Human motivation is the key to success. The right motivation on the path to success How to find motivation for action

Understanding the basics of how to encourage employees to increase their contribution to the achievement of the goals of the enterprise becomes a powerful tool for the leader. Investing in staff can bring results no less than they give financial investment, it is only necessary to correctly calculate the vectors of application of forces and consistently introduce the developed principles and approaches into the management process.

There is nothing universal

Mistakes made by management can turn the work process into a waste of time, which will eventually result in a decrease in performance, a decrease in competitiveness and, as a result, in the complete collapse of any, even the most promising undertaking. Therefore, first of all, it is necessary to understand what cannot be done.

For each person, motivation is the main driving force, if we do something, then we already want something. And, conversely, if we have to do work that is not supported by desire, we will do it through force with the corresponding result. But just as there are no absolutely identical people, so there are no completely similar desires. Therefore, what will motivate one to work at full strength, the second will not be interested in the least.

Therefore, there are no principles that are ideal for everyone. For example, there is one often suggested way to increase the interest of employees in the results, which may seem ideal: wages are not paid at a specific rate, but as a percentage of profit. But there are a lot of performers. They can do remarkably well with clearly defined tasks, but they are completely lost if personal initiative is required of them. At the same time, employees with opposite psychological attitudes are completely incapable of acting within clear limits.

Meanwhile, there is always a job that is best suited to the first or second type. And one of the main personnel mistakes is that an employee is entrusted with activities that are completely unsuitable for his psychotype. At the same time, if you set specific tasks for the former and explain exactly what he should do, and appoint the latter to positions that provide a certain freedom, the productivity of both will increase significantly.

The main meaning of this principle is that when choosing a method of motivation, one should rely on the personality of a person, and not automatically use the same methods for all employees. Therefore, even if you become familiar with the misuse of motivation or the principles on which the right approach is built, the personality of a particular employee should be taken into account.

Mistakes in motivation that can kill a business

It lies in the fact that the manager does not want to admit the fact: the success of the company depends not only on the knowledge and experience of employees, but also on their desire to perform the assigned work.

This is especially important in the service sector, where much depends on the level of interaction between the employee and the client. No instructions can foresee situations that arise during personal communication, but make a person work in the service or service sector with high quality if he himself does not have such a desire, it is impossible.

Personnel acting strictly according to the instructions, unwilling to take responsibility and take the initiative, will inevitably lead the company to the loss of a client and, accordingly, profit. There is no way to force a person to be proactive, he must really want it. And this can only help the right motivation.

Even professional psychologists are confused in the definition of the terms "motivation" and "motive". In general terms, we can say that the right motivation is the actions of the management, thanks to which the team has a desire not only to do their job, but to get a certain effective result.

Most managers transfer their own perceptions to employees, so they consider what seems right to them sufficient for motivation.

For example, a manager might think that high salary- a sufficient reason for employees to follow all his instructions. At the same time, he will be sure that the person will try "from the heart" in order to retain workplace to climb up career ladder or increase your income. That is, motives that seem sufficient for him will be applied to the worker. At the same time, a situation is quite acceptable when a person is satisfied with the amount he earns, but he absolutely cannot stand the situation in the team or the attitude of his superiors towards him.

Wrong motivation that does not take into account a specific situation will act in reverse, destroy a loyal attitude towards the company and destroy the initiative. The result is a loss of efficiency, a loss of competitiveness and a decrease in profits.

A monetary incentive should be present in the personnel motivation system, but it should not be put in the first place. Low salary may well cause hatred for what a person does. But in reverse side this rule does not work.

Another reason that monetary incentives do not become decisive in order for employees to strive to improve efficiency is addiction. An increase in salary can cause positive emotions only at the first stage, but after a short time such earnings become habitual and no longer seem sufficient (“there is no such thing as a lot of money”).

It is necessary to use such stimulation, but it should be understood that a person also perceives an increase in his own income as recognition of his achievements.

It is especially important to take into account the fact that material incentives do not become a guarantee of employee loyalty in cases with highly paid specialists. A person who knows that he can always find a place to apply his knowledge cannot be kept with money alone - he must enjoy working in a particular place.

Employees who are primarily focused on earning more should see the link between remuneration and performance. And that part of the staff, whose need for money is lower, always attaches more importance to the conditions for self-realization, the opportunity to communicate with other people, the work process itself or good attitude bosses. However, using them without a fair monetary valuation of labor becomes a demotivating factor that will also lower productivity.

It is the manager who makes decisions that affect motivation: determines wages, working conditions, deadlines for completing tasks and their distribution, etc. Therefore, almost any decision of the head, one way or another, is connected with the motivation (or demotivation) of employees. Therefore, such decisions, both in the form of rewards and as punishments, should take into account how much they will affect the motivation of the staff.

