The 5 strategies and guidelines to combat demotivation

Do you find yourself apathetic and unmotivated? Here are five tips to motivate you to achieve your goals.

It is very common that people who face long periods of preparation, planning or execution of projects (whether work or study) go through periods in which they find it difficult to move forward with the tasks. In other words, they go through periods of time in which they become demotivated.They start the journey with a lot of energy and gradually "lose steam".

Motivation: an important concept in our lives

Motivation is the inner force that we have that helps us to initiate, maintain and increase a behavior. Since it is something fluctuating, it is necessary that we know how to implement our own strategies to motivate ourselves..

In addition, individual differences in temperament and character (psychologists refer to these as 'personality traits') mean that some people are more easily demotivated than others. Therefore, it is important for each person to know how to motivate themselves.

Five tips to increase your motivation level

Here are a total of five general tips to help you regain your motivation.. Remember that, since "everyone is different," you may find some tips more useful than others. Adapt the advice to your particular situation to make it more effective.

1. Take a break

It is very important that, in the face of blocks, demotivation and apathy, we give ourselves some time to "disconnect". We all have periods of doubts and demotivation. And on those days we have to combine our "goals" with activities that allow us to distract ourselves.. That is, you have to strike a balance between tasks that make you achieve your goal and tasks that are recreational or enjoyable for you. This way, you will be able to have a bird's eye view of what you are doing and what you are doing it for.

Remember: take a break and distance yourself from the task when you get demotivated or find yourself blocked.

2. Focus on the positive details

It is important that we are able to enjoy and appreciate the positive details. It is about stopping to observe the positive achievements we have made. To have positive achievements, the secret is to set concrete and achievable goals. Achievements and successes, however small, help us to move forward and allow us to learn from our strengths. In other words, we must not only learn from our mistakes, we must also strengthen what makes us successful.

You can write on a piece of paper or post-it those goals you have achieved to keep them in mind and remind you of your capabilities. Place this sheet of paper in plain sight so you can always look at it.

3. Recapture the meaning of your goal

Many times we get demotivated we become unmotivated because the routine makes us forget the reasons why we have undertaken a project.. When you feel unmotivated, go back to the past and visualize or imagine what it is that has led you to want to undertake that path.

You have to recall the reasons that led you to want to achieve that goal. This will help motivate you, because it will make you connect with your personal desires and aspirations.

4. Value your progress comparing yourself with yourself, do not compare yourself with others.

The achievements and progress you have you should value them in terms of where you were before and where you are now.. It is about valuing all the areas that are part of your project, for example: skills and abilities that you have improved or gained, fears that you had before and no longer have, things that you now do easily and before cost you a lot.

This is the right way to evaluate your progress, compare yourself with your "past self". Comparing yourself with other people, whose circumstances are very different, is not a good idea and does not allow you to have a proper perspective on your progress.

5. Make changes that enrich your routine: cultivate your divergent thinking.

The divergent thinking is that which is out of the ordinary, the everyday and the routine**; it is a type of thinking that allows us to be more creative and motivated**. To cultivate this type of thinking we need to be in contact with different stimuli (visual, auditory) and vary our routine.

It is about being in contact with new ideas, trends, and activities as much as you can. In this way you will awaken your creativity and generate new ways to face tasks with greater motivation.

Extra key: perseverance and common sense

Finally, remember that thehe key to making these tips work for you is perseverance.. Put them into practice on a regular basis and above all, in the face of blockages: take a break. Motivation comes when you feel good about yourself.