How to Get Stuff Done When You're Just Not Feeling It

Intrinsic motivation is sometimes a little more difficult to define, at first. For example, humans are naturally drawn toward mastery. We want to accomplish goals, learn new things and generally never stop growing. But knowing that information doesn't make you stick to that personal budgeting class that isn't as exciting as it was on week one. Here, we need to dig a little deeper. Maybe the process of learning is a natural source of energy for you. Or maybe you crave increased control over your life, and managing your finances is the first step to getting there.

Let's be very clear: Getting motivated about a task doesn't mean you have to be happy or excited about it. Sometimes you must ask yourself: Why is this task important? What will it bring about in my life? The answer could be as simple as I won't get fired. The key thing to remember here is that motivation is nebulous. The motivation for answering your inbox full of client complaints is going to be starkly different than your motivation to get up at 5 a.m. so you can spend time with your daughter before her first day of school.