The situation is the opposite of the one in which management does not want to hear about motivating employees. Such a leader, knowing that “employees need to be motivated,” perceives this as an unpleasant, but necessary duty. As a result, it is easier for him to motivate people "from the contrary" - punishments and threats. The result is just the opposite - such actions create a tense atmosphere, and not for one person, but for the whole team.

This is not all, but some of the main mistakes related to staff motivation, which you should definitely remember.

Principles and types of motivation

The effect of staff motivation can be obtained only if certain incentive principles are observed:

• setting clear and understandable tasks and goals (employees must know exactly what tasks are set for them and what goals they must achieve);
• remuneration and goals should be connected (a person needs to know what he will get from effective work);
• the possibility of feedback and publicity (the employee must be sure that his success will be supported, and he himself can turn to management with questions);
• knowledge of motivation tools used in other enterprises, especially competitors;
• understanding the expectations of employees;
• the optimal combination of material and moral types of motivation;
• taking into account the personality of the employee when using incentive methods (what is necessary for one is not necessary for another);
• when possible, use positive rather than negative methods (although the possibility of punishment may affect the improvement of performance, the constant use of this method worsens general environment and team climate).

Incentive tools can be divided into several types:

1. material monetary - increase or appointment of high (when hiring) wages, bonuses, bonuses, percentages of results, commissions, etc.;
2. material non-monetary - incentives or rewards that can be valued in money, but received by the employee in “kind” (vouchers, certificates, provided housing or transport, etc.);
3. non-monetary - incentives that emphasize both the attitude of the management towards the employee and the assessment of his activities, and also work to unite the team.

It is generally accepted that one of the most effective motivating systems of monetary motivation is KPI, which takes into account the effectiveness of employees in terms of key indicators. In reality, the real picture is different.

Domestic business uses KPI as something similar to the system that existed under socialist planning: each employee receives a certain task for a period, and the result of its implementation affects wages. However, management often raises the “norm” next month, which is already more difficult to meet. This leads to a worse attitude towards work. In the case when the KPI is not fulfilled, the employee does not receive part of the money, therefore, he strives to complete the task, but also develops a negative attitude towards the perception of his activity. As a result, such a system becomes a means to force the staff to bring more profit, which has nothing to do with real motivation.

And non-financial incentives, which include:

• holding corporate events;
• individual work schedule (the possibility of remote work, separate days off if necessary, days off on birthdays, etc.);
• creating a favorable atmosphere;
• public positive assessment of the achievements of an employee or team.

As a conclusion, we can say that the introduction of a motivation system that respects the listed principles may well lead to an improvement in the overall performance of the entire company. However, this is only possible if the personal qualities every employee. To do this, you need to understand what may be of interest to each employee. This stage may seem difficult, long and inconvenient, but it can bring the most top scores and increase the competitiveness (and, hence, profit) of any commercial structure.

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The importance of motivation is manifested in one of two cases: when a person is ready to study and work for hours without stopping, and when it is given to him with great difficulty. Everyone wants to be productive, but motivating yourself every day is incredibly difficult.

Does not exist easy way teach yourself to wake up in the morning with burning eyes and a desire to achieve goals. So this article is designed to collect all the most important and interesting in order to help you understand yourself and your motives. We will consider not only motivation as such, but also go through different areas of life where it plays a special role: sports, study and work.

What is motivation

Motivation- the cause of the actions, desires and needs of people. It is also what makes a person want to repeat the behavior. A motive is that which induces a person to act in a certain way, or at least to develop a propensity for a particular behavior.

There are several other definitions for this phenomenon:

• an internal state or state that activates a behavior and gives it direction
• desire or need that fuels and directs goal-directed behavior
• influence of needs and desires on the intensity and direction of behavior
• arousal, direction, and persistence of behavior

Please note that in many definitions the word "direction" occurs. We can say that a motivated person is a vector that has direction and strength. Even being at rest, he still makes efforts (for example, mental).

A person can achieve a serious goal if he balances between motivation (when the task is interesting, enjoyable and easy to do) and willpower (when the task is set, we don’t want to take on it, but we force ourselves because we need to).

Motivation is usually divided into drives and motives. Drives are mostly biological, such as thirst, hunger, sleepiness, and the need to reproduce, all of which drive us to seek and participate in certain activities. It is believed that the drives are inside the person and do not require outside influence or encouragement.

Motives, on the other hand, are driven by social and psychological mechanisms such as work, family, and relationships. These include factors such as praise and approval.

Consider what theories of motivation exist and how they differ.

Theories of motivation

There are many theories of motivation, but we will highlight the most interesting and significant.

