75 Tips To Motivate Yourself To Work Harder

This article contains some of the best tips that will motivate you to work harder. It’s going to be a rapid-fire list full of actionable advice based on a scientific understanding of the human mind.

You’re probably looking for motivation in all places because our culture is so focused on high achievement. In my estimation, the highest level of determination comes from working towards a higher aim, making an unequivocal decision to succeed, re-enforcing this decision every day, and then persisting until you reach your goals. You’re 30 and still struggling? Rather than thinking, there’s something wrong with you, stay patient. You’ve started your own project management consultancy and you are ready to do something excellent, but you have no idea where to get that ‘get up and go’? It’s not easy to motivate yourself to work harder, especially if you’re on a new career path. So let’s dive into the motivation chargers that will propel you forward.

Originally published: Set 28th, 2017.

75 Tips To Motivate Yourself To Work Harder

1. Find your “why”

You need the “reason why”. This is crucial not only in personal development but in the world of business and leadership as well. You need to persuade yourself to do things. Do you want a million dollars? Why is that? Do you want to be in better shape? Why? The more reasons you can write down, the higher your level of motivation will be.

2. Become super competent at what you do

One of the traits of highly motivated people is that they enjoy what they do. Without this simple ingredient, it will be much harder to do what’s necessary to succeed. Hint: the better you are at what you do, the more you will like doing it.

3. Practice the Golden Hour

Start your day strong by drinking water with wheatgrass powder, meditating, setting your goals, and listening to positive audiobooks. Make it a habit.

4. Practice Visualization

Lie down, put on good music, close your eyes and for 15 minutes imagine your future success. Make it as vivid as possible.

5. Write your goals down every day

It will program them into your unconscious and you’ll find yourself moving towards them automatically.

6. Use positive affirmations

“I like myself! I’m the best at what I do! I can do it! Do it now!” – repeat them in your mind with confidence. And the best one: “I am responsible”.

7. Serve others – turn your attention outwards

Overcome the natural tendency for selfishness. Provide excellent service and spread love simply because it makes the world a better place.

8. Read motivational books

Read “Be Obsessed or Be Average” by Grant Cardone and do what he teaches in the book. It will motivate you to work harder towards your dreams.

9. Listen to motivational audio programs

“Tools of Titans”, “Linchpin” or “The Magic of Thinking Big” are some of the motivational gems you need.

10. Aim to achieve the state of flow

Flow boosts your productivity like nothing else. At your desk, put on your favorite fast music and correlate its rhythm with the task, you are working on.

11. Hold yourself accountable through other people

When someone depends on your performance, you’ll be much more accountable. Put yourself in this situation.

12. Publicly announce your goals

This is controversial, but telling your close friend or a lover you’re going to do it can have a strong effect on your commitment.

13. Use „forced self-discipline”

When something has to be done before a certain deadline – it will be done. Put yourself in this situation.

14. Make it competitive

Who is going to do more? Establish bonus systems for high performance and compete with others.

15. Go where the expectations are high

Work in places where there’s pressure to perform. Don’t join the easy crowd. That’s from Jim Rohn.

16. Attend seminars and watch inspirational speeches

You can start with Steve Jobs’s commencement address at MIT.

17. Work alongside a master of your craft

Go to a hands-on workshop about your craft and hone your skills like crazy. Learn from the best.

18. Find a life partner who will motivate you

They need to support your goals and go somewhere in life. Otherwise, it will be a struggle.

19. Mind Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and motivation model

Note that before you go to self-actualization and transcendence, satisfy love and esteem needs.

20. Promise that you will do it

If you’re a person of integrity, the words “I promise” hold tremendous value.

21. Create meaning in your life

What brings meaning to your life? Love? Work? Adventure? Helping others? Do more of that.

22. Tie your daily struggles to a bigger goal

Your small daily steps must lead to a bigger, overarching goal that will be like a beacon – calling you forward.

23. Listen to motivational music

Notice how different types of music make you feel. Pick the ones with the highest energetic potential for your psyche.

24. Idealize your future

If you could wave a magic wand, what miracles would you conjure in your life?

25. Give yourself rewards for high performance

There’s nothing like a good reward to motivate a mammal to work harder. What’s your carrot on the stick?

26. Plan every day in advance

Complete your list the night before and set priorities. You will be more organized the next day.

27. Eat that frog

This comes from the book with the same title. Do your hardest task first and the rest will take care of itself.

