Are you looking to get motivated again to get your ohh so important goal done? But somehow it feels so difficult to get your butt up and make at least just one tiny little step forward, right?

It’s just not happening…

But why?

And how can you fix this and get your motivation up when you need it? Like… right now?

Where the Heck is My Motivation?

Do a little exercise before you read on and ask yourself:

Why am I not motivated?

Asking the right questions in itself is a little self-reflection that can clear things up for you. If you like, write your answer in the comments below. Do it, it’s worth it.

We will come back to this question…

What is Motivation?

When you are motivated, you have a motive. In other words: a goal that drives you to take action.

Motivation is your inner driving force to close the gap between your goal and reality. [Tweet this!]

So motivation happens if you have a strong goal. But there is even more about motivation…

Your motivation is answering one single question. The most important question: Why? [Tweet this!]

If you have a strong enough reason—a big, BIG WHY—you will have all the motivation you’ll ever need. Your BIG WHY is this Driving Force.

So to answer the former question, let’s take a look at the core reason why we loose motivation:

The Core Reasons for No Motivation

What might come to your mind may be distraction. But distraction is no reason—it’s already a result. It’s the result of:

Reason 1: Lack of Clarity. If you are not clear on what you want it’s difficult to get motivated. Lack of clarity means you have no clear aim, no specific and compelling goal of where you want to go.

More precisely you are not connected emotionally to the great outcome that this goal can produce in your life. And the result is you’re not very motivated to take any kind of action.

Reason 2: Overwhelm. If you have too much „clutter“ on the table you are overwhelmed and your focus gets fuzzy. This is no good environment for effective action. Instead it drowns your motivation. You need to simplify your life and learn to say no to things that are not truly  important to you.

Reason 3: Fear gets in your way. If you know clearly what you’re after—your goal—and you’re not overwhelmed anymore, there might still be something getting in your way: Fear.

Fear of failure, or even fear of success. You have to feel the fear and do it anyway, and develop ways to face your fears productively.

Reason 4: Negative Results. Let’s face it: If you tried very hard but come up short anyway, it can drag you down. Everybody feeds on little successes. We need positive reinforcement to build up positive momentum.

The 3 „Quick Fixes“

If you’re looking for an instant push in motivation, here are three powerful quick tricks:

1. Re-Connect Your Big Why

This is for re-igniting drive and putting new meaning into what you do:

1. Ask yourself Why: Why are you really doing this?
2. Uncover all the powerful reasons that got you started on your task in the first place. Then what else is a ultimate reason that will drive you to action?
3. Write all reasons down.

Notice how this clears the fog off your mind and gives you a strong sense of meaning.

2. The Vision Blast

This is something for the „dream big“ type of person:

1. What is the most compelling, ideal outcome of your goal?
2. Got it? Good. Now close your eyes.
3. Visualize this outcome vividly in your minds eye. Make it big. Make it huge and colourful. See yourself achieving it. Feel how great it feels on all senses.

Do you feel a rush of motivation?
Great. Take action towards this outcome now!

3. The Check-Off

This is something for the „short-term gratification“ type of person:

1. What one task—no big deal—a little thing that takes you towards your goal can you complete today?
2. Got it? Awesome. Now focus on this one little thing and get it done—no matter what.
3. Do just this little baby step and check it off your to-do list.

If you’ve done it, feel the sense of accomplishment and the starting build up in positive momentum.

You have a first success!

Now build on top of it from here.

4 Ways to Build Up Lasting Motivation

To really make a shift and experience long-term, ongoing motivation—like a constant undercurrent—in your life, you want to do some things more seriously:

1. Clarify Your Purpose. Motivation is not only dependent on compelling goals. If we digg deeper we’ll find out that the most motivated people are the ones who connect what they do with a deeper inner meaning.

Purpose is nothing else than your own ultimate reason of existence. You are exactly as motivated as you have a strong enough reason to be. So what’s your purpose? It’s not so much something you discover but rather something you define.

2. Do a Goal-Setting Workshop. If you’ve never done a goal-setting session in your life, start right now. Taken seriously and done right, it’s a really life-changing experience that can open up a new world for you.

I’ve written about goals a lot: especially here and here.

3.  Push through with Self-Discipline. Motivation and Discipline are opposites in the way that both help you to take action, but: If you are motivated you have a strong positive reason to do something. And you’re feeling it right now—in the moment. You are motivated. You’re rocking it. Life is great.

The definition of self-discipline to act whether you feel like it or not. [Tweet this!]
In other words, you take action even when you’re not feeling motivated.

So if you want to close the gap and use self-discipline to get going again, I’ve written about it in my tiny guide to self-discipline as well as here and here.

4.  Do One Step. Motivation often comes when we do something. Not the other way around. So use this to start building some small positive momentum.

Develop the habit of going baby-steps: One tiny little step at a time, like a little baby does when it learns to walk.

As I said we all need little successes. It gives us this positive feeling of accomplishment. So if you can develop the habit to just „Do One Step“, you’re starting to make progress. First slow, then faster.

Success is the succession of small steps into the right direction. [Tweet this!]

Small successes over time build a huge success. Start now!