If you’re a leader, I’ll bet you spend a lot of time motivating others—employees, customers, investors, and other stakeholders. Sometimes it’s important to remember that the person who needs motivation the most is you. You can’t be a self-starter or a doer for long without a healthy dose of motivation along the way. Here are seven habits that will consistently help you motivate yourself.
1. Be specific about your goals.
Goals that are clear and specific are more effective than a general “do your best” instruction. If you want more energy, clarity, excitement, and efficiency in achieving your goals, they must be CLEAR goals—collaborative, limited, emotional, appreciable, and refinable.
2. Work on what you’re passionate about.
This might seem obvious, but if you find your motivation tanking a lot, finding your passion could be a good way to reverse it. The simple truth is, you’re going to be more motivated to do work you like.
3. Practice being an optimist.
You probably tend to think of yourself as a realist, as in you see things as they are. However, in fact, it’s easy to constantly look at the world as a glass half-empty instead of one that is half-full. My suggestion to you is to be a glass-half-full kind of person and always expect the best. This makes it more likely you will act in ways that will lead to the best outcomes.
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4. Choose your priorities wisely.
Trying to do too much at once is a surefire way to do nothing well. In my experience, I’ve found that you should only have one or two priorities at a time. Any more than that and your day will be ruled by the things that are most urgent, not most important. Choose one or two focus areas that you want to give your all to, and you will be more motivated to do well.
5. Surround yourself with motivated people.
When you are around motivated people, this will in turn make you more motivated. It’s as if their positivity rubs off on you, and in a way it does. So do your best to stay in the company of motivated people and keep unmotivated people out of your life.
6. Anticipate having to try repeatedly.
While you should hope for the best, you should always plan for the worst. Expect to try again before you succeed at whatever task it is you’re working to accomplish. Don’t get discouraged when you have to try more than once. It’s part of the process. Don’t take it as a sign that you’ve failed. Instead, take it as data on what needs to be improved.
7. Reward your motivated behavior.
Motivation expert Bob Nelson, years ago discovered this simple axiom of motivation: You get what you reward. So, if you want to build a habit of self-motivation, you need to reward yourself for doing it. Reinforce your motivated behavior by taking your team out for a nice lunch or ordering pizzas and bask in the knowledge that you’re on the right path for achieving even your greatest goals.
The opinions expressed here by Inc.com columnists are their own, not those of Inc.com.
