Who needs Tony Robbins when you can motivate yourself? Overcoming the emotional hurdle to get stuff done when you’d rather sit on the couch isn’t always easy. But unless calling in sick and waking up at noon have no consequences for you, it’s often a must.

1. How to Motivate Yourself: 13 Simple
Ways to Try Now
Who needs Tony Robbins when you can motivate yourself? Overcoming the
emotional hurdle to get stuff done when you’d rather sit on the couch isn’t always easy.
But unless calling in sick and waking up at noon have no consequences for you, it’s often
a must.
For those of you who never procrastinate, distract yourself or drag your feet when you
should be doing something important, well done so far! But for the rest of you, it’s good
to have a library of motivational boosters to move along.
Despite your best efforts, passion, habits and a flow-producing environment can fail. In
that case, it’s time to find whatever emotional pump-up you can use to get started.
Whether you’re starting a business, trying to los weight or breaking a bad habit, you’ll
learn how to motivate yourself with different techniques here:
1. Go Back to “Why”
Focusing on a dull task doesn’t make it any more attractive. Zooming out and asking
yourself why you are bothering in the first place will make it more appealing.
If you can’t figure out why, then there’s a good chance you shouldn’t bother with it in the
first place.
Tofigure out your why so you can build a sustainable motivatio engine, join Lifehack’s
free Fast-Track Class Activate Your Motivation, it’s a focused session that will guide you
to find out your drive so you will never lose your motivation again.
2. Go for Five
Start working for five minutes. Often that little push will be enough to get you going.
3. Move Around
Get your body moving as you would if you were extremely motivated todo something.
This ‘faking it’ approach to motivation may seem silly or crude but it works.

2. 4. Find the Next Step
If it seems impossible to work on a project for you, you can try tofocus on the next
immediate step.
Fighting an amorphous blob of work will only cause procrastination. Chunk it up so that
it becomes manageable. Learn how to stop procrastinating in this guide.
5. Find Your Itch
What is keeping you from working? Don’t let the itch continue without isolating it and
removing the problem.
Are you unmotivated because you feel overwhelmed, tired, afraid, bored, restless or
angry? Maybe it is because you aren’t sure you have time or delegated tasks haven’t been
finished yet?
6. Deconstruct Your Fears
I’m sure you don’t have a phobia about getting stuff done. But at the same time, hidden
fears or anxieties can keep you from getting real work completed.
Isolate the unknowns and make yourself confident, you can handle the worst case
scenario.
7. Get a Partner
Find someone who will motivate you when you’re feeling lazy. I have a friend I go to the
gym with. Besides spotting weight, having a friend can help motivate you to work hard
when you’d normally quit.
8. Kick start Your Day
Plan out tomorrow. Get up early and place all the important things early in the morning.
Building momentum early in the day can usually carry you forward far later.
Having a morning routine is a good idea for you to stay motivated!

3. 9. Read Books
Read not just self-help or motivational books but any book that has new ideas. New
ideas get your mental gears turning and can build motivation. Here’re more reasons to
read every day.
Learning new ideas puts your brain in motion so it requires less time to speed up to your
tasks.
10. Get the Right Tools
Your environment can have a profound effect on your enthusiasm. Computers that are
too slow, inefficient applications or a vehicle that breaks down constantly can kill your
motivation.
Building motivation is almost as important as avoiding the traps that can stop it. The
free Worksheet For Instant Motivation Boost is a useful tool to help you clear your mind
and regain motivation.
11. Be Careful with the Small Problems
The worst killer of motivation is facing a seemingly small problem that creates endless
frustration.
Reframe little problems that must be fixed as bigger ones or they will kill any drive you
have.
12. Develop a Mantra
Find a few statements that focus your mind and motivate you. It doesn’t matter whether
they are pulled from a tacky motivational poster or just a few words to tell you what to
do.
If you aren’t sure where to start, a good personal mantra is “Do it now!” You can find
more here too
13. Build on Success
Success creates success. When you’ve just won, it is easy tofeel motivated about almost
anything. Emotions tend not to be situation specific, so a small win, whether it is a
compliment from a colleague or finishing two thirds of your tasks before noon can turn
you into a juggernaut.

4. There are many ways you can place small successes earlier on to spur motivation later.
Structuring your to-do lists, placing straightforward tasks such as exercising early in the
day or giving yourself an affirmation can do the trick.
Bonus: Staying Motivated Forever
The best way tomotivate yourself is to organize your life so you don’t have to. If work is
a constant battle for you, perhaps it is time to start thinking about a new job. The idea is
that explicit motivational techniques should be a backup, not your regular routine.
Here are some other things to consider making work flow more naturally:
Passion
Do things you have a passion for. We all have to do things we don’t want to. But if life
has become a chronic source of dull chores, you’ve got a big problem that needs fixing.
Not sure what your passion is to get you motivated? This will help you: How to Get
Motivated and Be Happy Every Day When You Wake Up
Habits
You can’t put everything on autopilot. I’ve found putting a few core habits in place
creates a structure for the day.
Waking up at the same time, working at the same times and having a similar productive
routine makes it easier to do the next day.
This guide will be useful for you if you’re looking to build good habits: Understand Your
Habits to Control Them 100%
Flow
Flow is the state where your mind is completely focused on the task at hand. While there
are many factors that go into producing this state, having the right challenge level is a
big part.
Find ways totweak your tasks so they hover in that sweet spot between boredom and
maddening frustration.
Easily distracted and hard to focus? Here’s your solution.
Final Thoughts
With all these tips I’ve shared with you, now you know what to do when you’re feeling
unmotivated.

5. Find your passion and develop a positive mantra so when the next time negativity hits
you again, you know how to stay positive and motivated!