17 Self Motivation Techniques

1. Plan for Success

The first step of a successful venture is to take time and careful planning. If you fail to plan then you plan to fail. It can be difficult to make the time for proper planning, but this time is crucial to get any venture off the ground. You might have to wake up 15 minutes early, or go to bed 15 minutes later, but you will never regret this time as it is well spent.

The first order of business in our study of self motivation techniques is to determine what you want to accomplish. This will entail making a list of goals as they relate to your topic. Gold plating is an art in and of itself. Goal should be in two phases- the first being a long-term goal, and then break each goal into bite-size pieces as smaller goals or tasks. Then put these goals into a timeline or a goal map.

Once you have your goal map, you will see the steps needed to reach a long-term goal. Now put a date by each small goal as to when you expect to complete each task. When you complete each task towards a long-term goal, be sure to circle that task on your goal map so that you can monitor your progress.

Now you meet to make a list of “whys.” This will put emotions behind your goals and to make them that much stronger and clearer in your mind. You need to really get down to the root cause of why you want to accomplish these goals. Maybe you want to have more time with your kids, or send them to a good school. What will self motivate you? Maybe you want to be with travel and see the world. Be sure to make these “whys” specific as you possibly can.

2. Eliminate Negativity

There will always be people who seem against you and your success in one way or another. You cannot eliminate all of these people from your life as some of them will be your own family. The key is to realize that they do not understand your enthusiasm and why you want change in your life.

There are however, several things you can do to eliminate negativity. This is where some good self motivation techniques come in. The first thing is to eliminate as much of the media as you possibly can. Five years ago I went on a media fast without any newspaper, TV news broadcasts, or news magazines in my life. I began with the idea to try for 30 days, but found that it felt so good I have continued ever since. The news media is full of negativity, and if you want to lead a positive life, then you must eliminate the media's influence on it.

3. Eat a Better Diet

Another way to eliminate negativity is to enjoy a diet that is free of toxins, sugar, and refined foods. Elimination of these negative and noxious chemicals will improve your mental clarity and give you a better sense of purpose. Eat foods that are in their natural state. Focus on fresh fruits and vegetables and lean sources of protein. Minimize consumption of grains and dairy. Be sure to drink plenty of water every day from a clean source.

4. De-Clutter Your Life

When you eliminate clutter from your life, it helps to de-clutter your mind. When you are planning, make sure to install time in your schedule to keep your living in the workspace clean. When you're living in workspace or cluttered, your mind is not free to focus on creative matters. Your subconscious mind will have its focus on the need to clean the area because it knows that it must be clean for your creativity to flow.

When there is time on your schedule every week to maintain your work and living space, it would eliminate the stress of falling behind in seeing piles of paper and clutter. So make this a priority in your planning phase.

5. Exercise

Physical exercise improves the body and mind. It improves blood flow, strength, and the mental clarity. This doesn't mean that you need to exercise for three hours each day to see improvement. Just 30 minutes per day of rigorous physical activity will make large improvements over time.

So when you're in the planning phase of your goals, be sure to install 30 minutes per day for physical exercise. Pick activities that you enjoy and vary them each day. This will ensure that you do not get bored and quit your exercise program. If you need more advice on diet and exercise please visit www.thetencommandmentsbook.com and you will get all the advice you need. These are self motivation techniques that can put both years on your life and life on your years.

6. Posture

“If the eyes are the window to the soul, then posture is the window to health.” When you maintain proper posture many physiologic improvements are made in the body. The first improvement is that breathing is better accomplished as the lungs can fully expand. Good posture also allows the spine to be in the neutral position so that pinched nerves or subluxations are minimized. This helps to eliminate pain, which will distract you in any effort. Another great benefit good posture is it improves the flow of nutrition to the brain which will improve your mental focus and ability to concentrate.

7. Sleep

This is one of the easiest self motivation techniques to have people buy into! The time that you spend sleeping is of tremendous importance in allowing you to reach your goals. Sleep is when the body rejuvenates itself, and the mind is at its most creative. That is why I recommend you sleep 7 to 8 hours each day so the lack of sleep will not distract you from your goals. I also recommend that you keep a dream journal beside your bed, so that if you awake from a dream you may capture the creative thoughts that your mind produces.

8. Meditate

This is a very ancient and well respected self motivation technique. Meditation is actually an ancient form of prayer. When you meditate your brain produces frequencies that allow for relaxation, reflection, and rejuvenation. It is about clearing your mind so that you can better commune with God. Meditation clears the mind of thoughts that would take your focus away from your goals.

One of my favorite exercises for meditation, I teach to my patients, is what I call upon exercise. During this exercise you visualize yourself sitting by upon on a warm summer day. You immerse yourself in all of nature that sounds, smells, and the beauty of the water. You then draw your focus to a single place in the middle of the pond where you can only see the water. The water is completely calm and your only job is to keep it that way.

Every thought that comes into your mind is a pebble strikes the water and causes ripples. As those ripples occur, you must bring the water back to a calm state so that the surface of the water is like glass. At first you'll only be able to hold this state for seconds at a time, but with practice you real to reach a point where you can free your mind of distracting thoughts begin to feel what it's like to reach the meditative state.

9. Affirmations

Using a short, positive, and repetitive thought to help focus your mind on what you want on your life is called an affirmation. Affirmations are a very useful tool in attracting good things in your life. There are, however, specific points that can make your affirmations a more powerful force in your life. I call them the 3 P’s to powerful affirmations.

