Three Strategies to Boost Your Motivation

One of the questions psychologists often hear is, “How do you get more motivated to do something?” This could be anything, like studying or working out. Sometimes, bosses want to know how to get their teams more motivated too. People usually hope for a quick fix, some psychological trick that’ll magically make them more motivated. But, unfortunately, it’s not that simple. You can’t just solve the issue with a quick purchase or shortcut.

However, there are a few tricks to help you get going. A common issue is that people aren’t clear about what they want to be more motivated about. Saying “exercise more” is actually quite specific compared to other goals people might have. The key to solving vague goals is to set what’s called SMART goals. If you’re unfamiliar, SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-bound.

Even though it’s a basic idea, you’d be surprised by how many don’t have SMART goals. Students aim to “study better,” and entrepreneurs wish for “more engaged employees,” but the lack of motivation often starts with unclear goals. If you’re struggling with motivation, the first step is to clarify what you want to be more motivated about. Spend a few minutes thinking about the SMART criteria to see if you can clearly define your goal.

Have you ever started something, didn’t finish it, and kept thinking about it all day? Do you feel satisfied once you complete a task and can finally relax? You’ve experienced the Zegarnik effect. This effect, named after a Russian psychologist, describes how people remember unfinished tasks better. It’s like when a waiter remembers your order until it’s served. Once we start something, we tend to keep thinking about it until it’s done.

Many writers experience this too; once they begin, they don’t want to stop until it’s finished. The Zegarnik effect is a useful tool for staying motivated. It’s not about boosting motivation but shows that the best way to finish something is to begin it. Think about what’s the smallest step you can take to get started on your goal. Start with that, and the Zegarnik effect might keep you pushing towards finishing it.

Now, let’s talk about Jerry. Five years ago, Jerry was eager to learn Photoshop. He often saw chances where this skill would be useful. So, full of motivation, he got started. After a few hours of downloading and setting up a pirated version, he got the program running but quickly found it overwhelming and quit.

Jerry’s story isn’t about lacking motivation; it’s about mismatched tasks and abilities. According to BJ Fogg, a Stanford researcher, it’s more effective to make tasks easier than to increase motivation. We often think we need more motivation, but it’s about lowering the task difficulty.

Test yourself: Can’t get motivated? Try making the task easier. If you find it hard to start exercising, limit your gym time to just 15 minutes. Want to study a new language but can’t? Learn five words a day instead of 50. Simplify the task’s learning curve. For example, if you have a big project due, use an essay writing service to draft something you can expand on.

These are just a few tips to help get you motivated. Different methods work for different people, so try to find what suits you and your goals best.