The Ultimate Motivation Guide: The Only Tips That Work

Feeling demotivated again? I see you! Don’t worry you’re not alone. With a lot of opportunities online and a lot of Facebook posts about how everyone and their dog is doing something, we find this need to constantly do something too. How do we motivate ourselves to do it?

Well, short answer: Just Do it! Please stop rolling your eyes! But if you truly want to start something, the only way to go about it is by doing it.

Before we get into ‘how to get motivated’, let me just set up the base so I can make we are on the same page. You can skip to the steps by scrolling down a little, but if you cannot spare another 2 mins max, after putting in the effort to look for motivation on the internet, go ahead.

If you’re someone that suddenly wants to do something only because of those Facebook posts and how yours would make you look cooler, just don’t <3. Before starting something, make sure you know why you want to do it.

Now what about when you want to do something but the notifications that keep popping up distract you, or how every time you start, you get a small chunk of work done so you decide to take a break?

You watch YouTube, scroll through Facebook/Instagram/Twitter and after sometime you realize it’s 2 a.m. and you go to bed. You wake up the next day and Google how to get the motivation, and the cycle continues.

All those ‘will-power and control yourself ‘ Biz Guru advice doesn’t really work, now does it? So if really want to make a difference and overcome procrastination, you need to re-program your brain and how you think about your life and the time you actually have on this planet. So, lets get into it!

4 Ways To Get Motivated

Bonus Tip Alert!! This tip literally motivates me to a level I cannot explain!! Be sure you make it to the end!! (It’s a little dark, hence I didn’t want to include it in the beginning)

1. Dopamine Detox

It feels so good when you keep scrolling through your feed, but at the back of your mind, you know it will harm you in the long run. But you still keep doing it. Why? Also, how often do you deny it?

This is due to all the dopamine that your brain keeps releasing every time you watch and do something that is in your comfort zone.

Dopamine. Now you definitely want to stay away from it if you want to get work done! This is because, when you scroll through your feed for hours and getting all the dopamine you can, and you finally decide it’s too late and want to make amends, but you cannot!

This is because your brain has already released a ton of dopamine and now there’s none left for motivation to get stuff done!

Hence, go on a dopamine detox. By this, I mean get rid of anything that gives you dopamine short-term like notifications and scrolling endlessly.

2. Stop telling people about your business

Don’t talk about what you’re doing or how much you have done or anything at all unless someone asks! This is not me being petty! There’s science to this.

We all know people who just talk the talk but never walk the walk. And people can’t stand it when you constantly talk about what you’re going to do.

So basically there’s two reasons for why you shouldn’t be talking about your biz unless someone asks. First, nobody wants to hear how you’re changing this year by going to the gym and buying all that workout gear.

Second, science! What happens is, when you go around talking the talk before actually doing it, your brain releases dopamine ( again!! ). You’re super pumped and all for working.

But then when it comes to actually doing the work, it doesn’t feel as exciting as you thought it would be when you spoke about it.

This is because your brain thinks that you’ve already done the work when you went around talking about it and why would you have any excitement left to actually do it when your brain thinks the work is already done? So in short, shut up.

3. Think Long-term

If you are just finishing up college or are about to get into one or in your 20’s, this is for you! Don’t waste your time by doing something that wouldn’t add on to your identity capital.

Identity capital is our collection of personal assets. Be it painting, coding, dancing or anything else that will give your resume some value.

We have always heard how 20’s are for exploring and travelling. It might be true to some extent. But doing all of this when you have nothing else going on work-related, that’s when you mess up.

If you think you’ll magically transform your thirties and land a 6 figure job without focusing properly in your 20’s, it’s going to be hard. Many people regret not starting out in their 20’s. Don’t be one of them.

I know what you’re going to say, “but there are people who made it in their 40’s or 50’s“. How many? It is going to be physically difficult too. If you think you’re not going to age at all. Sorry, you are going to.

You don’t have to have it all figured out yet. What is important is you do something to build your identity capital.

Personal side note: Read the books- The Defining Decade (on my recommendations) and Ego is the enemy. These books talk about why your 20’s matter so much!!

4. Stop Multitasking

Some people have this need to constantly do something. They do their homework, play for sometime and then watch these Biz guru motivational videos for hours. They consider watching motivational videos as productivity.

There is nothing wrong in that but, how often do you go on YouTube for ‘motivation’ and end up spending hours watching someone’s cat solving a maze? ( guilty!)

Never set unrealistic goals and set yourself up for failure. Don’t even dare to think you can accomplish everything in a day or a week. It takes time.

Do tasks in a step by step fashion. This way it won’t feel like a burden and finishing off smaller tasks will give you the motivation to do more. Focus on one thing at a time and master it. Step out of your comfort zone!!

Bonus Tip

This can be a dark tactic I use to get motivation to work. It’s death. Think of it. If you know that you are on this planet for a very limited amount of time, the chances of you taking your work seriously is higher!

This is not just me. I’m pretty sure you’ve read a ton of quotes on ‘how we live our lives like we wont die‘ or something similar.

If you want to establish something solid, it is going to take a lot of years (7-10). If you start taking it seriously at 30 or 40 just check how much time you have left.

Also, you have to competing with younger, more talented and energetic people half your age. It can get a little difficult sometimes.

You don’t have a lot time left! Don’t panic. This is where organizing and planning comes into play. Take it one day at a time.

Remember, you have enough time to do it but not forever!

If you liked these tips or agree with what I had to say, then don’t be shy, comment down below which motivation tip helped you get going.

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