Motivation is not something that comes naturally to us, at least not in tough times. But those are the times we especially need to be motivated. However, motivation is key to many human activities. For one, you cannot simply sit back, relax, and watch your deadlines fly by if you want to get anywhere in life. You need to take action and to do that it helps a lot when you are motivated.

So what are the best ways to motivate yourself?

1. Know what exactly it is you want. What are you motivating yourself to do? Do you merely want to finish a job, or do you want to live your dream life? Set clear and tangible, or at least manageable goals for yourself. If you know exactly what you want, you can get it, and you can motivate yourself to do whatever it takes.
2. Live a a life of purpose. The problem with a lot of people is that they work hard but they don’t know what they work for. Often they are simply working for the money but that will only motivate us short term. You need to know the reason why, for what purpose you want the money. Give yourself a tangible purpose so that you can know what you are really working for. Striving for money is an empty goal; striving for money so that you can get your dream home might be more tangible; striving for more money so that you can help your family or a cause of your choice will be even better.
3. Take a break. Sometimes, being burned out means that you need to stay away from things for a while, have some time alone to yourself, and get an outsider’s view of your situation. When you start getting fatigued more often, your body might be telling you to slow down; and slowing down can mean re-energizing yourself by taking a vacation, or even just taking a walk. You may want to set aside some alone time each day for you to recharge, so that you are not constantly being barraged with work.
4. Don’t be afraid to say NO when you already have “a full plate” Sometimes, you can have so much to do that you are saturated with stress, and you reach the point where you simply want to give up and not even start working – you feel overwhelmed. Take a deep breath and delegate even if that seems impossible when you first do it!
5. Reward yourself for a job well done! Plan out a trip for yourself, or promise to take yourself to the movies of your favorite restaurant if you complete a certain job. Little rewards, such as snacks and a cup of hot chocolate, will work too.

Over all BE NICE TO YOURSELF AND TREAT YOURSELF WITH RESPECT even when things do go wrong at times.