• Instinct Theory of Motivation. According to her, people are motivated to behave in a certain way because they are evolutionarily programmed to do so. For example, the biological instincts that are essential to the survival of the organism, such as fear, purity, and love.
• Incentive Theory of Motivation. It suggests that people are motivated to do things because of external rewards. For example, your motivation might be a salary.
• Drive theory and needs. Processes such as eating, drinking and sleeping are dictated by physiological needs. Therefore, he is motivated enough when he feels their lack.
• Arousal Theory of Motivation. It assumes that people are motivated to do things that help them maintain optimal levels of arousal (called flow). A person with low arousal needs may engage in relaxing activities such as reading a book, while those with high needs may be motivated to do something physically exciting, such as racing motorcycles.

Motivation can also be considered in terms of zone of influence. In this case, it is divided into external and internal.

External and internal motivation

Intrinsically motivated behavior is generated by the sense of personal satisfaction it brings. A person derives joy from completing a task. You can be called motivated if you go to university for fun and to become educated.

Intrinsic motivation is a critical element in cognitive, social and physical development; those people who are inherently motivated are more likely to perform better and improve their skills.

In contrast, extrinsically motivated behavior is performed in order to get something from others. Employees can do their jobs because they want the company to pay them, not because they love it. Some athletes are guided by the goal of winning competitions and receiving praise from the fans; they are not guided by the inner satisfaction that they get from the game.

Similarly, if you are studying at a university because you want to get high paying job or meet the demands of your parents, your motivation is more external.

This is in theory, but the reality is a bit more complicated. Motivation is often a combination of both intrinsic and external factors and their ratio may change over time. Therefore, it is recommended to try yourself in different areas and look for hobbies in order to understand which type of activity brings more pleasure.

We have finished with the theory and it's time to figure out how to motivate yourself in different areas of life.

Motivation for learning

Many people find it difficult to motivate themselves to study for two reasons:

• They want to start working right away.
• They want immediate returns in the form of money or approval.

When you study or program (that is, an activity that requires a fair amount of time without return), then there is a big risk that after two weeks you will stop doing it. Learning takes patience long time You won't get results or money. Therefore, motivation for learning is even more important than for work.

Below you will see a step-by-step structure that will increase your level of motivation in learning.

Goals. Start by recognizing and writing down two types of goals: long-term and short-term. Short-term goals will influence your level of motivation and move you towards long-term ones.

1. Write down all your goals.
2. Avoid uncertainty, goals should be clear and precise.
3. Break complex goals into small ones.
4. State how you intend to achieve your goal. The more detailed the better.
5. Visualize the achievement of your goal and how you will feel in the future when you achieve it.
6. Reward yourself. External incentives should complement motivation, not determine it.

Just start. The brain is so arranged that it resists any change in activity, because it does not want to lose energy. Knowing this, you should do your best to remain in a state of learning for as long as possible - after a while the desire to learn will arise. Now this process becomes the main one, and distraction from it becomes painful.

1. Say to yourself, "I'll only study for 30 minutes and then we'll see."
2. Don't torture yourself by imagining alternatives to studying. Focusing on other activities will make learning exhausting.
3. The faster you concentrate, the faster you will complete the lesson.
4. Imagine the negative consequences of procrastination and laziness (we are afraid of inner pain).
5. Imagine the positive consequences of achieving a goal (we strive to have fun).
6. Eliminate distractions (put your phone on silent).

Reach one small goal. You have already divided the long-term goal into several short-term goals, and now you just need to achieve one of them. This is important because it allows you to feel that you have become better, reached a new level. very popular now and not by chance. In the game, motivation appears as if by itself: you do not need to look for it and carve it out of stone.

Pick the Right Music. Many people neglect this advice, but in vain. What is the most important thing in learning? Complete concentration. So download music that has no lyrics and try to work for a few hours. If this is yours, use this playlist more often.

clear the table. Few people will sit down at a table littered with piles of paper and various rubbish. Clean table - clear thoughts. It's always hard to start, and when you see a littered table, you find yourself a lot of excuses for not doing anything.

Genuine Interest. You can force yourself, or you can love learning. What does it mean? For example, do you teach English language and it seems boring. Read the book You Can't Be Taught foreign language» Nikolai Zamyatkin, which will allow you to become interested in the process of learning languages. Be interested not only in rules and boring theories, find Interesting Facts in any field you are interested in.

Motivation for sports

Everyone wants to be and clearly understands this. Why then do so few people go in for sports? Because they lack motivation. They have knowledge, they have understanding, they have a need, but there is no desire. You can even force yourself to work or study, but going for a run (if this is not your profession) is incredibly difficult. Here are some tips to help you do just that.

