4 Easy Ways to Keep You Motivated Every Single Day

Motivation is not some magical solution to all your problems. It won’t guarantee you that promotion, and it won’t stop you from failing a test. A lot of people think a little motivation means success will just fall into their lap, but that isn’t how it works. You see, motivation isn’t the answer.

It isn’t the endpoint—it’s where you start. Think about your goals like a road trip, okay? Finding motivation is like choosing where you want to go and why. Just because you pick the destination doesn’t mean you’ll always get there.

You still have to put in work by driving long hours and paying for gas, and you’ll still have setbacks like blowing a tire or sitting in traffic. But if you pick the right destination for the right reasons, you can power through any obstacle now; of course, it won’t be easy.

Each obstacle can leave you wondering why you took this grueling trip in the first place, and at some point, you’ll feel like turning around. You might think about even giving up; you might get so tired that you drive somewhere closer and easier.

Instead, this happens to so many people. Because they don’t start the right way and don’t think enough about where they’re going. In fact, some people just pick a random destination with no clue why they chose it. Even if they do make it, somehow, these people quickly realize it isn’t really where they want to go.

So, today, I want to talk about motivating yourself the right way, from choosing meaningful goals to persevering through failure, these simple tricks will help you follow a path toward your definition of lifelong success.

1. Own Your Goals

This is a trap that tons of people fall into, especially if they’re just finishing high school or college. Now, you might have an idea of how your life’s going to play out, but is it yours? Is it what you want, or did someone else choose it for you?

For years, a close friend of mine said he was going to be a doctor. He initially came up with the idea in middle school, and his parents immediately latched on to it. He got good grades and excelled in science, so, naturally, it seemed like a perfect fit.

Whenever anyone asked, his parents would brag about how their son wanted to be a neurosurgeon. My friend eventually started telling people the same thing after graduating high school.

He went to a college with a great pre-med program and started browsing potential medical schools. My friend thought he had his entire life planned out. He was very confident that he had found the path that would make him happy.

But in reality, he was trying to achieve his parent’s definition of success; he adopted their goals as his own. He chose a destination—and a good one—but he never knew why he wanted to get there.

Finally, after years of reaching for someone else’s dreams, he sat down and thought about where his life was headed? It didn’t take long for him to realize he was going the wrong way.

So, what’s the point of this story? Well, you’re surrounded by influences and expectations, and everyone around you will have a vision of who you are. But really, no one knows you better than you, so don’t spend your life trying to live up to their expectations or run from their criticisms.

You shouldn’t choose a path because people say you should; your motivation has to come from you. It should stem from your talents, interests, and passions. It should represent what actually makes you happy now; I’m not telling you to ignore your family or community.

But you won’t have the perseverance to achieve your goals if they aren’t yours. So, here’s the first trick to staying motivated: set aside a few minutes each day to own your goals, and during that time, consider where they come from.

Remind yourself how and why you chose them, and not only will you feel more pride in who you are, but you’ll also know you’re heading in the right direction.

2. Envision the Details

When you imagine your future, do you ever think about the little details? Now, I don’t mean that vague fantasy that people have about living in a giant mansion with their millions.

There’s nothing wrong with dreaming about wealth and fame, but more often than not, these aren’t actually goals. They’re just things that you think about for fun, and you can’t figure out a plan to get there because it doesn’t really exist.

This is what separates a goal and a dream. I often hear these terms used interchangeably, but there is a difference. Dreams are flexible and easy. They capture imaginary feelings and actions.

You might dream about flying or walking through walls, but that doesn’t mean you’re going to. Some dreams inspire you to chase after something, but your goals actually do the chasing. Goals are concrete steps towards something you want.

They have deadlines, costs, and obstacles. They can and should exist in real life, yet people don’t treat them that way. They act like their goals are crazy and possible ideas, so they seem imaginary, but they don’t have to stay that way.

You can motivate yourself every day by visualizing your goals and picturing them down to the smallest detail. If you want to ace a test, imagine yourself in the room staring at the paper. Now, think about the feel of the pencil in your hand and the seat on your back.

