If you focus on the excitement of discovery, improving, exploring and experimenting, your motivation will always be fueled. If you focus only on results, your motivation will be like weather—it will die the minute you hit a storm. So the key is to <a href="https://www.success.com/videos/youtube/ted-talks-success-is-a-continuous-journey">focus on the journey </a>, not the destination. Keep thinking about what you are learning along the way and what you can improve.

2. Seek knowledge, not results.

Motivation means action and <a href="https://www.success.com/article/rohn-6-ways-to-act-on-your-ambition">action brings results </a>. Sometimes your actions fail to bring the results you want. So you prefer to be nice to yourself and not put yourself in a difficult situation. You wait for the perfect timing, for an opportunity, while you drive yourself into stagnation and sometimes even into depression. Get out there, challenge yourself, do something that you want to do even if you are afraid.

6. Stop being nice to yourself.

Meaningless things and distractions will always be in your way, especially those easy, usual things you would rather do instead of focusing on new challenging and meaningful projects. Learn to focus on what is the most important. Write a list of time-wasters and hold yourself accountable to not do them.

7. Get rid of distractions.

You should never expect others to do it for you, not even your partner, friend or boss. They are all busy with their own needs. No one will make you happy or achieve your goals for you. <a href="https://www.success.com/article/rohn-the-major-key-to-your-best-future-is-you">It’s all on you . </a>

8. Don’t rely on others.

Thoughts influence feelings and feelings determine how you view your work. You have a lot of thoughts in your head, and you always have a choice of which ones to focus on: the ones that will make you emotionally stuck (fears, doubts) or the ones that will move you forward (excitement, experimenting, trying new things, stepping out of your comfort zone ).

4. Get rid of stagnating thoughts.

It’s an awesome game! The minute you make it serious, there’s a big chance it will start carrying a heavy emotional weight and you will lose perspective and become stuck again.

3. Make the journey fun.

Know your three steps forward. You do not need more. Fill out your weekly calendar, noting when you will do what and how . When-what-how is important to schedule. Review how each day went by what you learned and revise <a href="https://www.success.com/article/43-ways-to-improve-yourself-in-just-10-minutes">what you could improve </a>.

9. Plan.

It’s easy to burn out when you are very motivated. Observe yourself to recognize any signs of tiredness and take time to rest. Your body and mind rest when you schedule relaxation and fun time into your weekly calendar. Do diverse tasks, keep switching between something creative and logical, something physical and still, working alone and with a team. Switch locations. Meditate, or just take deep breaths, close your eyes, or focus on one thing for five minutes.You lack motivation not because you are lazy or don’t have a goal.

10. Protect yourself from burnout.

Next step after getting rid of negative thoughts is to use your imagination. When things go well, you are full of positive energy, and when you are experiencing difficulties, you need to be even more energetic. So rename your situation. If you keep repeating I hate my work , guess which feelings those words will evoke? It’s a matter of imagination! You can always find something to learn even from the worst boss in the world at the most boring job. I have a great exercise for you: Just for three days, think and say positive things only. See what happens.

5. Use your imagination.

Just how committed are you to your goal? How important is it for you, and what are you willing to sacrifice in order to achieve it? If you find yourself fully committed, motivation will follow.

1. Focus on commitment, not motivation.

Tackle your biggest goals with these tips from a former Olympic athlete.

personaldevelopment

Personal Development

10 Tips to Achieve Anything You Want in Life

Pomodoro is doing focused work in 25-minute sessions throughout the day. 
After each session, take a five-minute break. After completing four consecutive Pomodoros, take a 20 to 30-minute break.

The Pomodoro Technique

Pomodoro is excellent for tackling tasks you don't feel like doing or jobs that require little thought. However, other tasks, like writing or coding, require uninterrupted time. The problem with the Pomodoro method is that the timer is a consistent interruption that prevents you from getting into a state of flow.

The Problem with Pomodoro

It is a modified Pomodoro. And it solves Pomodoro's big problems.<ul><li>It works by writing down one task you intend to work on during a focus session.</li><li>Then work until you start feeling tired or distracted, write down the end time, and take a break. A break can be anything from 5 minutes to 15 minutes.</li></ul>Because you're not tied to a timer, you're more likely to find yourself in a flow state from time to time.

The Flowtime Technique

<ul><li>You can use your Flowtime data to see how much time you're dedicating to different types of tasks. This can help you create better estimates for how long future jobs will take.</li><li>Consider adding a column to track interruptions like calls, texts or emails to help you discover your biggest sources of distraction.</li><li>Keeping track of how long you can focus can help you identify days and times of the day when you're most focused or most distracted.</li></ul>

Benefits of the Flowtime Technique

Read about the most popular productivity systems and choose the one that fits you best

books

Books

problemsolving

Problem Solving

productivity

Productivity

communication

Communication

Productivity Systems

Finding the perfect productivity system is like finding the perfect recipe. Sometimes, a recipe with a really high rating tastes terrible. Sometimes, you find a comment that suggests adjustments, and those adjustments take it from mediocre to outstanding. And sometimes, you only use the recipe as a guide, modifying it...

timemanagement

Time Management

If the Pomodoro Technique Doesn't Work for You, Try Flowtime

"In all religions and philosophies the highest human good or idea has been peace of mind."

