How to find motivation: 8 tips to start projects

Motivation is a psychological construct based on achievement orientation. As it helps us to carry out our tasks with the best possible disposition, it is important to be motivated to face the challenges of our daily life in the best way.

In this article we will see how to find the necessary motivation for our daily life, and we will also review some tips to make it last over time.

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What is motivation?

Motivation is a force that drives us towards the achievement of a goal. This attitude can come from both within us (intrinsic motivation) and from our environment (external motivation).

There are several types of motivation, but they all have in common that they are based on mechanisms of a psychological nature that promote an action in the person.

So, in order to answer the question of how to find motivation, let's see what are the existing types.

1. achievement motivation

It is about the motivation that is inspired by obtaining a specific objective, represented by what is known as achievement, the achievement of some activity.

2. Membership Motivation

It involves the search for acceptance in a certain social group. It is common during adolescence.

For example, wearing particular items of clothing, or listening to a type of music in order to be accepted, are behaviors that respond to this type of motivation.

3. Competition Motivation

refers to the desire for achieve the goals in the best possible way. It is not enough to achieve it, but to satisfy this motivation it must be done in the most optimal way.

Tips on how to find motivation

In the next few lines we will see some tools that can be useful when it comes to find the motivation we need.

1. recognize your desires

Motivation comes mainly from our desires.

If we are able to recognize what our desires truly are, we will be aware of what motivates us and we will be able to direct that motivation to achieve what we want.

To do this, a good idea is to do something very simple and that we often overlook as a possibility: stop and think, literally, about what we want. Sit in a comfortable place and make a list of what really motivates us, writing down ideas as they come to mind and then ordering them.

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2. Focus on achievable goals

While it is true that desires and goals generate motivation for us, we must focus this motivation on achievable goals. Objectively evaluate which projects we are going to embark on so that we feel fulfilled instead of frustrated.

3. Value organization and order

The first step to start building the achievement of our goals is the organization. If we are able to order our ideas and our environment, then we are gradually fostering the motivation related to continuing working on our projects.

Remember that achievements emerge from order; If we are messy people, it is very likely that we will not be able to finish what we have proposed., and as a consequence our motivation will be diminished.

4. Visualize your achievements

This exercise will help you to a great extent to find the necessary motivation to start with an activity that you have been putting off, apart from working as a livelihood that keeps motivation always on.

By visualizing yourself achieving your goals, you are giving yourself a good reason to continue doing what is necessary to achieve them, because the gratification of seeing yourself succeeding is motivating.

5. Motivate yourself with prizes

This is to find the motivation through rewards given by you once the activity you need to perform has been completed.

For example, after completing a strenuous work day, you can give yourself permission to have a special meal, or to buy a piece of clothing that you like, etc.

These prizes they work as modulators of our reward system; What will happen is that every time we have to perform a task that is more strenuous than usual, we will do it thinking that later we will have to reward ourselves, with which starting will be much easier.

6. Think of your loved ones

An effective way to stay motivated is think about the people who are proud of you and your accomplishments, regardless of who you think of; They can be relatives, close friends, the couple... In short, you must attract to your mind the people who want to see you succeed.

7. Breathing exercises

These exercises work to oxygenate our brain, and at the same time are effective for lower stress levels that we can feel during the performance of an activity.

The less tense we are, the more likely we will be able to motivate ourselves and comply with the activities.

8. Listen to inspiring music

This topic is subjective, but highly efficient. It is proven that music has a highly motivating effect on people; in fact, a large number of high performance athletes listen to music before going out to compete in their respective disciplines.

The musical genre will depend on the particular taste of each subject, and the motivation can come from both a classical symphony and the sound of an electric guitar. It is for this reason that you must find the genre that motivates you.

Of course, the important thing is to listen to music before starting to work on something, not necessarily during work; it could distract you. It is also interesting to read, either in ebook format or with a book of a lifetime.

Bibliographic references:

• Pink, D. h. (2010). The surprising truth about what motivates us. Barcelona: Center Books.
• Uysal, M. (1994). Testing the push and pull factors. Annals of Tourism Research. 21 (4): 844 - 846.