This is the same technique countless professional athletes use before major competitions. They envision themselves winning and then doing everything they can to bring that vision to life, but this trick isn’t limited to short-term goals. You can do the same thing in the future.

Ask yourself as many questions as you can think of: what does your daily routine look like, who do you spend most of your time with, and what kind of furniture do you own? You know these questions may sound pointless, but each one gives you direction and drive.

You don’t have to ask every question at once, and you don’t have to know all the answers by simply forcing yourself to be specific. You can turn vague ideas into real achievable goals.

3. The Power of Expectations

I mentioned before that other people’s expectations could lead you down. The wrong path can make you feel lost or unfold. You might spend years doing something just to avoid letting other people down.

But if you already know where you’re headed, expectations can also work wonders. After you decide on your goals, tell someone about them and explain them to a close friend or family member.

Where you’re going and why express your vision and the steps you’re taking to make it a reality all too. Often, I hear about someone hiding their dreams. Some stash away their goals on a secret to-do list, and others say they won’t show anyone until it’s 100 percent perfect. It rarely ever is.

Either way, they’re too embarrassed to show the world what they’re passionate about, but hiding their goals may be holding them back. When you explain your goals, you turn them into your physical deadlines.

If no one knows what you’re doing, you can get away with not doing it. So, you should create that expectation you need someone to expect you to finish when you say you will ideally find someone who will check in and ask about your progress and make sure it’s someone whose opinion matters to you.

That way, you won’t want them to see you give up; no one likes to admit to a loved one that they failed or fallen behind. Instead, you want to show up with a finished product and make them proud.

It’s important, however, that you don’t get carried away; this trick only works if you open up to one or two people. Otherwise, you can actually lose motivation when you tell everyone who will listen that you sometimes assume an identity that isn’t yours.

Let’s say you want to write a book, and you’re having a hard time staying motivated, so you decide to tell a bunch of people about it. Now, those people will unconsciously think of you as an author. Suddenly, you’ve adopted a new title and reputation without doing much of anything.

So why invest the time and effort into earning something that you already have? I see this all the time through social media; people seem more interested in getting attention and respect than in accomplishing their actual goals.

So, make sure you don’t fall into this trap with only one person you care about. That way, their expectations will fuel your success, not give you an excuse to be lazy.

4. Resurrecting Motivation 

I wish I could tell you you’ll feel motivated all the time, but I can’t. Even if you maximize every trick on this list, you’ll eventually feel lazy and unproductive, no matter how ambitious you are.

There’s just no avoiding these moments of weakness; most people let this negativity stop them from pursuing their goals. They expect things to be smooth and easy, but life obviously doesn’t work that way.

Every path you take will be filled with failure and frustration. But here’s the thing: you know these obstacles are coming. Sure, you don’t know what, when, or why, but it’s going to happen eventually.

Something will make you feel like giving up, so why not prepare yourself? The fourth trick to staying motivated every day is to figure out ahead of time how to resurrect your motivation.

Create a plan to navigate through your darkest, laziest moments. While everyone’s plan will look a little different. There’s one key thing: you need to find a way to accept your failures. Whatever happened happened, and you can’t change that.

If you spent the last two hours watching TV instead of working, don’t sit around feeling guilty about it; instead, remind yourself that every second is a chance to wipe the slate clean, learn from your mistakes, and try again.

Conclusion:

Motivation is not a magical force that guarantees your success. It is simply the starting point of your journey. Setting meaningful goals for yourself and visualizing your path is essential.

But your consistent effort and perseverance through setbacks are what truly drive you to your destination. It’s common to get lost chasing other people’s dreams or trying to meet other’s expectations.

However, true motivation always comes from within yourself. It is fueled by your own passions, talents, and desires.

Always remember that you will encounter challenges on your journey, but by taking ownership of your goals and getting ready for tough times, you can remain focused and keep moving forward.

True success is not about avoiding your failures; It’s about how you recover and grow after each one. Keep your eyes on your destination, and even if you slip, remind yourself that every moment offers a fresh start.