Today’s article is going to be about how to increase your motivation levels. Motivation is a skill that only a few people conquer but it’s a skill that you will need to be successful in the future. This is why I’m going to be telling you guys some tips that I’ve implemented in my life to get motivated and be self-disciplined. Remember that after reading these tips, the only person who can actually implement this is you. I hope these work for you but if not, comment down below if you know any other tips for motivation that has helped you.

1. Think about your goals

One of the things that successful people do is that they actually think about what they want in the future from doing this particular task. If you want to study Maths because you want to be an accountant, make sure you have that in mind. If you want to learn how to play the piano, you have to make sure that you know why you’re doing it – is it to earn money from being a musician or is it because you want to impress your friends? The bottom line is that you must ensure that you know your destination so that you know your purpose for doing this and you feel accomplished.

2. Don’t compare yourself to anyone

Comparing has been a way of pressurizing people and it increases stress levels. If you want to be stress-free and actually be able to achieve all of your goals, you have to ensure you don’t compare yourself to anyone because it means that you are insecure and you want to be someone else. We are all different and we have to believe in ourselves. Find out who you truly are and know your strengths and weaknesses. Don’t get influenced by others, get inspired. Therefore, step up your game trying to find out who you are as a person and do not compare yourself to anyone else. Remember that it is okay if it takes your friend 5 minutes to become a millionaire but for you to become a millionaire after 50 years.

3. Give yourself rewards

We all know the quote that small steps lead to big accomplishments. Therefore if you really want to succeed, you have to start off by doing everything small. Accomplish a small task and make sure that you give yourself a reward every single time you complete it. For example, if you are trying to learn algebra and you’re trying to revise for your end of year exam, make sure to eat a small piece of chocolate bar or go for a walk outside after every topic. This will definitely motivate you and will help you to look forward to a reward. This will eventually create a repetitive method where you keep doing this until you reach your big exam and you would know all your content for the exam.

4. Create a motivation board

A motivation board is a board or a collage that you create with motivational quotes and pictures of things that you enjoy and your goals. This motivation board is usually kept private but I know that sometimes people like to stick it up on their walls. Every single time you feel like to procrastinate, the motivation board can allow you to visualize your goals and keep you motivated.

5. Starting is the hardest part

Before starting homework, we feel very tempted to just go and watch a Netflix show instead of actually doing the homework. However, if you give yourself a 2-minute timer to actually start doing the homework (just 2 minutes not more than that) you can start doing the homework. After that, you will get the hang of it so you can give yourself a 5-minute timer. If you feel like you’ve done 5 minutes of work and you think you’re still motivated to carry on, you can go for 10 minutes. As you keep doing this, you feel that drive because starting is the hardest part. Eventually, you are going to get the homework done. This is an amazing technique because if you start with just a 2-minute timer, you will eventually see that you have done a one-hour quality revision.

6. Think about what you’re going to lose or regret

One technique that most successful people use is to actually think about what you’re going to lose by not doing this task. Imagine if you are not able to become a lawyer in the future just because you didn’t study English. Imagine having to live off junk food just because you didn’t learn the important life lesson of cooking. Thinking about what you are going to lose or regret really helps to motivate some people since you would not want to cry over something big because you didn’t do something small.

7. Don’t complain – keep a positive mindset

One of the reasons why people don’t get motivated is because they have an indirect and constant perception in their head saying that they won’t be able to complete what they want to do, it’s boring and difficult or not be able to pursue that dream job. Keep a positive mindset. I challenge you to wake up every single morning and say to yourself that you will accomplish every single goal no matter what and nothing can stop you.

8. Don’t stress – plan

Stress is the enemy of getting your work done. if you think too much you won’t have the time to actually complete the task. Consequently, if you actually plan out everything you have to do in that day that has to be completed in detail for about 5 to 10 minutes, you’ll know exactly what you’ll have to do and this will allow you to be stress-free. This will also allow you to know what you exactly have to do and you won’t be confused when you’re actually doing the task. This will also allow your mind to be nice and clean.

9. Fake it till you make it

This means that pretend as if you already have reached the dream destination you wanted to go to. How does it feel? For example, if you are trying to get a job and you’re not motivated because you think you won’t be able to get that job, you have to fake it till you make it. Pretend as if you already got the money in your hands and think about how you will feel when you complete all your tasks. Fake it till you make it so that you feel good about yourself and you are stimulated to complete that task so that you will finally feel happy, fulfilled and successful.

I hope this article has helped you to be a bit more motivated. Remember that you are the only one who can implement these tips into your own life. If you enjoyed this article, make sure to check out my other articles like this. If you’re also new here, you can follow my Instagram @valuable.seconds for amazing poetry and photography content.