Read sports books. After reading an article about sports, the likelihood of engaging in them increases significantly. Much depends on the skill of the author, who may or may not evoke this desire. After a few days, motivation and enthusiasm disappear. So read books and exercise at the same time.

Athletes release their autobiographies - reading them will be a great motivating factor. There are books on fitness, proper breathing and much more. If they help you at least start doing morning exercises, then some of their functions are already being performed.

Track progress. Smart watches are of particular value to those who play sports. It is very exciting to watch after running how many kilometers you have run and how many calories you have lost. Find popular apps for your mobile platform and use them.

Find a sports friend. It will be much more difficult for you to refuse a trip to gym if you understand that you will let the person down. Together you can enjoy a great time and help motivate each other. Someone who is better than you will usually be more motivated as you try to keep up with them. And vice versa.

Find music for sports. Motivation appears when strong positive emotions rage in your psyche. The music evokes them quickly.

Pack your bag and leave it by the door. This is the simplest and most effective trigger. We have already said that the brain does not want to change activity, which means that any obstacle will be perceived as a reason not to do so. If your bag is packed and is near the door, you just need to put on your shoes and leave the apartment. Even if today you have the strongest motivation for sports, do not flatter yourself - it will disappear overnight.

Get a schedule. Replace the thought “I should go to the pool” with “I will go to the pool tomorrow, Thursday and Saturday right after work.” You do not look for an excuse, but put up with the decision and plan your life, given that two hours for the pool are already scheduled.

Motivation to work

Work can be painful if you are mentally set up to do it all for the money. Even a favorite thing will become unpleasant after a while if you are fixated only on external rewards.

Motivation to work differs significantly from motivation to study in one way. important point: in studies it is important to start (the first 30 minutes), but in many cases you are forced to do the work. The problem is not to get the job done (you will do it), but to enjoy it.

Let's see what methods and tips will help to avoid such a mistake.

productive morning. Not better way hate your job than start the morning wrong. Wrong means unproductive and completely pointless. No matter what kind of work you have, in the office or at home, the first 30 minutes after waking up are of the utmost importance.

What can and should be done during this time? Review your to-do list for today, which you made in advance last night. This is important, because it allows you to instantly tune in to work. Meditate and do exercises - the first clears thoughts, the second takes you out of a state of laziness and peace.

Task definition. Work is motivating when it's clear what you're doing. Think about it: what good feelings do you get when you clearly understand a task or make serious progress on a big project? At the end of each day or week, create a “Done” list (opposite the to-do list) in which you list all the tasks you completed. For extra motivation, keep it in front of your eyes.

Variety of skills. What kills motivation? Boredom, routine, repetition. When you do the same thing, it drives you crazy. Whatever you do, there is always the opportunity to learn something new, study many books on the topic and immediately apply knowledge in practice. Do the work in different ways, mix different styles and demeanor.

Feedback. If you want to become motivated, collect feedback on your work. Not only for ego boost (if the job is done well), but also because the right feedback can help hone skills. It is good because it knocks you out of the usual rut, offers fresh ideas and makes you doubt the usual order of things. It helps to look at yourself and your work from a different angle. Freshness appears and destroys the routine.

Remind yourself why you do what you do. Even if your work is enjoyable and of great value, you may forget about it. Remind yourself of its importance every day - in the morning and before bed. In any case, it will be done, so let it be better with pleasure.

Know your "why". First, step back and create a list that displays all the ideas, projects, and tasks floating around in your mind. Then take a look at the following questions:

1. Why is this task important to me?
2. Who and what does it affect?
3. How will this affect my personal and professional life?

Even if you don't feel like doing the work today, still tell yourself "I want to do this task" rather than "I have to do it." If you can’t evoke the right emotion, take a couple of minutes and think: “Why is this so important to me?”.

Self motivation for procrastinators

When deadlines aren't absolute or well-defined, procrastinators don't do well with them. All four strategies discussed below are associated with activating the emotions that motivate you to get things done.

Reducing available time

Scheduling a task around a job or activity gives procrastinators less available time to get things done, thus creating a time crunch that activates motivating emotions. Some people, encouraged by a deadline, challenge themselves before they start working or studying.

If you artificially limit yourself to time frames, then you begin to manage yourself. As we know, work fills all the time allotted for it.

Forced Incentives

Professionally successful people emotionally attached to their goals. When they keep their promises to them, they increase their motivation levels. To-do lists are popular for a variety of reasons, but they use them as a tool for making commitments.

Financial considerations are also effective in setting an absolute deadline. This is especially important for those whose income is based on commissions or project completion. By regularly evaluating the attractiveness of a financial goal and its impact on a long-term plan, you can generate emotions that motivate you to take action. It doesn't matter what incentives you find, real or unreal, the main thing is that it works.

