How to Motivate Yourself Every Day, 23 Easy Tips

2. Get Inspiring Input

Don’t let a day go by without inspiring yourself in some fashion. Often, when we feel low it’s because we’re receiving too much of the WRONG input.

Instead, find motivation material to hit the ground running and gain perspective on the big picture.

Are you motivating yourself with any of these?

• Motivational quotes – Check out these quotes about adversity!
• The people in your life and on social media
• Books: check out my favorite books, or some more HERE
• Podcasts: Lewis Howes: The School of Greatness is a favorite here!
• Your own vision board: (check out a free template here)
• Church or spiritual pursuits
• Music: What music moves you?

3. Set Small Goals

Dave Ramsey’s debt payment model is massively successful because he uses a very simple principle. Momentum building.

In his debt snowball strategy, he advises you to pay the smallest debts first regardless of the interest rate, therefore building a “snowball” towards your bigger ones.

We can all utilize this principle! Set small goals that lead to your bigger, more audacious goals. Want to run a 10K? Start with one mile, then two, and before you know it, six will be easy!

As you hit those smaller targets you’ll motivate yourself to keep going.

4. Measure your Progress

The feeling of progress brings us incredible drive.

So, take measurements, write down Xs in a calendar, or do something else that marks the hard work you’re putting in and the results you’re slowly seeing.

Check out this free habit tracker!

5. Start a Gratitude Journal

It’s hard to motivate yourself if you’re in a negative place. So, practice finding the good on a regular basis, both with your surroundings and the progress you’ve made.

A gratitude journal like the five-minute journal is a great way to record the blessings in your day.

6. Try positive Affirmations

I am strong. I am productive. I am prosperous.

Need a little initiative? Remind yourself of how awesome you are. Check out some great morning affirmations or loving affirmations HERE.

Related Post: Restful Bedtime Affirmations

7. Play Energy Inducing Music

According to the research in Temptation, we procrastinate the most when we’re in a bad mood.

While gratitude (#5) helps tremendously, a little dancing music does the trick to get out of that funk as well!

8. Don’t Break the Chain

Motivation is not constant. It ebbs and flows and most often HABIT is what we truly fall back. Our daily systems MATTER enormously.

So, set a rule that you never miss more than a day at a time. Be kind to yourself and take a day off if you need to. But then jump right back on to continue building your momentum.

9. Reduce Distractions

Often, we seek meaningless activities as an escape route when things get hard. Let’s check Instagram instead of doing those push-ups. Or watch a show instead of working on that meaningful project.

So, how can we make distractions less harmful? Try one of these:

• Periodically delete your most distracting apps.
• Put the remote in a separate room.
• Try a digital detox
• Put a timer on your router to go off at a certain time of night.

There are countless, small, one time actions that add YEARS of motivation and productivity in the long run.

Check out: Ways to Spend Less Time on Your Phone for more!

10. Utilize Your Routines

Think about what gets you fired up. How do you BEST motivate yourself now?

A picture of someone where you want to be? A few good jumping jacks? The Rock?

Whatever it is, can you incorporate it into your daily routines?

A motivating quote you see in the home office, or a fiery affirmation while you shower can make the difference in how you go about the rest of your day.

11. Compare Only Yourself

Our technological world makes it too easy to compare ourselves to others. And often, we don’t realize we’re doing it. Yet, comparing yourself to others is a fast track to sabotaging your motivation.

“That person looks amazing, so maybe I should just give up.” you say to yourself unaware.

So, be very cautious about what you look at on social media. Take a step back from anything that provokes comparison, and be sure that you’re only around those that make you feel good.

12. Get Accountability

(How to Motivate Yourself on Steroids)

Truly, my habits and motivation have changed DRAMATICALLY since I unleashed the power of peer pressure. I began with a weekly accountability partner which led to a group and the SPAR! app. All this eventually led to our free commitment contract.

And I’ve never before accomplished so much towards my health, happiness, and impact.

