How do you get motivated? Initially, it is usually some type of pain that sparks change in people. Debts, break ups, bad grades, and being embarrassed can give us that needed ‘push’ to do something about our situations. Or, it could be an inspiring personal story, movie, or book that gives us the motivation we need to get started. Here are 15 tips for motivating yourself when the going gets tough.

1. Pursue worthy dreams – Set goals that give you a sense of purpose and make you feel good when you take action towards achieving them. Make a list of how achieving this goal will change your life and read through your reasons each day.
2. Build self confidence – Believe you can achieve your goals. Make a list of all your prior accomplishments and what you did to make your dreams a reality. Each success will give you the confidence to move forward with your current pursuit.
3. New perspectives – Be willing to consider things from other perspectives. Read books, watch movies, and talk to people who have differing beliefs than yours.
4. Passions – Set goals you are passionate about achieving and that make you happy during your journey, not just when you achieve them.
5. Relationships – Enjoy spending time with your family and friends whenever you can.
6. Push yourself – Yes, the road to success is paved with setbacks, but push yourself to make the extra effort to overcome challenges. When you work hard towards something, success is sweeter.
7. Beware of toxic people – You only awaken with so much energy each day. Don’t let the negativity of others dampen your spirits.
8. Be authentic – Take the high road towards your goals rather than cheating, lying or undermining others.
9. If at first you don’t succeed – Try. Try again. You’ve heard the saying.
10. Be a finisher – It’s easy to start something. It’s much more difficult to finish.
11. Preparation and practice - Just as no one runs a marathon without training, be prepared to practice and put in the work to achieve your goals.
12. Stop procrastinating – It just delays your progress.
13. Don’t be a perfectionist – Perfection is the enemy of finishing.
14. Visualize it – See yourself achieving your goals each day. Spend 5 minutes each morning visualizing success.
15. Get leverage on yourself – Find someone to hold you accountable and report to them regularly. Offer to pay them cash or clean their house or some other task you don’t want to do if you don’t do what you say. Websites like stickk.com can also help you commit to taking action.

As Wayne Gretzky once said, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” Time passes by regardless of whether you are taking action or not. Wouldn’t you rather make the most of it?

Related Posts

• 4 Ways Motivation Can Increase Self Esteem
• How to Motivate Yourself at Work
• 19 Ways to Build and Improve Your Self-Confidence
• 6 Tips for Overcome Failure and Achieving Success
• Overcoming Fear and Doubt: Do You Wish You Were Someone Else?