Working memory usage

The burst of energy needed to achieve something comes as the deadline approaches. When you think about a task without doing it, you get tired and waste a lot of energy to no avail.

Get the task out of your head until you start doing it. Otherwise, you will not be able to get to work, simultaneously reproaching yourself for it. Meditation and breathing exercises can help.

Using External Circumstances

Even though procrastinators like to wait for a deadline, under certain circumstances they are motivated to complete tasks early on. For example, they can immediately solve it if the postponement is associated with an intrapersonal conflict. That is, the pain of not getting the job done right now must be greater than the pain of being put off.

You can prioritize in such a way that you take on work in order not to let a loved one down. The feeling of shame towards oneself in some people is not as intense as the feeling of shame felt towards those who are dear to us.

Books on motivation and self-motivation

• "33 ways of self-motivation" Igor Osipenko
• 100 Ways to Be Motivated by Steve Chandler
• "Dreaming is not harmful" Barbara Sher
• "Be best version himself" Dan Waldschmidt
• "Without Self-Pity" by Eric Larssen
• "To hell with all of it! Take it and do it! Richard Branson
• "Get out of your comfort zone" Brian Tracy

We wish you good luck!

Sports activities are known to improve health, improve well-being and prolong life. There is an opinion that properly selected physical activity helps not only to get in great shape, but also to cope with depression and blues. Unfortunately, for various reasons, not everyone can go to the gym. In this case, training can be organized at home. Doesn't work again? So it's all about lack of motivation.

Most people at least once tried to start a new life on Monday or next month. For example, do exercises in the morning, go for a run, eat right, stop smoking, finally, etc. But there are cases when, with the beginning of a new week, all aspirations are postponed until later or simply forgotten. According to psychologists, the reason lies not only in laziness or lack of willpower, but also in the wrong approach to the tasks set.

Good motivation is the key to further success. It's no secret that any victory begins with a victory over yourself, your laziness, fears. In order to start moving forward, it is necessary to determine priorities, analyze your capabilities and change your attitude to the problem. First of all, it is important to understand what you want to get from a healthy lifestyle and sports in particular: good mood and self-confidence, harmony and health, the desire to please others, etc. After that, you need to choose the most suitable look fitness to help you achieve your goals. Someone prefers the pool, someone likes strength or dynamic training, there are those who like dancing, stretching, yoga, running, regular walking. The main thing is that classes bring not only benefit, but also pleasure, pleasure. It is also important to tune in to the gradual achievement of the goal, it will eventually give a stable result and become a habit, rather than methods that lead to rapid change.

The incentive for regular physical activity can be, for example, training with like-minded people and friends, publicly making a promise to start leading a healthy lifestyle. So in the future it will be more difficult to abandon the goal and quit what you started. Some people are motivated real stories those who have changed themselves and their lives in better side, photos of slender and cheerful girls, guys from fashion magazines, aphorisms and statuses pasted in a conspicuous place that give confidence in working on oneself.

A good motivation will be the fact that fitness helps to rejuvenate the body and prevents premature aging. It helps to strengthen the immune system, normalize blood pressure, improve the functioning of the digestive organs, maintain joint mobility, relieve headaches, insomnia, etc.

Effective ways to lead a healthy lifestyle

If you want to achieve something, it is important to set specific goals. For example, if you set out to lose weight, decide how many pounds you want to lose. Once a week, sum up the results and even if, in your opinion, they are insignificant, fix them in a special diary and compare your successes with the previous ones. Positive results, ongoing changes in appearance are also good motivation, since progress increases the effectiveness of classes by several percent.

A similar method can also be used by those who seek to pump up or tighten their body, for this, measure and record the volume of arms, legs, waist, and hips weekly.

Since the human body tends to get used to physical activity, over time, the results become less noticeable. There is a so-called plateau effect or stagnation. In this regard, it is necessary to gradually complicate the exercises or alternate different kinds workouts: stretching, cardio, strength.

Fitness instructors do not recommend setting yourself several tasks at once, otherwise it will turn out like chasing two birds with one stone. Lack of achievement can discourage the desire for further studies. Only having achieved weight loss to the required level, you can take on the formation of a figure.

Many people blame their failures on a busy work schedule, a large amount of household chores and a lack of free time in connection with this. However, according to well-known artists whose life is connected with constant tours and filming, you can always allocate 40-60 minutes for good purposes. To do this, it is not at all necessary to visit a fitness club, although group training and the money spent on a subscription are sufficient motivation, but most of the exercises can be done at home. Morning jogging or breathing exercises can energize and invigorate for the whole day, sports in the evening allow you to escape from everyday work and problems. As an alternative, training on simulators will serve.

