Five Ways to Increase Your Motivation

Motivation and drive propel us forward toward the realization of our goals, but some of us seem to have more of this driving force than others.

If you feel like you have less of these traits than you'd like, the good news is there are ways to increase your motivation and happily start trekking down the path of achievement.

These suggestions may not be for the faint of heart, but if you really want results, try some of these ideas:

1. Burn your other options. If you want to find another job or start your own business in a hurry, write a letter of resignation, postdate it a month, address it and give it to a friend. Tell him to mail it in 30 days.

• If there's an easy way out, most people will take it. Don't give yourself the luxury of being able to fail without a lot of pain.

• Even so, it's wise to create a Plan B. Just make one that moves you forward instead of backward.

2. Focus on the positive people in your life. If you don't feel like you have enough, find some new ones. Only share your goals with those that are most supportive of you.

• For example, if you want to lose weight, join a gym and hang out with the healthy people. They're positive and supportive. Likely, there's someone at the gym who has lost 100 lbs. That's the person you want to associate with!

• This idea also means getting negativity out of your life. If your friends don't support you, why are they there? Take an inventory of the people in your life. Add some who have what you want, and move on from the ones who aren't supportive.

3. Feed your brain with positive information daily. Inspirational books and audio seem silly to many, but the results can be profound. The key is to use them on a daily basis. They're like exercise for your motivation and drive. You can't just work out just one time and expect to see significant results.

• Set a schedule and stick to it. Even if you just do 15 minutes a day, the payoff will be huge.

4. Act immediately. Once you've set a new goal, do something! Your first task can be as simple as making a phone call or laying out a plan. If you don't take immediate action, you risk falling permanently into analysis mode where there's a lot of thinking going on, but nothing is actually happening.

• Frequently, motivation will come after action. Making a little bit of progress can be the inspiration behind additional progress. So do something as soon as you've decided what you want to accomplish.

5. Look the part. Take a look at yourself in the mirror. Do you look like the kind of person that would accomplish your goal on a regular basis?

• If your goal is to make $200,000 a year as a real estate investor, you shouldn't be wearing an Aerosmith t-shirt and ripped jean shorts. Your identity should fit your goal. This may seem like a trivial matter, but it can make a difference.

Once you truly commit to your goal, your drive and motivation will see you to success. Take some action daily and remove your conscious safety nets that allow you to fail too easily; you'll be amazed at the results.