According to Aristotle, the ultimate aim of human life is to be happy. The biggest thing that holds most people back from pursuing their dreams and being happy is a lack of self-discipline. If you cultivate self-discipline, set clear goals, and begin doing the things you already know you should be doing, nothing will keep you from achieving success.Remember, success isn’t an accident—you need to have the discipline to work hard at it.And only with self-discipline will you have the drive to persist through the hardest obstacles in your path to success.

Self-Discipline and Personal Success

Material things aren’t the only measure of success, in fact, achieving happiness is the true measure of success. The desire to be happy is the one thing that drives all humans forward in life, and self-discipline is of utmost importance in achieving that. After all, you will only be happy and content when you are in control of your life. The thing about happiness is that it is simply a by-product of engaging in activities you enjoy with people you like and respect.

Self-Discipline and the Good Life

"There is perhaps no area of your life where Self-Discipline has a greater impact on your future than in your work."

Most, if not all, of us tend to get distracted in our day-to-day lives and stray further and further from completing our most important tasks, those that will help us achieve success. However, if we learn to set clear priorities and work on the tasks that bring us the most value, as well as cultivate the discipline to complete these tasks quickly and well, we will be on the path to success.Furthermore, these abilities will help us consolidate ourselves as leaders instead of followers, which is an invaluable trait. Leaders are truly the ones who achieve their goals.

Self-Discipline in Business

"Desire is the starting point of all achievement, not a hope, not a wish,but a keen pulsating desire which transcends everything."

"The person you are today is the sum total of all your choices and decisions in life up to this date."

You don't need to have been born under a lucky star, or with incredible wealth, or with terrific contacts and connections, or even special skills...but what you do need to succeed in any of your life goals is self-discipline. Unfortunately, most people give in to the two worst enemies of success; they take the path of least resistance (in other words, they're lazy) and/or they want immediate gratification; they don't consider the long-term consequences of the actions they take today. No Excuses! shows you how you can achieve success in all three major areas of your life; 1. Your personal goals.2. Your business and money goals.3. Your overall happiness. Each of the 21 chapters in this book shows you how to be more disciplined in one aspect of your life, with end-of-chapter exercises to help you apply the ''no excuses'' approach to your own life. With these guidelines, you can learn how to be more successful in everything you do - instead of wistfully envying others who you think are just ''luckier'' than you. A little self-discipline goes a long way...so stop making excuses and read this book!

Understand yourself and those around you.

psychology

Psychology

business

Business

You don’t need to have been born under a lucky star, or with incredible wealth, or with terrific contacts and connections, or even special skills...but what you do need to succeed in any of your life goals is self-discipline. Unfortunately, most people give in to the two worst enemies of success: they take the path of least resistance (in other words, they’re lazy) and/or they want immediate gratification: they don’t consider the long-term consequences of the actions they take today. No Excuses! shows you how you can achieve success in all three major areas of your life: 1. Your personal goals. 2. Your business and money goals. 3. Your overall happiness. Each of the 21 chapters in this book shows you how to be more disciplined in one aspect of your life, with end-of-chapter exercises to help you apply the “no excuses” approach to your own life. With these guidelines, you can learn how to be more successful in everything you do—instead of wistfully envying others who you think are just “luckier” than you. A little self-discipline goes a long way...so stop making excuses and read this book!

Brian Tracy is Chairman and CEO of Brian Tracy International, a company specializing in the training and development of individuals and organizations.He has consulted for more than 1,000 companies and addressed more than 5,000,000 people in 5,000 talks and seminars throughout the US, Canada and 55 other countries worldwide. As a Keynote speaker and seminar leader, he addresses more than 250,000 people each year.Brian has studied, researched, written and spoken for 30 years in the fields of economics, history, business, philosophy and psychology. He is the top selling author of over 45 books that have been translated into dozens of languages.

Brian Tracy

No Excuses!

No Excuses

<ul>
<li>Create checklists by imagining the best way to complete your task in detail.</li>
<li>The 2-minute rule. Take enough 2-minute tasks to create momentum. Start with anything, but end with tasks related to your intended work.</li>
<li>The hour non-negotiable. Force yourself to work on your project for the first hour of the day to give you momentum for the rest of the day.</li>
<li>The celebration/resting day. Plan a day where you allow yourself to do anything you enjoy doing, regardless of what it is.</li>
<li>Habit bunching. Create support habits, such as making coffee before you start working.</li>
<li>Mini-days (time-bocking). If a day feels too dull, break it down into mini-days: one for work, one for learning skills, and one for relaxation.</li>
<li>The hourly challenge. Plan to give your best work every hour. Define how much work you need to do in that hour to consider it a personal record.</li>
<li>Buffering. Allow a 30-50% margin of error for all your expectations.</li>
<li>OKR Goal-setting system. (Objective Keyword Result). Set a quarterly or monthly goal. Give yourself three actionable metrics based on numbers. (e.g., Make 500 sales calls in three months.)</li>
<li>Environment optimization. When you finish using a room, make it ready so you can use it next time. Keep distractions out of sight.</li>
</ul>

