Motivation: how do you motivate yourself to do that which you would rather not do?

Question

Doing things that we would like to do is easy. Motivating ourselves to do that which we would rather not do is another.

How do you motivate yourself? What do you use to motivate yourself?

Answer 1

I am self-motivated. If I want something bad enough I do what I need to do. You have to have an interest in the end result. If you aren't maybe it's just not for you. On the other hand, if you know you have to do it, then you have to do it. Sometimes we have to do things that we don't want to do. Just like in the movie "Pleasantville", it's just the idea of making them more pleasant that makes them more worth doing.

Answer 2

I motivate myself to do that which must be done, but which I would rather not do by telling myself the quicker I do it, the quicker it will be, that it is over and done with and I can get on with something I would rather be doing. I also tell myself that it will be rewarding to see the finished task and rewarding to see the effect it will have on my everyday life.
eg: When I am tired at the end of the day, I often find it hard to find the motivation to tidy up after the kids. I find it hard because it always seems to be a repetitive mess, like GROUNDHOG DAY every single day. I tell myself that the sooner I get the mess picked up, the walls cleaned etc, the sooner I can sit down and appreciate the room with a hot coffee or hot chocolate and a favourtite tv program.

I also find dieting hard, and motivate myself by telling myself that I will look great in my fave jeans at the end of it, and feel more active and healthier. When I am tempted to give up I tell myself that 'I am melting' as in melting the unhealthy fat from my body.
This is how I motivate myself in two difficult situations that I have and continue to face. (the never ending mess.. LOL!)

Answer 3

Well, let's see...I would rather not work but I like having a roof over my head and food in my belly. Since I have no rich relatives to give me money and the lottery seems like a long shot, I have to get off my duff and work for the things I need and want. Self-preservation is a pretty strong motivational tool for me. Smart-a**ed answers aside, I enjoy a certain standard of living and, so far, only through getting up and going to work, doing a good job and earning a pay check allows me to live the way I want.

Answer 4

For me, a lack of motivation is usually due to inconsistency
with my morals. Therefore, if an external influence desires
my motivation then I imagine that the external influence
deserves my motivation, in such a way as to not compromise
my morals. Imagination can be a powerful tool.

Answer 5

though many believe they are self-motivating, they are all just lies. Isnt it true that in life, all u want to do is fun and games and not anything else. Yet there are a few who not self motivate themsleves yet really just force them to do it because they always follow through the saying " I saved the best for last". I really just let life go by and do my works as intended.

Answer 6

To motivate myself I do two things: I think about the consequences of doing versus not doing and/or I remind myself that I am a warrior of life and that, no matter what, I must keep going. I must bend but never break. Damn, that's hard! Plus, on really bad days, it doesn't always work. Those days REALLY make me feel sheepish.

Answer 7

The things I don't like to do are like mountains to me. I have learned to take small steps. For example if I don't like to iron the pile of clothes, I tell myself, "I'll only iron two shirts". Then, after I have ironed the two shirts, I feel the success and tell myself, "Why not do two more?"
Too often we make a mountain our of a mole hill and once we start climbing the mountain we find out, it really only was a mole hill.
Sometimes, I procrastinate too much, then time pressure becomes my motivator, but it's a harsh task master.

Answer 8

Personally, if I didn't want to do something, I don't do it. But I am an extremely competetive person. For example, I'm studying for my finals these days, if I called one of my friends and she was studying and I wasn't, once I hang up the phone, I would rush to study.

Answer 9

If i don't want to do it, i don't. Motivation is not something i would waste on things i do not want to do.

i'd much rather be silly...

Answer 10

me, i tell myself to chillax and just plunge in, get it over with. its like waking up at 3 am and having to go and answer the phone across the room.