How to motivate yourself to perform pending tasks

You postpone a task when you are afraid to complete it. Probably, it seems hard and tiring to you. However, in most cases you can enjoy the work process. To get the motivation you need, remember how you feel during the task.

Two sides of motivation

The site Barking Up the Wrong Tree (its name translates as “to go the wrong way”, approx. Lane.) Explains that there are only two ways to perceive any task. The first way is “looking outside” , or how the task looks from the observer, and the second way is “looking from the inside,” or how it looks like through the eyes of the performer. We tend to forget about the latter method, even if you have done your work before. For example, a casual observer perceives lawn mowing as hard work, while you enjoy listening to music and still exercising in the fresh air. The task does not look so bad as soon as we undertake its implementation. If you are trying hard to find the necessary motivation to do the work, look at it with your own eyes:
')
There is a big difference between the "look from the inside" and the "look from the outside." When we evaluate a task (even if we performed it earlier), then we go over to the side of the observer. We forget about the emotional component. And the fact that we loved to do so now seems like a heavy burden.

I often have to read several books while preparing for an interview. And sometimes my reflex reaction is caused by an outside view: “Should I read 450 pages before talking to this person ?! Ugh. The irony is that I love to read when I'm in the middle of a process. For me, this is a “flow” state. If I do not remind myself of the positive emotions that I experience during the reading, I will procrastinate. From the outside, it looks like “another hard job that I have to do.”



Of course, there are tasks that look terrible on both sides. Cleansing cat litter comes to mind. Although, even in such a situation, you can still get some satisfaction from the work done, and not let it sit on your neck. Know that the easiest way to start is to change your perspective on the task.

When does external motivation benefit?

Some studies have shown that an excessive amount of external remuneration in the presence of an internal one can lead to a decrease in intrinsic motivation — a phenomenon known as the “excess justification effect”. In one study, children were rewarded for the game, to which they had time to show interest, and soon they became less interested in it. Children began to perceive the game as a job for which they were “paid.”

In some situations, external motivation may be useful, for example:

- external rewards may cause a person’s interest and participation in the area of ​​work in which he was not originally interested;
- External rewards can be used to motivate a person to acquire new skills or knowledge. Once these early skills are learned, he can become more internally motivated and continue his work;
- external rewards can also be a source of feedback that will let a person know when his performance has reached the standard required to consolidate.

External motivators should be avoided in situations where a person has already found a useful activity. In this case, external encouragement can transform work from pleasurable to real torture.

Is it always necessary to motivate yourself?

Most people assume that intrinsic motivation is suitable for any situation, but this is not always the case. In some cases, people simply have no inner desire to engage in a particular business. Excessive external promotion has its drawbacks, but when used properly it becomes a useful tool. For example, extrinsic motivation can be used to compel a person to complete a work or homework assignment for which he has no intrinsic interest.

Motivation is entirely individual for each person. It is the most powerful tool for achieving goals, but only if it originates in the heart. What drives you on the way to the goal should belong to you. Only you can have full ownership of the same motivator. You have to work to fulfill the goal, because it is YOU who wants it and this is YOUR goal. Only in this case, your perseverance and enthusiasm will be much stronger and stronger than if you worked in favor of someone else.

Internal and external motivation

The very first question you should ask yourself: “For WHOM do I do this?” If the answer is “make other people happy” or “make them love or be more proud of you”, then you got the wrong source of motivation!

Many times I have come across the wrong motivation when carrying out projects that are impossible at first glance. I just did not understand that external factors, external motivation and other people will not help me to achieve my goals. Something more is needed. The strongest push forward is possible only in the case when only YOU want to achieve your goal. Sounds too easy? I also thought so at first.

Of course, intrinsic motivation alone may not be enough. Often you need someone who could push you at the most difficult moment, re-inspire and support. Such an assistant for me was the service to achieve the goals of SmartProgress . Here you can not only share your experience in overcoming obstacles to the desired, but also find and read the stories of other people, as well as connect an experienced mentor who will facilitate the task two or even three times. If you also experience difficulties with motivation, then do not be lazy to go to their website and publish your first goal. Believe me, in the age of modern technology, the execution of the desired has never been so easy.