Having decided on the nature of home fitness, be sure to draw up a schedule according to which you plan to practice and cross off each workout. Of course, discipline in this case will be much more difficult, you will need willpower and a desire to change your life for the better. But after a few weeks, a healthy lifestyle will become a habit.

Failure builds and builds character.

The absence of the expected result is not a reason to give up. For some people, failures serve as an additional incentive to work on themselves. According to psychologists, you need to be mentally prepared for such a turn. It is known that the correct reaction to mistakes or mistakes makes us stronger and more persistent in achieving our goals. In case of a bad experience, it is worth reviewing the training and nutrition plan. You may need other physical activity. The regularity of classes also plays a significant role. healthy image life does not imply many hours of daily fitness. It is enough to practice one hour three to four times a week to get tangible fruits of your labor and confirm the simple truth that new life begins not at all from Monday, but from our consciousness and motivation.

The right motivation on the path to success - all about the secrets of fitness to the site

Competitive spirit

Remember your student years. There must have been someone in high school who was getting better, had better grades, and had girls running around like crazy. Imagine that you are standing next to him, he is a little ahead, the muscles are still larger than yours, but now you have every chance to wipe his nose. Use his image as motivation, and you will succeed. If it was you who was the most popular senior, then imagine that you are going to show the class to Arnie himself.

Weight visualization

Do you have someone you hate to the core? The boss, your ex-wife, the postman, or the honest traffic policeman who pulled you over today for speeding? The time has come for this person to benefit you. Imagine that a loaded barbell or a heavy dumbbell is he, she, or something that belongs to him (her), well, for example, a beloved dog. Press the weight with all the power of hatred that you are capable of.

Success reward

If you really did a good job, nobody canceled the gingerbread method. Reward yourself for your progress with a new jersey or workout gloves. A new shaker, movie tickets, car wash and polish are also suitable as small presents for yourself. We recommend to refrain from alcoholic libations and feasts at McDonald's.

Change menu

Monotonous wholesome and healthy food is tiring. Introduce a couple of new foods into your regular diet. No, we do not mean replacing cottage cheese with cakes, but eating a steak instead of disgusted chicken breasts is easy. By the way, look for recipes on the Internet, and you can cook chicken fillet deliciously.

Try new sports nutrition

Try a new taste, for example, apple instead of chocolate, or vice versa. Treat yourself protein bars. It is both tasty and healthy. Or use the old, proven Kachkov recipe: mix cottage cheese, egg whites, skim milk in a blender, add seasonal fruits or berries. Bon appetit!

Motivational film

Watch a movie. Rocky is a very motivating film, and five parts will last a long time. Evaluate the magnificent result of exhausting workouts. And what an amazing form Sly maintains at his age now. Do you want to look like this in 40 years? Go ahead and don't forget to download the soundtrack to your mp3 player.

Set small goals

Formulate a goal for yourself. But without scope, for one or two workouts. Having formulated, it is worth making sure that it is quite real. Of course, “lose 10 kg in 3 days” sounds attractive, but unrealistic. But “I want to increase strength” or even “see the cubes for the summer” sounds more mundane. Unless, of course, you wished for "cubes" at the end of May on a beer belly.

Listen to your favorite music

Choose the most upbeat and driving songs and listen to them during your workout. If your shopmates don't share your musical tastes, get an mp3 player and listen to Rammstein or Robbie Williams to your heart's content, no one will say a word to you. Meanwhile, the right playlist is great invigorating, distracting from fatigue.

Take a vacation

Every two months (8 weeks) you are entitled to a vacation. You can shamelessly take a break from training for a whole week. I need to clarify: a week without cardio and without strength training. All you need is to rest mentally and follow a diet. Indeed, rest helps to gain strength and start training with renewed enthusiasm.

Exercise for health

In fact, there is no other sport other than bodybuilding that would require you to eat so well. So train, eat healthy, and cheer yourself up with the thought that if now I’m nothing, then in my fifties I’ll be generally hoo!

Contrary to and against

Motivation “What, weak?” works great in bodybuilding too. If someone doubts your ability to break your own record a week ago, let them boldly tell you about it in person! The ability to literally effortlessly squeeze out the weight, which recently seemed unbearable, increases significantly after such kindly teasing.

Listen to the inner voice

Memorize the old and powerful saying of the seasoned: “Willpower plus character ...” The continuation depends on the situation. Willpower is a very powerful thing: you had no idea what your inner self is capable of.

