Looking to get out of a rut? Terrible job? Awful relationship? Stuck on Tatooine and you want to join the Rebel Alliance? Well, sucking down Red Bull and Adderall might get you there, but it won’t keep you motivated to follow through with your initial goal. Instead, use these tips to get you started on building up your motivation … or at least off of your ass and into action:
#1. Anticipate the Stress
If you’re the kind of guy who demands instant gratification and you want to remain motivated, you’re pretty much screwed, according to a study by psychologists Tice and Bratslavsky. Their research found that people who wait until an action would “feel good” — i.e. allow them to feel rewarded by what they’ve done — were less likely to feel motivated than those who took action first. If you take action and be proactive and actually stick with it, positive things will happen, even if the initial change feels stressful.
#2. Be Flexible
Stop multitasking with your willpower; Organize Tomorrow Today: 8 Ways to Retrain Your Mind to Optimize Performance at Work and in Life ($10 @ Amazon.com). We did, and they’ve helped tremendously.)
