Five tips for more motivation

The topic of motivation plays an important role for most people every day. Be it at work, at home or during sports. However, it can be seen that different people associate the most diverse things with motivation. So what exactly is meant by the keyword motivation?

Generally speaking, we speak of motivation when a person is moved to change his or her behavior due to an inner drive. We often associate motivation with a purposeful and goal-oriented behavior that a person displays in order to fulfill his or her goals or tasks.

There are two different types of motivation: either it arises due to your strong will (intrinsic motivation) or external influences motivated you to change something (extrinsic motivation). In addition, the degree of motivation is different for each of us. One person doesn't mind going to the gym at all, the other has to totally overcome himself every time. Today I would like to give you a few tips and tricks that can help you overcome a motivation hole.

1. in small steps to the goal

Often we lack motivation when the goal we have set for ourselves seems too big or is too far away. This makes us feel as if it is impossible to reach the goal and motivation is quickly lost. A diet is a great example of this: Of course, at the beginning you set yourself an end goal that you want to achieve and, in the best case, even a time limit. In the beginning the motivation is usually great, but after a few weeks it decreases more and more. But why is that? The main reason is that your final goal lies in the future and is not tangible at all. It would make much more sense to divide your goal into several small subgoals. On the one hand, this will give you a much better overview of your diet, and on the other hand, you will reach your milestones in between, so that you don't just go on dieting, but receive positive confirmation every now and then. After each achieved partial goal, you get closer to your final goal and that is a totally fulfilling feeling. In addition, you stay motivated and don't give up halfway through. This division of your goals into subgoals can be applied to various situations and circumstances. It is even best to write down these subgoals and to keep them in mind.

2. the WHY

As mentioned before, there are extrinsic as well as intrinsic motivations. Of course, it is best if your motivation comes from within, so that you do not need any external motivation at all. However, for many this is not the case at all, but why? Why are you not motivated? Have you ever asked yourself that? Let's say you're reading this article because you're currently having a low motivation in your job and now you're looking for a solution.

Now the question comes up, why aren't you motivated? Of course, everyone has ups and downs! But if this low has been going on for a long time, then it could also be due to your job. Maybe you just don't burn for your work and you don't enjoy it. Of course, this has an extremely negative effect on your motivation! If you are really passionate about what you do, then your intrinsic motivation is usually there automatically. You don't have to motivate yourself at all!

It's the same with the sports you do: If you really have to push yourself to do it every single day, then maybe it's just not the right sport for you, and there's nothing wrong with that at all! Not everyone has to like the same thing. On the contrary, it's nice that everyone has different preferences and tastes. So listen deep inside yourself and ask yourself WHY you are doing this. Is it just a little motivation low or are you just not burning for it?

3. reward

Positive experiences are directly perceived as such by our brain, because the neurotransmitter dopamine is released, which triggers satisfaction and feelings of happiness. We can of course take advantage of this reward system and influence our motivation in the long term. Of course, this doesn't mean that you should treat yourself to a cheat day after your first diet goal or devour an entire bar of chocolate after a strenuous training session.

Rather, verbal or symbolic means can be used to reward you. For example, you can use a calendar by marking your achieved goals in bold with a red pen. Every time you look at the calendar, you can see how far you've come and what you've accomplished. Another option would be to treat yourself after a certain number of kilos or gym visits: For example, in the form of an extraordinary event (going to the movies, amusement park, etc). As you can see, there are many different ways to reward yourself and improve your motivation.

4. visualize

Visualize your goals regularly! Imagine the feeling you will have once you have reached your goal. How will it feel? How will it make you feel? In addition, you can also imagine the situation visually: What will you look like after your diet? How will your body change in a few years with regular exercise? If you imagine these images and feelings every now and then and visualize your goals, this will have a significant effect on your motivation! Because you have your goal in front of your eyes every day and don't lose focus. In addition, you can look for role models who motivate you and drive you on a daily basis. Maybe you want to become as strong as your role model or be able to achieve the same performance. Role models have an incredible positive impact on motivation and can help keep you focused on your goals.

5. share and document your progress

Let's move on to the last motivational tip: tell those around you about your plan and document your progress. By telling friends and family about your plan, you'll keep yourself motivated and on the ball. If you make a big announcement that you're going for a run after work, you'll almost certainly follow through. And even better: Your colleagues will support you and push you or even run with you. You might even find someone who is pulling together with you, which is doubly motivating. By documenting your progress, you'll really become aware of it. Because often in the course of a diet, for example, the view of the change in your body is completely lost. You see yourself every day and don't notice the visual transformation at all. By taking pictures of yourself from time to time or measuring your circumference, you will be able to see your progress and gain new motivation.

Always remember that there is nothing wrong with having a low motivation! However, if it lasts for a long time, you should really think about what it is and how you can overcome it.