What drives us to stay motivated is as individual as who we are, so you need to tailor an approach that resonates with you. The more you know and understand yourself, the more effective your efforts will be.  

I have listed 20 simple strategies you can check out to see which options resonate with you.  Some of these ideas come from an Inc.com article that I have updated and adapted for my clients.  

Get clarity on your why. Sometimes it’s not so much the what or how that matters, but your why–the purpose behind what you’re doing. Generate a 1 sentence purpose or mission statement for yourself. I keep my Why-Purpose-Mission Statement in front of my computer and often ask myself, “Is this action I’m taking (or not taking) going to get me closer to my goal/vision or take me further away?”  

Create a clear vision. To stay motivated, you must create (and write down) a clear compelling vision, something that makes you come alive when you read or think about! If we’re not being driven by a clear vision of the future, we’re being run by our conditioning of the past and it can be hard to stay motivated.  If your vision doesn’t speak to your heart, it won’t motivate you to stay on target. Create the highest, grandest vision possible because you can achieve only what you see.  Have this vision in front of you too!  I have my Why-Purpose-Mission as a header on my Vision Statement and I’m looking at it daily to stay motivated!

Define your goal. Identify specific goals that roll up to your vision and mission.  Define short, medium, and longer-term goals that will put your ideas into action. You can add and modify this as you make progress and gather new insights along the way.  Checking off small goals along the way fuels you forward, building momentum.

Produce a plan. Once you have goals in place, develop your overall plan, taking your vision and breaking it down further.  Break goals into manageable tasks. One important key to your success will be your ability to break down your goals into shorter-term and smaller single tasks. Keep things manageable.  Now you have your blueprint for building your vision into reality.  It helps you stay motivated when you can see a path to it.   

Identify what is needed for your plan.  Ask yourself, “Who and what do I need (people, knowledge, skills) to accomplish these goals?  What is the priority for each?  And more importantly, who do I need TO BE as I’m moving toward my vision? What attitudes, beliefs, habits, etc. do I need to cultivate?  

Look for the bigger picture. When you have to stay motivated, think of the bigger picture. How does this relate not only to yourself but to others? How will it contribute to something important? Where will this make a difference? To accomplish more, think bigger.

Keep it positive. Positive thoughts lead to positive actions, and self-affirming statements will help you achieve your best. Take control of how you think, how you feel, how you act. Positivity will help you make the choices that lead to accomplishment.

Approach tasks in new ways. Sometimes just getting started might be the problem. A different approach might give you a new perspective and more energy. GET CREATIVE!

Get organized. Make sure your workplace is uncluttered so your mind can be organized. A calm environment gives you a better chance of being more efficient and productive.

Tackle procrastination head on. Don’t make excuses or waste time rationalizing why you haven’t already started. Instead, get to work immediately. The best way to begin something is just to begin.

Seize the power of deadlines. Setting a time limit for an activity will enable you to assemble your resources and materials toward accomplishing things you might not otherwise get done.

Stop multitasking. Don’t divide your attention but give your full and undivided self to the task at hand. When you do, your chances for success go way up.

Starve your distractions. Do what you need to do to stop being distracted by people, tasks, or electronics. Devise strategies to help you start and complete tasks without any distractions or interruptions.

Find your most productive time. Find the time of day when you do your best and most productive work.  Then schedule the more challenging activities or those things you like least for that time of day.

Choose success. Choose to feel successful and accomplished.  What would it feel like if you stayed on point with your plan today?   Allow yourself to feel that sense of accomplishment then CHOOSE to feel that way throughout your day.  Most people don’t know they can actually choose their emotional state.  We are so conditioned to ‘react’ to the outer world.  You can choose to let your old mindset win or decide to override that. 

Keep it fun. If you seriously want to stay motivated, find a way to make it fun. Fun is not the enemy but a great motivator.  For example, create a variety of playlists of your favorite music to listen to either before, during or after work to keep you motivated.  If you like to listen to music while working, it’s best to find music without lyrics so it’s not distracting. 

Reward yourself. Learn what it takes to get yourself to complete dreaded tasks and set up a system of rewards for completion.

Visualize yourself succeeding. Visualization is a powerful technique that can help you to focus, stay motivated and achieve your goals. By creating a mental picture of yourself successfully completing a job, you prime your brain and body to have that very experience.  This is the technique I introduced in my post on 24 January and a technique professional athletes and performers use to prime their bodies for success!

Find a Mastermind Partner or Group.  Have at least one “mastermind” partner and have a standing meeting with them weekly or every other week to stay motivated.

Take care of your Mental Health & Well-being. It’s hard to stay motivated if your mind and body are out of sorts.