How To Get Motivated And Stay Motivated (10 easy steps)

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When you are feeling freshly motivated about a specific goal, it can be exciting, but what should you do when you feel less than motivated? How do you find your motivation and keep that momentum going?

10 ways to get motivated to reach your goals and stay motivated:

1. Find your “why.”
2. Create an environment that promotes productivity. 
3. Set attainable goals. 
4. Create a routine that supports your goals.
5. Track your progress.
6. Remove distractions. 
7. Use positive self-talk.
8. Visualize what will happen when you complete this goal. 
9. Reward your success.
10. Don’t give up.  

In the rest of this article, we will go over the 10 steps you should follow to keep yourself motivated when working toward your goals. 

What causes a lack of motivation?

Before diving into this motivational guide, you must first understand what causes a lack of motivation. 

Lack of motivation is caused by a desire to always feel comfortable. Reaching a goal requires you to push yourself out of your comfort zone. Often people stop working toward a goal because the process feels monotonous.

When reaching for your goals, especially long-term goals, you will have to push yourself outside of your comfort zone, and sometimes this will feel uncomfortable or boring, and you might find yourself wanting to give up. 

Mel Robbins talks a lot about this in her book The 5 Second Rule (available on Amazon). She explains how when we have a desire to do something productive, we have 5 seconds before our brains talk us out of it. 

The point is that you are not always going to feel like completing a specific task, and that is normal. The difference between people who reach their goals and those that don’t is the ability to follow through even when they don’t feel like doing it. 

1. Find Your “Why”

The first step to getting motivated and staying motivated is to figure out why you want to. Motivation can be fleeting if you don’t dig deeper and figure out what is driving you to reach a specific goal. 

Your “why” might be different for each goal you set, but it is crucial to determine what will keep you motivated to keep going when things get difficult. 

A few examples of what your “why” might be: 

• I want to push myself to be a better person.
• I want to look and feel healthier. 
• I want to have more energy. 
• I want to motivate others through my writing. 
• I want to feel peace in myself and my accomplishments.
• I want to set a good example for my children.

These are just a few examples of what your “why” might look like. It is crucial to figure out what drives you. Your “why” is great to refer to whenever you feel less motivated about your goals. 

2. Create An Environment That Promotes Productivity

The truth is that some environments simply don’t promote peace and productivity. It can be hard to stay focused and motivated when in a hectic or toxic environment. 

Creating a peaceful environment makes accomplishing goals much more manageable, and you will find staying motivated quite a bit easier. 

So how do you go about creating a productive environment?

• Find a quiet space to work. When building a habit, you must stay focused, especially as you start. A quiet space where you can think clearly is a great way to accomplish just that. If you can’t find a place inside that will work, outside is always a great option. 
• Keep your space tidy. A tidy place to work (or clean home) can provide a sense of peace and make it far easier to feel good about focusing on your goals instead of worrying about everything you still need to do today.
• Utilize spaces with lots of natural light. Good lighting can help you feel happy and motivated instead of dark spaces. In a study from Cell, they discuss how light can significantly affect your mood, and as you may know, mood can severely impact our motivation. 
• Decorate your space with soothing colors and decor. Having a well-decorated space for working on your goals and projects can actually help you stay focused and feel better as you work. 

Basically, anything you can do to create and promote a calm, happy environment will help you succeed in your journey to stay motivated to reach your goals. 

3. Set Attainable Goals 

One of the most critical steps for staying motivated for longer is setting attainable goals. But, now, what exactly does it mean to set attainable goals?

Well, a great way to measure the attainability of your goals is to ask yourself one simple question.

Is this goal I am setting realistic/achievable?

Another fantastic way to assure you have set attainable goals is by using the S.M.A.R.T Goal method. 

S – Specific. Is the goal you have set specific? An example of a specific goal would be “I will complete my novel outline by June 1st,” instead of “I want to finish writing my book in the next few months.” 

M – Measurable. Can you measure the progress of this goal? For example, you might measure how well you are doing on your fitness journey by weight lost or gained when getting in shape.  

A – Achievable. It is essential to ask yourself if your goal is attainable. Will you be able to reach this goal if you work hard? An example of a realistic goal would be, “I want to run a 5k by the end of the year,” and a less attainable goal might be “I want to be a billionaire.” The second goal might not be impossible, but it’s too broad to make it a realistic goal. 

R – Relevant. Is the goal you are setting relevant? Is it something that makes sense for you and your life?  

T – Timebound. Setting time frames is very important for getting motivated and staying motivated. Often time restraints or deadlines can spur us to action even when we don’t feel like it. 

