Most of us probably have goals, whether they are big or small. They are usually the things we work towards, such as learning a new language or starting a new hobby. One of the most important factors in achieving our goals is motivation. Without motivation, achieving any goal becomes very difficult.

How do you increase motivation when you feel unmotivated or lethargic? People probably have different ways to deal with this but here are 5 ways I find useful when it comes to increasing motivation.

Find What Excites You

If you aren't excited about something, you aren't that motivated. If you don't feel motivated to do something, you probably should look for something that excites you. Sometimes it might even be a good idea to look for other goals. It's extremely important to feel excited about something as it gives us energy and vitality to do the tasks required to achieve a goal. You don't need to be excited about the whole goal, one small aspect of a goal is good enough.

For example, you might prefer reading over speaking, that's totally fine. I think it's totally fine to focus your energy on reading first, once you become proficient in reading, you can then move onto writing and speaking.

Look For Inspiration

Inspiration could come from a person we know or from a media source such as a book. Having someone (even if we don't know the person) we could look up to is invaluable and it gives us a sense of security. I often get inspired from stories of other people who have encountered the same challenges as I have but have somehow come through eventually. They give me a lot of inspiration. When you are inspired, you are motivated. What's even better is if you could find inspiration in ordinary things (an animal, an insect, a tree, a building, etc) you will naturally become motivated very easily.

Focus On Positive Outcomes

Why do we want to be motivated? Because we want the desired outcomes of achieving our goals. These outcomes give us a positive feeling. It's important to remind ourselves of the positive outcomes. Imagine how good it would feel when you reach the destination. Let's say your goal is to communicate freely in English. How wonderful would it be to be able to express your ideas to different people around the world? Whether it's face to face or online (or even through a video you make), it is a great feeling to be able to express our ideas freely.

Drop Everything For A Moment

Sometimes it makes sense to just drop everything. Forget about everything. Forget about your goals. I am not saying you should totally give up everything, it's only temporary. There will be times when we just don't want to do anything and that's perfectly normal. It's probably time to recharge. Let our bodies and minds rest. You know the feeling when you've had a good night's sleep? Do you feel motivated to do things? I think so. When I've had a good rest I usually feel motivated as well. I don't think it needs to be rest, if you prefer to go for a run or walk that would work perfectly fine as well. The important thing is to feel refreshed so that you can get your motivation back.

Break The Goal Into Tiny Chunks

When we break a big goal or task into smaller pieces, it becomes much easier to accomplish. I think this is a very powerful method. I actually learnt this from a Ted Talk by a guy called Stephen Duneier. It's a very interesting video, please have a look if you are interested. But let me give you a very quick summary. Basically all goals (no matter how ambitious) can be broken down into small chunks of tasks. We can easily do these small tasks because they are not intimidating. If you want to finish reading a thick book but don't have the motivation to do so, try reading just one word. It probably sounds ridiculous, but when you read one word, you will read two words, and then three words and so on. It's very simple but it's also powerful.

So these are the five ways I find useful when it comes to increasing motivation. I am sure there are many more wonderful ways to increase our motivation. What are yours?