Self motivation skills are essential if we are to enjoy success, fulfillment, and fitness throughout our life. We may benefit tremendously from gifted motivational speakers, books, and seminars. But if we are to continue to move forward and make progress in achieving our goals we must develop our own personal skills for staying motivated.

These are skills that can be learned and improved with time and effort. We never reach a point where we can stop honing these self motivation skills. As we become more skilled we are able to move forward more quickly and reach for even higher goals.

Improve Your Life With These Self Motivation Skills:



1. Take responsibility. Blaming others for your lack of motivation and inability to persevere in reaching goals is a waste of time. People who constantly blame their boss for their lack of motivation on their job will inevitably stay frustrated and unsuccessful in their work. Get in the habit of not letting other people’s words and actions have an impact on your motivation.

2. Stop procrastinating. This self-defeating habit can be devastating to your motivation and your ability to reach your goals.

3. Take action. There is a time to think and plan but then there it time for action. Nothing will happen until you take some action. Don’t allow yourself to be paralyzed by fear and indecision. Steps of action will lead to more and more motivation.

4. Stop comparing. Comparing yourself with others will inhibit your own personal growth and motivation. Focus on being the very best that you can be and allow others to do the same.

5. Eliminate negativity. We can get bombarded with negativity from friends, family, media, co-workers, and even our own thoughts. Negativity can kill out excitement and keep us from living a motivated life. Skillfully eliminating this negativity can be a great boost to our motivation.

6. Be realistic. After proper self-evaluation you should set goals that are attainable. Setting goals too far out of reach leads to frustration and depletes our energy and motivation. A common example of this is when people set weight-loss goals. You can only lose 1-2 pounds of fat each week. If you set a 10 pound goal you will become frustrated and defeated. Be realistic.

7. Make plans. Failing to plan is planning to fail. It’s an old saying but full of truth. When you follow a well-devised plan you will stay motivated.

8. Reward yourself. Take time to celebrate. Include those who helped you reach your goal. This will keep your motivation fresh and keep you moving forward.

My grandmother, when she was owner and CEO of a successful company (having to do with medical supplies for the fields of cryogenics), was, as I understand it, and absolute genius at staff motivation. She kept it simple. If she’d for instance received a call from a client who complimented her administrative assistant on her professionalism, then the my grandmother would present that assistant with a $100 bill at the next staff meeting in front of the other employees to motivate them. Now I think that is effective staff motivation.

Staff motivation is more an art than science, but make no mistake it is incredibly important. Think about what you want from your staff and what that staff consists of, humans with human feelings and needs. Humans are, of course, strange creatures by our very design. In one study I read when I was taking an elective course on management psychology (which included such phenoms as staff motivation), a staff of factory workers were actually affected by changes in lighting. The heads of the company brought in light bulbs with dimmer wattage…and it was learned that production actually increased but they didn’t like. The heads then brought in bulbs of a brighter intensity (than the original bulbs)…and the staff cheered and worked harder: production went up just as much. I guess this was an example of bait and switch.

So a good example of staff motivation is manipulation and subtle deceit. But be sure not to overtly trick anyone or cause harm in any way. After many years (decades) of working for and with and “over” teams of employees, I have personally found that rewards work best for motivation. I was the spirit leader in one company, coming up with freaky Friday and Muddled Mondays ideas for staff motivation by way of staff morale-boosting (for the company and the work was typically quite Kafkaesque).

It was almost childish sometimes, but it really did break up the monotony and add a little life into the mix. It actually put a lot of smiles on people’s faces and that can never be under estimated. We had make-your-own-sundae days, international food days, and show-and-tell days…yes, just like when we were kids back in school but with adult objects and stories that distracted temporarily, enlightened, humored, and entertained…getting us through another week. We also openly encouraged employees to express their own ideas and suggestions and try to foster that type of thinking (learning the jobs each had for a change of pace and for support of whomever was bogged down or behind).

Some ways to destroy staff motivation, which of course is not something you want to teach, but rather be on the lookout to avoid, are those which do the opposite of the above, those whaich are the antithesis of good leadership. I recall having jobs were clueless bosses and administrators could make the workplace they truly miserable place to be (for unsavory political reasons they got into the position in the first place). One leader would hold brainstorming meetings and then say no to every single “idea”. Could you imagine that? What’s the point?

Another would insist on a project, get everyone working at completing the project/presentation, then on the day of debut would bring unrelated changes and items and schedules so that only one person looked together and knew what she was doing. The signs, tents, flyers, and fundraising items were all tossed aside as irrelevant and thereby tossed away potential buyers and supporters, too.

This absolutely destroyed morale and to fight the opposite of the wanted affect. Another clueless boss came up with the idea of “working retreats”, which we employees made fun but where the leaders would bastardize the concept of “retreat” in the first place…. Still, games, fun, open exchanges of ideas and togetherness projects, and the honoring of (by listening to, acknowledging, crediting, and rewarding) individuals wherever possible seems to work in favor of staff motivation.

It sounds like common sense doesn’t it? But some bosses and companies just don’t get it. Don’t be one of them and your staff motivation will never be a problem.

There are many motivational theories out there, but one of my favourites I’ve come across in the past has to be Dean Spitzers 8 Desires of Motivation.

