tap into your motivations while digging deep for the right answer. Asking yourself these questions can help support or change what you think your reasons are for wanting something.

Set A Timer To Help You Chunk Down Your Work.

One great way to get started on something you don’t feel motivated for is by setting a timer and putting the time in your calendar to do it. By chunking this task down into small manageable times, it can be much easier to start with, because you know it won’t take long before the timer goes off again and signals that the next part of your task is up. 

I like the Pomodoro technique for this one, but there are many timers out there to choose from. You can download an app on your phone, use a timer on your computer or stovetop, and there are even cube-shaped timers that will let you know when it’s time for you to take a break. Find an option that works for you and set that timer.

Accountability and Encouragement – Tell Someone About Your Plans.

One of the best ways to get motivated is by having someone else hold you accountable. This one might take a little effort and communication – but I promise, it will be worth it.

I highly recommend telling others what your goals are and asking them for their support in reaching those goals. Tell them that they can ask if you’ve stuck to your task or routine, or that you’re going to update them at certain points throughout the day/week/month. Whatever you decide on, just make sure there’s some kind of accountability factor from another person.

Change The Way You Talk To Yourself

One thing that can drain your motivation is negative self-talk. Sometimes, people will be feeling great about themselves due to the adrenaline of having done something exhilarating. Then just as soon as they’ve gone back to something ‘normal’ or even changed their environment, they’re right back to putting themselves down again. 

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Simplifying your life and being happy starts with our self-talk and the way we treat ourselves. Try adding some positivity to your life and watch as you become less critical of yourself and others around you too.

Keep A Daily Task List Along With Your Short Term And Long Term Goals

This one is pretty simple but effective. Make sure you keep your short-term and long-term goals in mind as you make your daily task list.  

Let’s say that you have a goal of learning SEO strategies because you understand that with modern-day marketing, it’s necessary for online success. That’s great – you know what you need to do.

Now make a list of all the tasks needed to achieve this goal. It might look something like this; 

• Research SEO strategies 
• Learn about keywords and how they affect rankings on search engines 
• Read up on Google Analytics & other web analytics tools
• Set up a WordPress blog
• Sign up for and submit your site to Google Search Console to help Google index your website
• Create top-quality content for your blog

Having these small steps helps the person stay focused when working towards their bigger goals because they can see their progress along the way. 

Establish Consequences For Not Doing What You Said You’d Do

The importance of ‘consequences’ has to come into play. If you’re trying to get work done on your computer, ensure that you understand what you’re losing out on each time you get distracted. When you are tempted to wander off onto another website rather than pushing forward with that task at hand, think about what might happen if you don’t follow through.

You should even take it a step further and not just think about a consequence – but rather go through with it. For example, let’s say that your goal is related to health and fitness. If you’re trying to work on losing weight, then maybe your consequences for breaking your diet are as simple as washing your plate by hand rather than comfortably using a dishwasher. 

Reward Yourself For Meeting Small Milestones

Similar to the ‘consequences’ mentioned above, rewarding yourself for each milestone completed on your journey towards achieving a specific goal can be a great way to boost your motivation.

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Whatever rewards it is that you enjoy, ensure that they are easily attainable at the right time, so your motivation stays high. 

Here are some great self-care ideas (that fit into your lunch break) that will help with motivation, emotional intelligence, and rewarding yourself when you’ve just been awesome.

Wrap Up

By finding ways to boost your motivation when you need it, you’ll be able to accomplish a lot more and have a much easier time getting things done, even when things don’t seem to be going your way.

Author Bio

Hanson Cheng is the founder of Freedom to Ascend. He empowers online entrepreneurs and business owners to 10x their business and become financially independent. You can connect with him here.