It is very common for people facing long periods of preparation, planning or execution of projects (whether working or studying) to go through periods when they find it difficult to get on with their tasks. That is to say, they go through periods of time in which they become unmotivated ; they start the journey with a lot of energy and little by little they “lose steam”.

Motivation: an important concept in our lives

Motivation is the inner strength that we have as people and that helps us to initiate, maintain and increase a behavior. Since it is something that fluctuates, we need to know how to implement our own strategies to motivate ourselves . In addition, individual differences in temperament and character (psychologists refer to them as ‘personality traits’) make some people more easily demotivated than others. Therefore, it is important that each person knows how to motivate himself.

Five tips to increase your motivation level

Here are a total of five general tips to help you get your motivation back . Remember that, as “every person is a world”, some advice may be more useful to you than others. Adapt the advice to your particular situation to make it more effective.

1. Take a break

It is very important that, in the face of blockages, demotivation and apathy, we give ourselves time to “disconnect”. We all have periods of doubt and demotivation. And in those days we have to combine our “goals” with activities that allow us to distract ourselves . That is, you have to achieve a balance between tasks that make you reach your goal and tasks that are recreational or enjoyable for you. This way, you will be able to have a bird’s eye view of what you are doing and what you are doing it for.

Remember: take a break and distance yourself from the task when you become unmotivated or blocked.

2. Focus on the positive details

It is important that we are able to enjoy and value the positive details . It is about stopping to look at the positive achievements we have made. To have positive achievements, the secret is to set concrete and achievable goals. Achievements and successes, even if they are small, help us move forward and allow us to learn from our strengths. In other words, we must not only learn from our mistakes, we must also enhance what makes us successful.

You can write down on a sheet of paper or post-it those goals you have achieved so that you can keep them in mind and remember your abilities. Place this page in plain view so that you can always look at it.

3. Make sense of your goal

On many occasions we become unmotivated because the routine makes us forget the reasons why we have undertaken a project . When you feel unmotivated, go back to the past and visualize or imagine what has made you want to undertake that path.

You have to remember the reasons that led you to want to reach that goal. This will help motivate you, because it will make you connect with your personal desires and aspirations.

4. Rate your progress by comparing yourself, not by comparing yourself to others

Your achievements and progress should be assessed according to where you were before and where you are now . The idea is that you value all the areas that are part of your project, for example: skills and abilities that you have improved or gained, fears that you had before and no longer have, things that you do easily now and that you used to find difficult.

This is the right way to assess your progress, compare it with your “past self”. Comparing yourself with other people, whose circumstances are very different, is not a good idea and does not allow you to have a proper perspective on your progress.

5. Make changes that enrich your routine: cultivate your divergent thinking

The divergent thinking is that which goes outside the normal, everyday and routine ; it is a type of thinking that allows us to be more creative and more motivated . To cultivate this type of thinking we need to be in contact with different stimuli (visual, auditory) and vary our routine.

The idea is that, as far as possible, you are in touch with new ideas, trends and activities. In this way you will awaken your creativity and generate new ways to face tasks with greater motivation.

You may be interested in: “The 10 keys to boosting your creativity”

Extra key: consistency and common sense

Finally, remember that the key to making these tips work for you is consistency . Put them into practice regularly and above all, in the face of blockages: take a break. Motivation comes when you feel good about yourself.