Train with a partner

Firstly, it’s more fun, secondly, there is someone to insure a heavy barbell and cheer “come on!” in time, and thirdly, no one has canceled male solidarity in following a diet and training schedule. Well, in general, two mountains of muscles look more impressive than one.

Listen to advice, share experiences, learn useful things, remember necessary information. Bodybuilders, despite their menacing appearance, are sociable people and love to discuss latest news or know-how spied on Kachkov's forums.

Try to impress

You can repeat like a mantra thirty times a day that you train exclusively for yourself, but that bodybuilder is bad who does not like admiring glances. Therefore, impress: your parents, your grandmother, beautiful girls, no matter who, this is a great motivator not to give up sports.

Use pictures for motivation

Huge field for imagination! If you have already grown out of the posters on the wall, then download cool photos to your phone and put on the screen saver: yourself under the winning light and in good posture, Ronnie Coleman, Terminator, or make a collage of all three.

Feel free to help

Avoid Routine

Routine is addictive and depressing. Change your daily routine from time to time, train in the morning instead of the evening or vice versa. Do abs before a workout, not after, or vice versa. Do not forget about the vacation week (see paragraph 9)

Compare yourself to others

No one offers to look at the fellows on the bar with all eyes, but imperceptible evaluating glances will help you find someone you would like to be equal to. There is nothing shameful in this, healthy competition is a great thing.

Train for your own pleasure!

Of course, you should not come to the gym to drink protein, discuss the latest news, sluggishly pull dumbbells and go to the shower. Of course, you will get pleasure from doing nothing. But it is much more pleasant and effective to enjoy an exhausting workout, after which you can squeeze out a T-shirt, from following a diet, because interested girlish looks on the beach will bring incomparable satisfaction!

The article shows just 20 ways to motivate yourself to take care of your own body. Look for your own methods and secrets, do not despair and do not stop half way! Good luck!

Motivation is a very powerful tool in the right hands. Sometimes it is very easy for a person to motivate himself, and he remains inspired for a long time. But at times it is very difficult to do this, and the “swamp” of procrastination and apathy slowly begins to tighten it. In this article you will find several effective ways and useful research on how to stay motivated for a long time.

1. What is motivation and how does it work

Scientists define motivation as a drive to do something. In other words, it is a set of psychophysiological processes that induce a person to perform a certain action. However, there is another definition of motivation.

What is motivation?

So what is motivation? This concept is best explored in Stephen Pressfield's book The War for Creativity. He writes: “At some point, doing nothing begins to cause a person more discomfort than doing an activity.”

In other words, sometimes it's easier to do something than to do nothing. It's easier to gather strength and go to the gym than to continue to lie on the couch and get fat. It's easier to overcome embarrassment and call your potential client than lose a bonus due to an unfulfilled sales plan.

Each of our choices has its own “price”, but it is better to experience inconvenience from any activity than to regret later that you did nothing. However, in order to get down to business, you need to cross a certain line that separates the zone of procrastination from the zone of active action. This often happens as we approach a deadline.

As a result, there is a very important question: What can we do to overcome this trait and stay motivated at all times?

Common misconceptions about motivation

The surprising thing is that motivation usually occurs after you do some unusual act, and not before. Many people have the misconception that reading a motivational book or watching an inspirational video is enough to inspire them to do something. However, so-called "active" inspiration can serve as a more powerful stimulus to action.

Motivation is usually the result of some activity, not its cause. As soon as you start doing something, inspiration will naturally develop and you will be able to complete what you started.

Thus, in order to motivate yourself to perform any action, it is enough just to start doing it. Below we will talk about how to apply this advice in real life.

2. How to motivate yourself and start doing something

Many people go out of their way to motivate themselves to achieve certain goals. Without motivation, we spend too much energy and time on the implementation of actions that lead us to the desired result.

According to writer Sarah Peck, many aspiring authors fail to complete their work because they cannot answer the question of when they will next start writing. The same goes for training in the gym, business, art, and so on. For example, if you don't have a workout schedule, then every day you'll wake up thinking, "I'm going to the gym today if I'm in the mood."

It seems that scheduling is a very simple step. However, it will help you organize and systematize your activities. Usually people try to stick to the schedule, despite the lack of desire and motivation. Many studies confirm this fact.

Stop waiting for inspiration to strike, and just make a clear schedule that you will follow. This is the main difference between professionals and amateurs. Fans are waiting for inspiration, but they take action.

What is the secret of famous artists? How do they manage to stay motivated all the time? They do not just draw up a schedule of actions, but develop rituals.

The famous dancer and choreographer Twyla Tharp spoke about her daily ritual in an interview. Every day she gets up at 5.30 am, puts on her workout clothes and leaves the apartment. The girl then hails a taxi and tells the driver to take her to the gym, where she works out for two hours. The ritual is not in the process of training, but in the trip itself. Once Twyla tells the driver where to go, the ritual is over.

