How to motivate yourself?

Work is hard. Work for the salary is easier. Work for the salary only is boring, monotonous work – also boring.

And what about us? Creating features for startupkitchen is extremely interesting, implementation is not so much fun. BUT we do it for YOU and it spurs us and motivates us. In this article, we have compiled for you a pack of methods that motivate us. We hope that they will be useful for you too.

1. Creating a “candy”, “beautiful packaging” of the result or process

For example, when I finish the report, I’ll go to a restaurant. The main thing is a reward for achieving results. A donkey goes after a carrot dangling on a stick, which keeps the rider. Hang a carrot for yourself, it will help, as long as you move to the target.

So, it is useful to maintain motivation during the performance, as well as to know what kind of reward to expect after.

2. Easy start

You should not make the first steps very difficult. If something starts easily, then there is a natural desire to continue. We want to do what we can do well.

For example, if a newbie comes to the gym and becomes immediately loaded to the max, then having got a couple of injuries and pain in all the muscles, he understands that it’s too difficult for him and ceases to attend classes. The severity of pain in the body is usually accompanied by negative emotions.

Easy start, interest in the case causes positive emotions, which is an additional motivation to achieve the goal.

3. Positive experience

A previously obtained positive experience can serve as support. It often happens, that the only mention of success creates a desire to repeat it.

So, the athletes once received the gold medal, are eager to get back on the highest step of the podium again and again.

The managers that have performed a wonderful project that brought a lot of money, positive emotions, experience of working in a cohesive team, happily take up new projects, keeping in mind the success of the previous one.

4. External support

As additional motivation, external support is useful.

Some managers just agree to tell each other words of encouragement to notice even the smallest progress. Such powerful emotional support creates a positive attitude in the team, support the desired level of energy.

 Motivation for work

1. Be involved in your work as if you rush into a battle

Just begin to work intensively. Sometimes vigorous start organizes a prompt and effective action due to the high level of energy. To draw an analogy with sports, a skier can have “a good start”, which ensures rapid progress toward the goal.

2. Time trouble: high load

Some people are well motivated by high load, only then they are going to work hard. Either high load “crush” them, or people successfully cope with it. This alternative adds energy.

Some managers are purposely slow with the performance of work waiting for an “extreme point” after which the work can no longer be postponed. Then it appears powerful energy and the job is done quickly.

It is very similar to the behavior of a student who skipped the entire semester but prepared for the exams in a week and successfully passed them.

3. Time management: schedule of work

Simple, reliable distribution of time in a correct schedule creates a feeling that is called “everything goes according to the plan”. For many people it is the best option, it gives rhythm to life, and makes a person calm.

Difficulties occur after vacation when people just can’t get into the desired operating mode. For such people, time control and correct order is the best way to “get into the rhythm of life”. There are a lot of services and applications that can help you to manage your time and track your tasks, so it’s time to try one of them!

Negative motivation – to avoid trouble

1. A challenge: I can, am I worse than others?

A desire to be no worse is also a motivation. Apparently, it is a result of education, when a child is told that: “Bob eats porridge, he will be strong, and what about you, are you worse?”. Nobody wants to be worse.

2. Stimulus: obvious trouble

When troubles become close and obvious, there is a natural desire to avoid them, it’s also a good motivation for work.

3. Announce the success

Tell everyone that after six months you are going to buy a “cool” car, or lose 15 pounds, or make a profit of… ( insert figure yourself). You will be ashamed not to reach something that is publicly announced. Especially if everybody considers you a “man of the word”.

4. External control

Create your external control. Many people are happy to tell you where you are wrong and how you should act, and to remind you what you’ve promised to do. To make control fun, agree that each mistake on your side is worth a certain amount of money, received by the controller.

Look through the foregoing methods of motivation, think over, which of them do you use to motivate yourself, which may be useful to try and which should be abandoned, replaced by something more useful.