Learn to self-motivate yourself
Motivation is that energy that moves us, that directs us to fulfill our objectives. Motivation is what moves us to perform certain actions and persist in them for its completion. Some actions involve an effort, during its realization we can feel the opposite of dissatisfaction, but nevertheless we persist in them, contrary to what we could logically assume.
Examples of these actions can be studying, running a race, etc. if we continue, in spite of the effort and suffering it is because of the motivation that pushes us to do it and it makes it easier for us to achieve the final goal, which will be satisfactory.
Motivation has a very important role in our lives, but sometimes it is not easy to become motivated and persist with some tasks. We can learn to self-motivate to achieve our goals.
Needs and motivation
Motivation has been studied as a psychological process for decades. Motivation is a complex process, which is related to the needs. The human being has different needs and directs his behavior to cover these needs, therefore the motivation is directed to meet human needs. Barlow elaborated a hierarchy of human needs, placing them in a pyramid: physiological, security, social, esteem and self-realization needs. First these needs must be met at the base of the pyramid, the motivation is centered on the first ones and it goes up as they are covered.
It is important to know what our needs are and cover them in order to motivate ourselves in what we want.
The cycle of motivation
The motivation follows a cycle that would be of the following type: a need appears that supposes an imbalance (either physical or psychic), and our organism tries to recover the balance and is motivated towards the coverage of the need. It is important to be aware of this cycle and pay attention to those simultaneous needs that can compete for our motivation and pose an obstacle to our goal.
Why do we sometimes find it hard to motivate ourselves?
Surely on many occasions we have said things like: "tomorrow I go running," "tomorrow I start studying," or "tomorrow I quit smoking," or other similar claims. But too often that morning is extended and never comes, other needs appear and our motivation is focused on them. Why does it cost us to motivate ourselves?
1. Competing needs appear with those who generated our goal.
2. We have a goal, but it is effort and sacrifice. This goes against the human tendency to look for that which is pleasant or pleasurable to us.
3. We can be motivated, but it's hard to start and keep the action.
Learn to self-motivate
It is possible to develop the ability to self-motivate and direct the action and our effort towards our goals. Let's see some tips for this:
1. Pay attention to your needs and try to cover them so they do not compete for your motivation. Remember Marlow's pyramid, if you are sleepy or hungry, or some problem with someone, it will be harder to motivate you and therefore you should first cover these needs.
2. Establish a plan for you. It's about getting to know you and making a personalized plan, with the best hours to do the task, the most opportune moments, etc.
3. Write down the reasons why you want to be motivated, write down the goal you want to achieve. And when you have difficulty motivating yourself remember to read the list.
4. Divide the goal into small goals, with small tasks to achieve it. For example: instead of studying the whole agenda in a month, consider more visible and better defined goals, for example: study one section each day.
5. Reinforce your achievements. To do this, write them down in another list, they will serve you to check what you have done and to stay motivated.
Celia Rodríguez Ruiz. Clinical health psychologist. Specialist in pedagogy and child and youth psychology. Director of Educa and Learn. Author of the collection Stimulate Reading and Writing Processes.