Here are just a few habits I do now that I didn’t do before:

• Daily smoothies
• 5 am wake up with exercise, meditation, and journaling
• 75 pushups, 75 squats, and 75 sit-ups a day
• Exponentially better self-care and positive actions

Truthfully, I have other people to thank for most of these – accountability!

13. Remember Your WHY

When the excuses set in, it’s hard to remember what the point actually is. But it’s important to live life by design, not by default.

So, battle this fatigue by writing down your goals and creating a vision board to see daily. It’s difficult for the excuses to win when you look at this kind of targeted motivation.

*If your goals and vision board don’t completely fire you up, begin again and go deeper into what you want.

14. Reflect on the Outcomes

Additionally, to motivate yourself quickly, reflect on what you want your life to look like in 5 years.

Where will you be if you don’t change?

Then, if you do change?

Really see and feel the different scenarios to make it real.

15. Organize

We have a clearer and more determined mind if we’re not battling mountains of clutter. So, simplify your surroundings for an easier time reaching your goals.

16. Prioritize

Often we lose motivation because there’s just too much.

Too much going on. Too much to accomplish. Too much stimulation. It’s overwhelming and we don’t know where to start. So, we sit paralyzed instead.

Start with, what’s the most impactful thing you can do to move forward? Then choose two more. Get those three things done and let go of the rest.

Or perhaps you need a not-to-do list?!

17. Rest When Needed

Lasting results can’t take place without periods of relaxation.

Burnout runs rampant in our culture because we fail to see how CRITICAL rest and self-care are. Rest is not optional.

So, if you’re feeling down and out about your goals. PLAN to rest for a short period and come back inspired. It will be worth it.

(These free downloads help)

18. Celebrate your Wins

Every small win is a triumphant point in the journey. It deserves to be celebrated!

So, give yourself a mental pat on the back or use small non food rewards to stay motivated. Those who take a moment to notice their forward progress, tend to make it farther.

19. Change your Physiology

Stuck in a motivation rut? Can’t seem to get it together?

Do something different! If only for a moment.

Stop what you’re doing and exercise for ten minutes, meditate for two, or go outside and watch a bird. Get out of your head and change your state of being.

20. Journal For Better Awareness

Next, become more aware, then learn and adjust. It’s the basis for a life well-lived.

Of course, journaling is an unmatchable tool for better awareness.

Feeling low on a particular day? Write about it. How do you feel? What do you think is causing it? And can you add any of the tips from this post to remedy the procrastination?

21. Mix It Up

How to best motivate yourself can change!

The other day, I got halfway through my workout and WAS NOT feeling it. I was lethargic and badly wanted to crawl back into my warm bed.

So, I decided to do some sprints in my backyard instead. I changed mid-workout and had no real structure. It turned out that it was BEAUTIFUL outside. As a result, I was unusually fired up by the time I was done.

In short, consider a change of routine, scenery, or time when you need a boost.

Related Post: How to Get Out of Your Comfort Zone

22. Schedule It In

Good planning is essential for showing up even when motivation feels elusive.

So, map your weeks out ahead of time – Sundays are a great time for this. Decide what’s important for you to get done, and when exactly you will do it.

Then, go a step further and set your clothes out, get your coffee ready to go, and do whatever else you need to in order to make forward progress easy.

23. Realize That You’re Going to Fail

Even in the most successful environments, we fail. Which is a good thing!

“Failure is just growth in wolf’s clothing.”

Robin Sharma

If you’re taking risks, failing is crucial to growth. Instead of getting discouraged, be ready for it. Anticipate that there will be trials and see it for what it is: part of the incredible journey. So, bring it on life.

In Conclusion…

Finally, remember that we are all unique. Different things motivate different people. So, experiment with what works best for you.

Furthermore, we will never ALWAYS be motivated.

So, use these tips to keep stoking your fire, but also build the routines and habits you need when you encounter a pothole in the road. They are ALL essential for success.

How do you motivate yourself when it’s hard? I’d love to know!

Other personal growth posts to enjoy…

• 11 Steps to Achieve More of Your Life Goals
• Best List of Good Habits To Develop
• 11 Things to do at Night for Incredible Success

Tips to Motivate Yourself Every Day