Are you trying to figure out how to get motivated to work on your business goals?

If so, I get it. I used to struggle with finding motivation, too. And then, I discovered something better than motivation: Discipline. I think of discipline as intrinsic motivation. It’s like having the ability to create motivation on demand.

In today’s article, you will learn three strategies to create intrinsic motivation to work on your business goals.  If you’ve been struggling to figure out how to get motivated to work toward your goals instead of just treading water in your business or your life, this is for you.

How to get motivated:  Common mistakes business owners make

Most people struggle to stay motivated because they don’t have a clear plan of action, and they let negative thoughts and emotions hold them back.

Specifically, many people end up crushing their own motivation by doing things like:

• Allowing their business goals to collect dust by not taking action on them for 2 weeks or more
• Not including specific metrics, action steps, or deadlines when setting their goals
• Focusing on thoughts and feelings of self-doubt, fear of failure, or other self-limiting concepts at least twice per week

As a result, they feel overwhelmed, stuck, and frustrated, and their business suffers because of it.  Not to mention, all of that continues to fuel their lack of motivation.

I use and teach a number of proven, neuroscience-backed strategies to overcome these obstacles in my one-on-one coaching program, but today I’m going to share with you a few of my favorites that have helped my clients achieve remarkable results.

With these strategies alone, though, you’ll be able to break through the barriers that have been holding you back and start making progress towards your goals.

Strategy one:  Identify your next step

Okay, so let’s talk about the first strategy to get motivated to work on your business goals.  This alone can help you overcome the feeling of being stuck that so often leads to a lack of motivation.

Here is one of the biggest motivation-sapping mistakes that many people make.  They don’t break their goals down into smaller, manageable tasks and milestones.  As a result, they feel overwhelmed, and their motivation dwindles because they don’t know where to start.

By the way: Overwhelm is normal

By the way, that feeling of overwhelm is a totally normal reaction in the brain.  It doesn’t mean that you’re not capable of pursuing or achieving the goal.  It simply means that your brain is considering the entire body of work needed to get you from where you are now to achieving your goal.  And naturally, your brain thinks it’s going to be a lot of work, so it throws up that overwhelm.

The solution

That’s a totally normal response, and here’s the solution.  You need to know what your next step is, and focus on taking that next step.

For some people (like me), it’s great to map out each milestone and step that I think achieving a goal will require.  For others, that might be overwhelming.  As an alternative, you can identify 3-5 milestones to achieving the goal, and then identify one step you can take toward that first milestone.

Either way, identifying your next step will help you focus on what you need to do next, and you’ll be able to take action without feeling overwhelmed.

Real world example

Now that you know the first strategy to create intrinsic motivation to work on your goals, I want to drive this home a little bit more.  Some people make the mistake of thinking that writing out the steps to achieve a goal is just too much work.  Or, they might think that it’s so basic, they don’t need to do it.

However, think of it this way.  If construction companies, builders, and construction workers all know how to build houses and buildings, then why do they need architects?  Why do they need plans – blueprints and schematics – to build a home or a building? Hopefully, this question answers itself in your mind.

The same is true of us and our goals.  When we take the time to create plans, all of the steps and milestones live outside of our brains, so we can focus on the task in front of us.

Sure, the plans may need to be adjusted along the way.  However, it’s a lot easier (and more reliable) to make adjustments with a written plan than with one inside your mind.

Strategy two:  Identify and address the root causes that are sapping your motivation

Okay, let’s talk about the second strategy to create intrinsic motivation to work on your business goals.  If you successfully employ this strategy alone, it will help you overcome self-doubt and fear.

One of the biggest mistakes that I see people make when they’re struggling on a business or personal goal?  They don’t address their negative thoughts and emotions.

Instead, they bottle them up or shove them down, hoping and wishing that they’ll just go away.  What ends up happening as a result?  They let things like self-doubt, fear, and self-criticism hold them back from taking action.  Naturally, their motivation suffers because of it.

