How To Get Motivated and Achieve Your Goals: Psychologists Share Expert Tips
Simple steps like identifying your 'why' will help you stay motivated and achieve your goals
Whether you’re wondering how to get motivated or how to achieve your goals, expert tips can make all the difference in sparking success. But knowing how to get motivated and reach your goals can be more than a bit tricky. Here, top mental health experts share surprising strategies shown to curb self-doubt, spark can-do and help you go after the dreams that make you feel most alive and most, well, like yourself.
You already have the answers within you! Keep reading to learn how to get motivated and how to achieve your goals with easy-to-implement strategies
How to get motivated easily
Ask yourself a simple question
Before even setting goals, it helps to identify your “why,” says expert on motivation Wendy S. Grolnick, PhD, co-author of Motivation Myth Busters: Science-Based Strategies to Boost Motivation in Yourself and Others. “Ask yourself, ‘Why do I want this?’ How is this goal going to get me closer to the things I value? Really reflect on whether this is something you want or if someone is pushing you to do it,” she advises. “Research shows when our goals are in line with our values, we’re much more likely to succeed. You may be able to identify reasons for your goal that connect to what’s most important to you—for example, you may want to exercise more often, so that you can have more energy for the people and activities you love.”
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Take the guesswork out of it
The more specific your plan, the better. “For instance, instead of saying, ‘I’m going to eat healthier, tell yourself, ‘I’m going to eat a vegetable at every meal,’” says Grolnick. “When we have very granular goals, we’re more likely to generate the energy to meet them.” Also smart? Take the guesswork out of your plan, by harnessing the power of “If…then” statements. “Say your goal is to be more active. You might say, ‘If I walk into this building and there are stairs, then I’ll take them. Or ‘If it’s 6 a.m. on Saturday, then I’ll go for a walk.’ She explains this simple strategy takes decision-making out of the moment and makes it “automatic,” which spurs momentum.
Look for the evidence
The evidence of your success, that is. “Whatever their goal may be, a lot of women say to themselves, ‘Who am I to do this?’” observes leading expert on positive psychology Louisa Jewell, MAPP. “I just heard it the other day as I was talking to a very accomplished woman—we women are plagued with self-doubt,” she says. That’s why she advises flipping the script: “Ask yourself, ‘Who am I not to do this?’” Sometimes we’re not connected to our own reality, and we need reminders of our accomplishments.”
If you’re not yet comfortable tallying your achievements, consider asking a trusted friend for a few ego-boosting examples of your wins. For example, if you have a lofty goal like writing a book, look for the proof that, yes, you can do this. “You might remind yourself that you’ve been writing a blog, for instance, or that you have 20 years of experience in the field you want to write about.” Before you know it, you will have shifted out of “I can’t do this,” to “Of course, I can.”
Give yourself advice
Turns out the best life coach you know is you, says expert on motivation and decision making, Ayelet Fishbach, PhD, author of Get It Done: Surprising Lessons From the Science of Motivation. Her team asked study participants either to give advice about the hard-earned lessons they learned from challenges—ranging from struggling with their weight to being unemployed—or to listen to others’ advice. “They were more motivated when they gave advice than when they received it,” reveals Fishbach. “That’s because when you share advice, it forces you to learn from your setbacks and you simply can’t ignore the lessons. If you’re looking for a new job, for example, and you tell someone they should apply to X number of openings a week, that signals to your brain, ‘Oh, I better do that too.’”
Recruit an accountability partner
“The best motivation is having people around you who keep you on track,” says Jewell, who encourages buddying up with a trusted friend. “I have an accountability partner, and I’ll tell her, ‘I’m going to do X by Y date. Once a week, we meet to talk about each other’s plans. If we missed the mark on a goal we set out to accomplish, we talk about what we’ll do this week to make it happen.”
Pat yourself on the back the right way
Rewards increase our intrinsic motivation when they become part of the activity, like listening to a podcast while we’re exercising, says Fishbach. Prefer treating yourself after you’ve accomplished a task? “Try to make rewards somewhat random,” she advises, because our brains crave novelty, and we will be more inspired by surprising, unpredictable treats.
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