How To Get Motivated

Having clarity about your goals and top priorities each day will help you accomplish what you want each day. But sometimes, even if you are clear about your priorities, finding the motivation to take action can be a challenge. This is why I'm sharing two very important secrets about finding motivation so that you can defeat procrastination with this blog post. They are simple secrets that have worked well for me. Put them into practice, and you will accomplish more and procrastinate less. 

The first secret: Motivation follows action.

The most successful people in the world understand something: motivation follows taking action. Not the other way around.

I talk about this concept in my book; it's one of the topics people reach out to me about the most once they've read it.

For some reason, we all incorrectly believe that in order to take action, we need to feel motivated. And so, we keep looking for that motivation, but we don't know where to look. Waiting for motivation before you act is a recipe for never starting.

Once you start, trust motivation will follow.

Remember that motivation to do a task is almost always followed by starting the task. Not the other way around. So don't wait for motivation to begin. You will typically only feel motivated after getting started. Does that make sense? Trust that your motivation will follow after you start.

Here's an example. I experience this almost daily with working out. I never feel like working out (until I've been doing it for 10-15 minutes) then I begin to feel motivated to continue (and actually begin to enjoy the workout). But I would have never felt that if I didn't start working out. So my motivation to workout was followed by starting my workout. Motivation only came because I took action first.

Motivation follows action.

Think about how many people say they want to pursue one of their dreams (writing a book, starting a business, or finding a new job), but they will start when they feel motivated. Unfortunately, most people will never pursue their goals because the motivation won't come until they act.

It's critical not to wait until you feel motivated. Trust yourself. Trust your motivation to follow once you begin. That is the secret of all secrets.

The second secret: Tie your daily tasks to your broader goals.

Another secret. It's just as simple and just as effective as the first one.

Even if we have clarity about our goals, ambitions, and priorities, we often forget that the small things we do each day contribute to those goals. If you're struggling with a small task, try to tie it to your broader ambitions and the larger outcomes you want to create in your life.

To illustrate this, I'll tell you about a client I recently had a meeting with. He said to me that one of his priorities at the moment was to change out one of the car seats for his kids. His wife reminds him that he has to do it, and he wants to do it, but he keeps leaving it for another time and not getting it done.

In situations like this take 20 seconds and think, "Why is this important? Why does this car seat have to get changed out?" For my client, one of the most important things in his life is taking care of his children, of his family, and letting them know that he is there for them. A simple, mundane task such as changing out a car seat will contribute to this larger goal. This task didn't have much significance until he was able to identify why and how it was tied to his broader goal of taking care of his children and family. After recognizing that it was easier for him to take action.

This change of perspective results in feeling more accomplished when you accomplish seemingly small tasks.

Recapping two motivational secrets.

And that's it! You are now armed with two secret weapons that can instantly change your attitude and your productivity for the better. 

When you know you have to get something done, but you're struggling with it, remember these two things.

#1 Don't wait until you feel motivated in order to take action. Take action first, and trust that the motivation will follow.

#2 Connect small tasks to your broader goals.

Now is the time to unleash your full potential

Let this year be the year you learn to tackle those obstacles that have built up over the past year.

Learn more about how productivity coaching can transform your productivity here.

Begin your transformation with a complimentary copy of my book and audiobook.