It makes perfect sense, then, that the second strategy for creating intrinsic motivation is to uncover and address any thoughts or emotions that might be sapping your motivation.

• What are the toxic, self-limiting, or unhelpful thoughts that are holding you back?
• What are the emotions that are contributing to you feeling stuck?

Once you identify them, you can address them and move forward with confidence.  This is a process that takes varying degrees of time and effort.  However, once you know and understand how to do this, you can use it to remodel your thoughts, beliefs, and emotions in any part of your life.

Real world example

Now that you understand the importance of addressing your thoughts and emotions, I want to share a metaphor with you.

Think of your toxic or unhelpful thoughts and emotions as weeds in your garden. If you don’t pull them out, they’ll choke out the good plants.  The good plants are the constructive, helpful thoughts and emotions.  If you do address those weeds, though, you’ll be able to cultivate a garden of motivation and success.

Remember, addressing your thoughts and emotions is key to staying disciplined and focused.

Strategy three:  Connect with your future self

Okay, let’s talk about the third step to creating intrinsic motivation to work on your business goals.  If you put in the time to employ this strategy, it will help you stay committed and take action on your goals, even in the toughest moments.

Here’s the mistake that most people make when they’re searching for motivation to take action.  They think about how they’re thinking and feeling now, instead of considering the long-term consequences of what they choose to do now.

The (totally normal) motivational struggle inside your brain

As a result of that “now” focus, they often lack motivation and struggle to create intrinsic motivation to take action on their goals.  This is a phenomenon that is actually rooted in brain science.

See, part of your brain has three jobs.  It wants to:

• Keep you safe,
• Maintain the status quo, and
• Expend as little energy as possible.

This means that if you’re in the now, trying to take action on a goal, part of your brain is going to be urging you not to.  It’s going to urge you to avoid risk, not take action, and save your energy.  Sound familiar at all?

As a result, if you give in to that urging from your brain, you’re not going to take action.  And this happens to everyone, by the way, including me.

The solution

Okay, so let’s talk about what to do to generate intrinsic motivation instead.  Here it is:

Consider taking action as a gift to your future self.  Or even an act of love for your future self.  A favor.  Helping future you out by choosing to take action now.

There are some specific questions and exercises that I use in my coaching that I don’t have time to go into in this article.  Just know that when you focus on taking action as a benefit to your future self, you’ll generate some intrinsic motivation to take the next step.

Real world example

Now that you understand the importance of considering how your current choices impact your future self, I want to share a relatable example with you.

There are plenty of times when I don’t really feel like taking action on something in my business.  Sometimes I just don’t feel like coaching a client, writing an article, recording a video, or whatever the case may be.

However, I also know that if I don’t take action on that thing I’ve scheduled myself to work on, guess who has to do it later?

Me.  More specifically, future me.  Future me who is scheduled to relax, do something fun, or just take some time away from my office.

I love future me.  I want to help her out.  I want her to be proud of me and grateful for me.

I don’t always do it perfectly, but I strive to be responsible and accountable to myself in the present, so that I don’t saddle myself with extra burdens in the future.

How to get motivated to work on business goals:  Conclusion

Trying to figure out how to get motivated to work on business goals can feel like a huge struggle.  Over the long run, developing discipline is key.  That’s because once you have a strong sense of discipline, you no longer need to get yourself motivated to take action.

However, developing that discipline, or generating intrinsic motivation, takes time and effort.  Today, I shared three strategies to help you do just that.  Here’s a quick recap:

• Pinpoint your next step
• Identify and address the root causes that are sapping your motivation
• Connect with your future self

Now, you know these three strategies for getting motivated to work on your business goals.  However, you might not know how to implement them in your business or your life.

That’s why I created my Aligned Entrepreneur Time Mastery Method, which will give you the tools and strategies you need to overcome mental obstacles, manage your time, and achieve your goals. 

Interested in learning more?  Visit https://www.amyschield.com/book, and let’s talk about how I can help you align your time, goals, and mindset to uplevel your business and your life.