1. The affirmation needs to be positive 2. It needs to be in the Present tense. 3. It needs to be very Precise

The first key to having a powerful affirmation is to make it positive. So it can’t be something like, “I wish this guy would get fired so I could have his job.” The mind will focus on the negative and that word “fired.” The one then being fired might be you. It would be much better to say, “I am in a very satisfying position just like that person.” This way, your subconscious mind is focused on having a very satisfying position and that is what you are attracting.

The more positive the affirmation is- the better. It is also important to attach as much positive emotion to the affirmation as you repeat it. Think as though what you are saying is your reality and experience how that makes you feel. Feel these positive emotions rise up in your soul as you repeat the words over and over. Now you are broadcasting a positive message and your antenna is growing more powerful.

The second key is to make the affirmation in the present tense. It does no good to say “I want to make a lot of money,” or “I want to be a great artist.” When you say “I want,” you are broadcasting that you are in a state of want. Being in a state of want is not a good place to be. You need to broadcast in a state of “have.” So you might say “I am making a lot of money,” or “I am a great artist.”

The third key to a great affirmation is to be precise. The more detailed your affirmation the better your broadcast will be heard. Think of a radio station. You need to have your radio tuned to a very specific number such as 97.9 or 105.7 to pick up a broadcast. If you are on 97.7 or 105.9 you will not hear the message you are looking for.

So put as much detail into your affirmation as possible. You might use the above example to say “I am making 100,000 dollars in the next 12 months doing the work that I love.” Or “I am creating art by painting the most beautiful landscapes in my area.”

So there you have it. The 3 P’s to powerful affirmations. Now go create your own affirmations and repeat them every morning when you wake up. Then make a list and keep them with you so that you remind yourself to repeat them throughout the day. Soon you will have a subconscious mind that is programmed to do exactly what it should be doing- attracting everything you love into your life.

10. Motivational Quotes

Motivational quotes are great way to get quick inspiration for your day! Each is an inspired gift given by its author to change life for the better.

Some come from famous people and some from unknown authors, but each is an opportunity to learn and grow, a few words at a time. I like to keep motivational quotes in places where I'll see them every day.

Many times, motivational quotes are spun great achievements in history, and have provided great motivation for many people in the past. I suggest you find motivational quotes that are geared to your primary focus or goals, write them down, keep them with you, and allow that motivation to sink into your subconscious mind. Find more about motivational quotes at my site https://www.daily-motivational-quote.com. There you can sign up for a free motivational quote and message from me each weekday. So that is about 300 self motivation techniques per year!

11. Visualization

One of my favorite motivational quotes comes from Napoleon Hill and his book Think and Grow Rich. Mr. Hill states, “What the mind can conceive, and believe, it can achieve.” This quote has everything to do with visualization.

To conceive a thought means that you see it in your mind's eye. With enough power and emotion behind this thought it can motivate you to take action and make that thought a reality. So when we visualize an outcome that we want in our mind, it needs to be seen as being real.

Think of each aspect of the outcome you desire. Is it a place you want to visit? Then picture everything about that place in your mind; the way it looks, the way it smells, the people or wildlife that will surround you. Make everything about that place as real as it can be in your mind.

Then begin to feel all of the emotions that would be attached to you being in that place. Emotions are power when it comes to visualization. They are the gas in the engine that will drive you where you want to go. You might even want to keep a vision board, or pictures associated with the things you want in life, so that you can look at them every day in gaining motivation.

Whether it's a place you want to visit, or a house you would like to own, or whatever you desire in life, visualization will help get you there... Happy trails!

12. Do a To-Do List

Remember what it's like to go on vacation? Remember the day before you are ready to leave for vacation? Most people keep a to-do list for that day so that all of the important things get done before they leave town.

Why not make every day as productive as the day before you leave for vacation? You have the option each morning to create the day by your choice. If there are priorities that need to get done, or things you need to do to grow, writing it down gives you a blueprint for your day. This makes you more productive, and gives you a sense of accomplishment as each item is checked off your list.

13. Phone a Friend

Connecting with an old friend will bring out the best in each of you. Reliving all the best times, if even over the phone, is a powerfully good thing to do. Sharing and laughing are a great combination to improve your mood. So reach out and touch someone!

14. Get a Makeover

If you really want to motivate yourself, try a makeover. Try a different hairstyle, buy new clothes, get a different perfume or cologne, and maybe try on some new jewelry. Purchasing new things for you helps your self-esteem, and makes you feel more confident in how you present yourself to others.

15. Keep a Journal

A journal is a great tool in getting and staying motivated over time. I once had a teacher that said, “If if is worth doing it is worth writing down.” It only takes 5 minutes per day do write down your struggles and accomplishments during the day. This is important as you will chronicle where you have been, so that you can see how much you really have grown. It will also allow you to have a place to write about your goals and expectations for the future. But most of all it will be your “grade book” as to where you are right now.

Having a journal makes you responsible for your day and how you spent your time. If you know that you have to write each night before bed then you will be less likely to do things that are not congruent with your goals. You will find that you are the hardest teacher to please.

I like to journal in this manner. First I clear my mind and get out my to-do list for the day, comparing what I got done to what was one the list. Next I write down any challenges or accomplishments that I experienced throughout the day. I then build my to-do list for the next day.

16. Take a Vacation Taking a vacation allows you time to reflect and feel rejuvenated. Working too long without a vacation, is like using a saw over and over without ever taking time to sharpen it. So take time for yourself and sharpen the saw.

17. Have an Attitude of Expectation!

If you do even a few of the things presented in this course on a regular basis, then you should expect improvements in all aspects of your life. Don’t be timid about what you want out of life. This life is short and if you want to get the most out of it, do these things to become a self motivated person and enjoy each day as if it were your last.

I hope these self motivation techniques will bless your life and assist in your success!

In Health,

Dr. Bryan Schuetz

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