28. Drink coffee

Drink it slowly and with cream – it will give you more sustainable energy in this way.

29. Drink matcha or yerba mate

These good yerba mate herbs and matcha young tea powders are some of the best natural boosters of mental performance.

30. Set tight deadlines

Don’t be paranoid but remind yourself of the deadlines – how much time do you still have to get it done? If you miss it, set another one. You need a forcing system.

31. Be motivated by your family

Why do the rappers and hustlers say: “I do it for my fam’ bro!”? It’s because it’s one of the most powerful motivators – especially if you’re an Alpha male.

32. Eat lightly

If you stuff yourself with food, you’ll be like a groggy bear coming out of its slumber. But with light food, you’re like a cheetah ready to pounce.

33. Let sex motivate you

Good old in and out is one of the main human drivers. In “Think and Grow Rich” Napoleon Hill talks about sexual transmutation. You transfer sexual energy to other aims in life.

34. Get lots of sleep

If you want to knock it out of the park every day, you’ll need at least 7-8 of sleep. Set a regular sleep schedule, make it quiet, dark, and with the right temperature and you’ll wake up like a productivity ninja.

35. Let food motivate you

If you have gourmand-ish tendencies, you can set up a nice dinner at a restaurant near the end of the week. But first, promise yourself that you will work hard and work out during the week.

36. Respect your circadian rhythm

Your body functions in energetic rhythms. Most people achieve peak levels of productivity in the morning so work on your most important task from 8:00 AM till 12:00 PM. After lunch, take a few minutes to meditate and stabilize your energy before coming back.

37. Set rewards based on activity

Remember the law of averages – on average, certain activities will bring certain results. If you do 10 calls, you will on average close 1 sale. If you write 10 articles, on average you’ll increase your website traffic by 1000 visitors per month. Play a game – for every 10 (or 15 or 50), you earn a reward of your choice.

38. Drink lots of water

I’m always dismayed at the sight of a person who refuses to drink lots of water. It’s the source of life and your body requires lots of it to function properly. Like 3 or 4 liters per day. And I’m talking purified water – not the toxins from the tap.

39. Have a group of motivated friends

“You’re the average of 5 people you hang around the most with”. Jim Rohn got it right. If they’re motivated and moving forward, you’re likely to be the same. If they’re lazy and unproductive all day…

It’s a principle of consistency in psychology. You act consistently with your reference group.

40. During tough times come back to your vision

When going gets tough, it’s important to look at how far you’ve come and remind yourself that El Dorado is still there waiting to be claimed. Let the vision pull you through.

41. Think about your potential

The potential of your mind to learn new things is infinite. You can be so much more. And deep down you know about it. So go for it!

42. Engage in the “Dickens Process”

I’ve learned this exercise from Tony Robbins. Just like Scrooge from The Christmas Carol, you are going to be visited by three ghosts: of the past, of the present, and the future. Think about the beliefs from the past and present that are holding you back and replace them with positive ones. This will help you to build the ideal future.

43. Get addicted to success

When you complete your tasks, you experience “The Winning Feeling” or what psychologists call “performance-based self-esteem”. It means that the more you win, the better you feel, and the more your brain becomes wired for success. In the motivational circles, they call it the upward spiral of success.

44. Be an inspiration to others

When you know that other people depend on you, you’re much more likely to perform at higher levels. Jocko Willink, the Navy Seal wakes up every morning at 4:30 AM and posts a picture of his watch on Twitter. He’s inspiring others and holding himself accountable at the same time.

45. Meet your idols

Successful, hard-working people often travel from one side of the country to the other just to pay $500 for a seminar or a workshop that will give them information and inspiration to succeed.

46. Use binaural motivational music

Binaural music is a wonderful technology for shifting your mind state and increasing your level of motivation. Here’s an example of a great Theta track that you can use to experiment (listen with good headphones). Try different tracks and see which ones work for you.

47. Stop distractions

Put your phone in “plane” mode, put on your earphones to avoid auditory distractions (such as your co-workers), close all unnecessary tabs (like email, news, and social media), and plunge into your work like a cormorant plunge after his pray.

48. Start your workday like a boss

Don’t be casual about getting to your desk in the morning. Have everything ready ASAP (preferably be the first person at work), and complete half of your to-do list when other people still chat at the coffee table.

49. Mind the 80/20 rule

80% of your results will come from 20% of your activities. Don’t fill yourself with easy tasks that don’t bring any measurable value. Concentrate on the vital few.