How to get work done today

Your interpretation of failure is preventing you from working.
Typical behaviours:
<ul>
<li>You accept distractions because you already lost, but then think things will eventually fix themselves.</li>
<li>You feel people are mad at you or don't understand your limited position.</li>
<li>You slack in other areas because you think one loss justifies failing in other areas.</li>
</ul>
Solution: When you failed, you did not understand how much you actually learned. Take a day off to stop thinking.

The guilty procrastinator

<ul>
<li>You can put things off without being lazy.</li>
<li>It's your emotions that decide to procrastinate, not logic. Emotions prioritize short-term gratification.</li>
<li>The problem is not about the task, but how you treat it.</li>
<li>When you don't make tasks your priority, you'll put things off.</li>
</ul>

What you must know about procrastination

Preparation scares you. You want improved quality when you didn't work for long enough to optimize. You may waste your time by giving too much time to irrelevant details.
Typical behaviours:
<ul>
<li>You know what to do, but irrational thoughts pull you back.</li>
<li>You spend hours planning the introduction.</li>
<li>You feel dissatisfied and always want to add one more change.</li>
</ul>
Solution: Shift your focus from results to actions.

The perfectionist procrastinator

You may love your work, but other tasks seem more appealing because you gravitate towards the path of least resistance.
Typical behaviors:
<ul>
<li>You think bad habits are good in moderation and don't respect your time blocks.</li>
<li>You spent most of your day in minor tasks.</li>
<li>You never feel like being 100% present at work or play.</li>
</ul>
Solution: Block your distractions. Plan days where you reward yourself generously, to make smaller temptations less attractive.

The distracted procrastinator

You have over-committed and have no time left. Even if you have time, you sometimes don't see the point in spending time on those tasks.
Typical behaviours:
<ul>
<li>You're multitasking.</li>
<li>You get about 70% done off your endless to-do list, but don't see results.</li>
<li>You want to spend time will all your favourite projects.</li>
</ul>
Solution: If a task is irrelevant, stop the task. Use only the best-performing ways to achieve your objectives. Prioritize your goals and work on one at a time. Also, know that you can make progress at a slower pace.

The busy procrastinator

Your poor time-management/prioritization skills are setting you back. You hate routines because you feel they take away your freedom, but then you never have time to do what you love.
Typical behaviours:
<ul>
<li>When you want to work, you instead waste time preparing the workspace.</li>
<li>You do a quick two-minute task and then add other little jobs that fill your day.</li>
<li>If you find yourself procrastinating, you will rather finish what you're doing instead of your important work.</li>
</ul>
Solution: Learn to work smarter with the Pomodoro technique and the Eisenhower's Matrix.

The disorganized procrastinator

Procrastinators severely overestimate how hard it is to finish a task.
While it can be very tough to start, you'll gain momentum and achieve ten times more work with the same willpower. The result will also be much more rewarding.

The more you work, the less it feels like a grind

<ul>
<li>Impulsivity. Impulsive people prefer short-term results instead of longer tasks.</li>
<li>Sense of urgency. Our motivation to finish a task is inversely proportional to the time we have left. But we also underestimate how long a job takes if the deadline is far away.</li>
<li>Perception of work. Work looks more daunting than it really is.</li>
<li>Agreeableness. Trying to surprise others with unexpected work patterns. But it is inconsistent and makes it harder for people to gauge you.</li>
<li>Busyness because you don't manage your time well.</li>
</ul>

5 mindsets that will influence your work ethic

You overestimate your skills and underestimate the challenge. Your goals may be too small, or you didn't break the big goals into daily tasks.
What you find yourself doing: You don't write a deadline on your calendar, but promise to start tomorrow. You may even tell everyone how easy it is or what you plan to do.
Solution: Commit to a deadline, or make it a challenge to get done as much as possible.

The optimistic procrastinator

But most people don’t even have that choice. After trying fifty different blog tips without success, procrastinators start to doubt. If you don’t want to be a slave of your emotions, keep reading…

10 Tips to Achieve Anything You Want in Life

If the Pomodoro Technique Doesn't Work for You, Try Flowtime

No Excuses

It's time to
Read like a Pro.

The Procrastinators Ultimate Guide: The 6 Types (With Tips for Each One)

10 Tips to Achieve Anything You Want in Life

If the Pomodoro Technique Doesn't Work for You, Try Flowtime

No Excuses

It's time to Read like a Pro.

The Procrastinators Ultimate Guide: The 6 Types (With Tips for Each One)

It's time to
Read like a Pro.