Following these five rules when setting your goals is a great way to avoid goal burnout and keep yourself motivated in the long run. 

4. Create A Routine That Supports Your Goals

One of the most important steps to staying motivated when implementing new habits or goals is to create a routine. 

Creating a routine has many benefits, one of which is the ability to form lasting habits. Studies show that creating a lasting habit can take anywhere between 18 to 254 days to form, depending on the complexity of the goal/habit. 

Not to mention every person’s brain will be different. So be patient with yourself as you add new tasks to your routine. 

5. Track Your Progress

One of the best ways to keep yourself motivated is to track your progress. Tracking your progress will help give you a better idea of the progress you have made and how far you have yet to go. 

Here are a few ways you can track your goals progress:

• Write it down. Keeping a log of your accomplishments is a great motivator and can significantly help you stay focused on your goals. 
• Create a to-do list. Creating and keeping your checked off to-do lists is a super-easy way to track your progress. 
• Create a spreadsheet. I personally prefer the writing method, but my husband swears by spreadsheets. Simply track your progress on a spreadsheet and regularly re-evaluate your goals.
• Download a habit app. There are many excellent habit trackers on the market for you to choose from. I enjoy Habitica because of how fun it makes everyday tasks seem. 
• Use a goal planner. A goal planner is a great way to get excited about your goals and easily keep track of your progress. 

Whatever method you choose, make sure you refer back to it often. For the best results, you should update your progress tracker daily. This will also help you stay motivated because the new goals or habits you are working toward will be fresh in your mind. 

6. Remove Distractions 

We live in a world of distractions right at our fingertips, and often we can get lost scrolling endlessly through social media rather than working toward a goal. Unfortunately, distractions like these are motivation killers. 

So how exactly can we minimize these distractions?

The best way to remove distractions that kill your motivation is to set up some phone-free time. 

It is so easy to find yourself going down a social media rabbit hole, especially with the constant notifications from your phone. This is why setting time aside to set your phone down and focus on your goals 

7. Use Positive Self-talk 

Using positive self-talk is one of the most important ways to keep yourself motivated and in the proper goal mindset. 

Having a good mindset is everything and talking positively about yourself is the BEST way to start doing that. Your inner monologue should always be kind and uplifting to yourself. If it is not, it’s time to make a change. 

If you are just starting to make this change, it is essential to correct the behavior every time you catch yourself speaking/thinking negatively about yourself. 

If you catch this happening, you should quickly list three positive things about yourself for every negative comment you have made. It seems silly, but over time this will make a huge difference. 

8. Visualize What Will Happen When You Complete This Goal

Visualizing the end result can help you feel excited about your goal, and excitement is an excellent form of motivation. 

When you hear the phrase “Visualize your goal,” it means that you stop and picture your end goal. 

To visualize your goal, you should ask yourself questions like:

• What will my life look like if I reach this goal?
• How will I feel upon accomplishing this goal?

If you really want to get into the visualization process, close your eyes and daydream about scenarios where you have achieved your goal. 

Getting excited about the idea of reaching your goal is SO important when it comes to staying motivated. 

9. Reward Your Success

We live in an instant gratification world and, as humans, tend to lose motivation quite quickly without the proper incentives, and reaching a goal is no different. 

Here are a few examples of how you can reward your goal progress:

• Plan a trip. A trip is an excellent reward for reaching a big goal.
• Treat yourself. Purchase something you have wanted for a long time when you complete your goal. 
• Have a celebratory dinner. Go to dinner to celebrate your success upon reaching a goal.
• Plan a spa day. Take yourself out on a relaxing spa adventure once you have reached your goal. 

Ultimately you will have to decide what incentive you will enjoy the most. The reward you choose should be something that excites you. 

10. Don’t Give Up

No matter how much you may not feel like working toward your goals, it is crucial to keep going. Baby steps forward are still steps toward your end goal. 

You will have low motivation days; that is just a given. Low motivation days happen and will happen. But, honestly, you might never “feel like it.” 

It is essential to prioritize your new habits or goals and do them regularly whether you are in the mood to do them or not. 

If you have a hiccup with your goal, evaluate and get back on the goal wagon. 

Conclusion 

Getting motivated and staying motivated can feel like a complex process due to how much motivation levels can change. 

This is why I designed my very own PRINTABLE GOAL PLANNER! 

I wanted some fill-in-the-blank worksheets to help keep myself on track and motivated. Something simple that I could print for a binder or journal to refer back to daily. 

So if you think you could benefit from a more organized goal approach, you should definitely check it out! 

You’ve got this! Start today; you will be so glad that you did! 

Have a bright day!