How do I become motivated in life?

If you’re asking this question, rest assured, you are not alone. There are millions of people asking that same question every day.

The first thing you must determine is are you unmotivated or unorganized?  The unorganized person does not know where he or she wants to be a year from now, five years from now, etc. Many people who believe they are “unmotivated” are actually suffering from this sense of disorientation. That is, they do not know where they want to go in life and therefore, they cannot properly plan their trip. It would be like saying, “I’m taking a vacation,” then getting in your car and having no clue as to whether you want to head to the beach, the mountains, or the Big Apple. Unfortunately, many of the people suffering from that malady crank the engine and let the car idle while they sit there in a closed garage. They die in their own indecision.

The unmotivated person is different. She knows where she wants to be, but she either doesn’t know how to begin or doesn’t want to begin. This breaks down again to two categories: truly unmotivated or unorganized again.

If you are in the latter category, the easiest way to overcome your motivational stumbling block is to break your journey into segments. For example, say your goal is to be retired by the time you are 40. You should do the following:

1. Decide what type of life retirement will be. The more lavish the lifestyle, the more money you will need.
2. Have reasonable goals for each year–ie: “By the end of year 1, I will pay off all my credit cards.”
3. Now, break down your first year into monthly segments. As each month comes, divide that into weeks and plan each accordingly. For example, since this would be week 1, ask yourself, “What can I do today that will get me closer to paying off my credit cards?” You might answer, “I won’t buy that necklace I don’t need. I’ll put that extra cash toward my highest APR card.” 

Soon, we will have some lessons on goals and goal setting techniques, so make sure you bookmark this site and come back.

If you are truly unmotivated, all is not lost. The first thing you need to do is sit down and take a breath. Ask yourself a few questions. Why are you unmotivated? Why do you not act upon your dreams? Are you afraid?

Next, picture all the things you want out of life. Imagine how it feels when you are riding in that new Porsche or vacationing on that sandy shore. Let yourself go. Let yourself experience the joy you would have if your life were absolutely perfect. Once you have spent a few minutes enjoying that life, stop. Look at where you are. Remind yourself that you are where you are and lack the things you want because you have not been motivated to chase those things.

Once you have tied all your negative feelings to your current situation and all your positive feelings to the life you want, set some goals for yourself. A little achievement goes a long way, so set a few very short-term goals. Reward yourself when you’ve accomplished those. Then begin planning further and further out, but always keep some short-term goals to keep yourself motivated.

In the near future, I will post some additional things you can do to keep become and stay motivated.