50. Be in excellent physical shape

Cardiovascular and strength exercises will give more oxygen and energy to your body. This will lead to creative bursts and higher stress resilience.

51. Read biographies of great people

By re-living stories of historical game-changers, you will absorb the knowledge that’ll help you face your challenges and overcome them.

52. Don’t neglect art and the transcendent

You don’t work only for work’s sake. It’s important to cultivate the spirit and immerse yourself in the arts.

53. Draw your future

Different parts of the brain are activated when drawing than while writing. Sometimes drawing and creating mind maps will help you to solve the most difficult issues.

54. Write it down in longhand

If you write it by hand, it’s more powerful than writing it on a keyboard. Especially your goals – write them in longhand.

55. Be a bohemian ninja

Coffee mugs, wine bottles, and cigarette buds are not part of a long-term strategy for high motivation. But they can work well during short-term eruptions of creative endeavors.

56. Prepare your work-space

Have everything organized and in its proper place. All files are easily accessible, and no time is wasted on looking for something (especially if you use it often).

57. Use supplements

Moringa, Wheatgrass, Matcha, omega-3, pure cacao, magnesium, and Maca are some of the top supplements that’ll boost your energy and enthusiasm.

58. Take regular breaks

Set a timer for 45-60 minutes and when it rings, stand up and take a 5-10 minute break to walk and stretch around. Work in blocks of time.

59. Go for a walk

Be like Darwin, Dickens, and Steve Jobs, and take a hike when thinking about your life projects. Amazing ideas will come to you.

60. Run like crazy

Running for around 30-40 minutes will start releasing happy endorphins into your system. Get the elastic belt for your waist and run with your favorite music.

61. Create a space that’ll motivate you

Put some art and color in your workspace. Make it full of light and expansive. This environment will give you light that’s crucial for your well-being.

62. Stretch your body and meditate

An energized body is a strong but loose body. Do yoga to release tension and meditate for 20 minutes per day to clear your mind.

63. Use motivational quotes

Here are some of the best motivational quotes from serial overachievers:

• “Do what is right, not what is easy nor what is popular.” – Roy T. Bennett
• “Without ambition one starts nothing. Without work, one finishes nothing. The prize will not be sent to you. You have to win it.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
• “Do you want to know who you are? Don’t ask. Act! Action will delineate and define you.” – Thomas Jefferson

64. Use a timer when you work

If you’re feeling fancy, you can use a traditional hourglass but you can also set an online timer for let’s say 45 minutes and resolve to do nothing but work during that time.

65. Get enough sunlight

Your eyes (including the third one) need a huge amount of Lumens (units of light) for your body and mind to function properly. Avoid the SAD syndrome by getting lots of sunshine and during the winter season, get the light from the Lumen lamp.

66. Get up early

Getting up straight away at least two hours before your first appointment gives you a tremendous edge for the rest of the day. Learn how to get up early and practice it until it becomes automatic.

67. Work hard, play hard

When you’re young, you have nothing to lose so you may as well go for it. Leap and the net will appear.

68. Live fully

Do you remember these days when everything was infused with magic? What was the secret ingredient that made it happen?

69. Improve your body language

Sit up straight, puff up your chest, keep your head up, walk faster, have an open body posture, and maintain eye contact. This will build charisma and make you feel motivated.

70. Smile

Smiling and laughing even when there’s nothing particularly funny going on can work magic for your level of well-being. Keep it positive at the office. It’s contagious.

71. The faster you move, the more energy you have

Moving fast will put you in the right mindset for getting things done. According to Tony Robbins, “Motion creates emotion”. So adjust your motion.

72. Think about your next 3-5 years

It’s impossible to predict what is going to happen in ten years but a shorter timeframe is a fertile ground for the seeds of imagination.

73. Focus on what can you do in the time available

You can’t manage your time at work. But you can manage yourself. Focus on your top priority tasks and work against the clock. Make it a game.

74. Meditate

Twenty minutes in the morning and twenty in the evening. Concentrate on your breath while listening to an alpha wave track.

75. Recognize what motivates you the most

Below you’ll find the most powerful sources of motivation. All of them are important but some of them will have a stronger effect on you than others:

• Self-motivation
• Recognition of peers in your profession
• Recognition of experts and leaders in your profession
• Recognition and approval of your master (mentor)
• Motivation through your life partner and family

How did you like this article about increasing your motivation? Are you ready to take the lead and start living your life to the fullest?