It seems to be a very simple action. However, if you repeat the same thing every morning, it will soon become a habit. And as soon as the action becomes habitual, it will be easier for you to perform it regularly, because we do not think about routine everyday actions, but simply do them “on the machine”.

Many famous people developed their own rituals. Much has been written about this in Mason Curry's book Genius Mode. The daily routine of great people.

The key to any ritual is that you don't have to make any decisions about what to do first and what to do next. Many people fail to succeed because they can't get started. If you manage to turn your activity into a habitual ritual, then it will not be difficult for you to finish what you started, even if difficult tasks arise on your way.

How to develop a motivating habit

By following three simple steps, you can build your own ritual and turn motivation into a habit.

Step #1. Any ritual should begin with some very simple action. For example, you can drink a glass of water before you sit down to write a novel. Or you can put on your favorite sneakers before heading out for a workout. These actions are so simple that it is impossible to refuse to perform them.

Step #2. You must force yourself to move. Lack of motivation is often associated with a lack of physical activity. Remember your physical state at the moment when you are bored or sad. You don't make any active movements, do you? At such moments, most people just sit on the couch and look at one point. In this case, the opposite is true: if you are physically active, your brain also begins to work more actively. For example, when you dance, it is simply impossible not to feel energized and alive. Physical activity does not always mean doing any exercise. For example, if your goal is to write a novel, then this activity should be directed towards writing.

Step #3. It is necessary to adhere to the same plan of action every day. Their primary task is to motivate you to a certain activity. As a result, you don't have to wait for inspiration. Instead, you simply begin your usual ritual, and then smoothly move on to the main action.

3. How to stay motivated for the long haul

The strategies mentioned above help motivate yourself and get started on a task. But what about staying motivated for the long haul? How to stay motivated?

Imagine that you are playing tennis. If you choose a four-year-old girl as your opponent, then the game will quickly bore you, as the victory will be too easy. Conversely, if you play, for example, against Serena Williams, then constant defeats will quickly demotivate you. Such an opponent will be too tough for you. You will be interested in the game if the opponent has equal abilities. You will have a chance to win if you put in the effort. Thus, challenging but doable tasks help us stay motivated.

People love difficult tasks. But the level of difficulty should be optimal for a particular person. Tasks that are too difficult demotivate us, while tasks that are too easy get bored quickly.

At this moment, a person experiences a special state of emotional upsurge. Athletes usually refer to this by the term "being on a roll". At this moment, a person is so focused on performing a certain task that the whole world around him fades.

To achieve this state, you must follow the rule described in the previous section. If you choose a task of optimal difficulty for yourself, you will not only be motivated for the long term, but also experience a feeling of happiness after completing it. As psychologist Gilbert Brim said, “One of the important sources of human happiness lies in completing tasks at the right level of difficulty.”

However, in order to reach the peak of motivation, you still need to constantly measure your current progress. In other words, it is important that you receive feedback at every stage of the task. Evaluating your own progress is a key factor in maintaining a state of motivation.

What to do if you start to lose motivation

Motivation to perform any action will inevitably begin to fade at a certain point in time. In such cases, you can use the tips below.

1. Your brain is a source of valuable suggestions.

Imagine that every thought that pops into your head is a suggestion, not an order. For example, when the author writes an article, the thought comes to his mind that he is tired. From this follows a proposal to leave work, choose a path least resistance and give up.

Just remember that none of these suggestions is a call to action. These are just options, and you have the opportunity to choose one of them.

2. Discomfort is temporary

Almost any action you take will end very soon. For example, your workout only lasts an hour or two. Your report will be ready by tomorrow morning.

Now life has become much easier than before. Even 300 years ago, if you yourself did not grow your own food and did not build a house, then you are doomed to death. And today, a tragedy for a person is the fact that he left the charger for his phone at home.

Thus, be mindful of the prospects ahead. Life is beautiful, and any discomfort is temporary.

You will never regret doing a good job.

Theodore Roosevelt once said, “Undoubtedly, the best reward that life can give you is worthwhile work". We all want our work to be useful to people, and they respect our work. However, we do not want our attempts to be in vain. Everyone wants a reward, not a hard, repetitive job. Everyone wants to get a gold medal, but only a few want to train as hard as the members of the Olympic team. Thus, remember that the reward is worth the effort it takes to get it.

That's life

In life, we constantly balance between the desire to move away from everything and self-discipline. Life is a collection of hundreds of thousands of small decisions about whether to fight or give up.

Don't underestimate those moments when you don't feel like doing anything. Spend this time so that you can be proud of yourself.