In his book ‘Supermotivation’, Spitzer describes 8 desires which causes inner motivation. These inner motivators are closely linked to Hertzberg’s Internal Motivators.

Spitzers 8 Desires are:

Desire for Power – People want to be in control of where they are going. In organisations with top-down structures this can be difficult. People want their power to control where they are going. You can do this by allowing people to set their own objectives, providing they are in line with the organisations vision.

Desire for Activity – People want to be involved and active. In our lives we try to avoid boredom and monotony, yet at work we tend to accept jobs that are like this without complaint. However, internally we know that we don’t want to be doing these. As leaders, we could involve people in decisions that affect them and in team decisions to provide that power of choice.

Desire for Recognition – People want to be recognised for a job well done and feel appreciated by others. A simple thanks or some feedback on a job or task carried out can go a very long way. This is a great way of energising people to want to do more.

Desire for Affiliation – People want to feel part of something, whether it be the local team or the wider organisation. Doing things to create a team environment will energise those who are social and will create a stronger team bond. Help people to see where they fit into the organisation.

Desire for Competence – People welcome opportunities to become more competent. Training and developing people to be better at their jobs can provide the energy these people need.

Desire for Ownership – People want to feel as though they own tasks or jobs that they do. Physiological ownership can be even more powerful than physical ownership. Delegate ownership of tasks and don’t just use GOFER delegation. Agree objectives and ensure you discuss what THEY are going to do.

Desire for Meaning – People want to understand what they are there to do. If they have to press a button all day at work, ensure they know why and what the consequences of not pressing the button are. People want to know what difference they are making.

Desire for Achievement – People want to achieve what they set out to do, whether its climb a mountain or a work based objective. Help people to understand how realistic their goals are, envisage what problems they may encounter and what they will do to overcome them.

What can you do to understand what individuals motivators are? Simple answer is ask them. Share the above motivators with them and question them on which of these motivators relate to them.

Remember the pneumonic PARACOMA.

We have a free self assessment questionnaire for you to use available at our website or on request.

Do you ever sit back and create a path or goals for yourself, but just aren’t finding the right motivators to achieve them? Are you struggling at balancing all that life has to offer, never mind the fact that you want to experience new things you just don’t have time for? Now is the time to do those things you’ve always wanted and achieve that “someday” you’ve been after. The following motivation tips will jump start your progress towards achieving those wishes and wants you’ve always desired.

Let’s get your motivated and your goals on their way today. Before we dive into any suggestions, you must come up with an action plan for your goals.

FIRST: Set out your goals. Decide exactly what it is you want to accomplish. Write it down and describe it in great detail.

SECOND: What is a goal without a deadline? Think about how much time you want to dedicate towards your goal and when you hope to achieve it by. Be realistic, if it’s something you’re saving up for, make sure to factor in your current money situation. If you’re unsure of how long it will take, don’t rush yourself or base your decision on wants, try and make a realistic assumption by including all factors.

THIRD: Write out your plan. When you are planning a trip, you usually map out your destination based on turns, stops and any conditions that may cause loss of time or rerouting. Now that you’ve found your goal, map out how you’ll get there. For example, if you are trying to lose weight, your first goal may be to exercise three times your first week for a half an hour, and skip out on extra snacks everyday but Sundays. Your second week, you may up your workout times or change your eating habits based on how well you did the week before.

LASTLY: You’re ready to start achieving your goals. Now you need the support and motivation tips to help you move closer to achieving them.

When you find yourself down and out and think you should give up on your goals, try the following:

Team up with people around you and try working towards goals together. If you don’t have someone with the same mission in mind, ask them if you can report your progress to them. Keep track of your progress. Every night, write down a reflection on what you accomplished that day towards your goals. If you didn’t have any progress, write down what stopped you and how you can change that in the future. End all of your reflections with an objective for the next day. Have your family and friends write motivation tips for you. Place them, ones that you’ve made on your own and any other inspirational pieces where you will see them throughout the day. (Hint: try on your fridge, on your bathroom mirror or on your office computer screen). Brag about your progress. Next time you’re out with friends, share with them how things are going. Even if you have bad days, talking about them will prevent you from doing them again. Reward yourself. The best motivator is a reward. If you’re trying to lose weight – buy new clothes. If you’re quitting a bad habit, treat yourself to something more positive. Don’t be afraid to set milestones and rewards in your action plan. Each time you see your progress, you’ll feel even better knowing you were rewarded. If possible, make each reward a little better than the last – forcing you to make it to your end goal. Visualize yourself accomplishing your goal. That final moment will keep you inspired throughout your journey as you strive to make it a reality.

These motivation tips can only be of use to you if you are honest with yourself. Every time you make a turn in the wrong direction, don’t get down on yourself, instead get back on track and think of it as an obstacle you have been proud to accomplish.

Remember being healthy will help you accomplish your goals faster – sleep, exercise and proper nutrition help you feel good about yourself and your progress along the way. Whatever you do, don’t allow any negativity to get in your way. When you do find hurdles that knock you down, use positivity to get you back up and on your way. Use your motivation tips to help you move on.

And last but not least, keep these motivation tips where you can find them. Don’t get too obsessive with reaching your goals that you want to give up, rather make it a lifestyle change that will help you get there at your proper pace. Keep yourself motivated and you will succeed.

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