How to Get Motivated: Practical Advice from Real People

As life gets busy and priorities collide, it can be hard to find the motivation to keep working toward your goals. Feeling overwhelmed puts us in survival mode where the only focus is getting through the day. 

Motivation can be a tricky force to tap into. Life is constantly throwing us unexpected road blocks and the pressure to constantly go can lead to stress and burnout. When you're distracted or not feeling 100%, motivation is usually one of the first things to go. 

We turned to real CONQUERing customers to get their advice on staying motivated. From lists to reward systems, they shared practical advice that you can apply to your own life. Their words of wisdom paired with the knowledge you gain from this post will give you the tools to stay motivated. 

What is the True Meaning of Motivation? 

The true meaning of motivation is the internal force that explains why we do the things we do. Motivation has been defined as a drive to achieve a goal. It has also been defined by the desire to change something about yourself or your environment. 

What motivation means to an individual comes down to the feeling you get when you're on a mission to achieve something. It's how strongly you feel about wanting to achieve a goal and how realistic your expectations are to cross the finish line. 

Motivation is the consistent force that keeps us going and eventually gets us to where we want to be. 

What is the Biggest Killer of Motivation? 

The biggest killer of motivation is the fear of failure. Life is full of unknowns and it can be a paralyzing thought that you could invest a ton of time, energy, and resources into something that will inevitably end in failure. 

The less sure you are you'll succeed is directly correlated to how motivated you feel to achieve that goal. This is why it's important that you set realistic timelines for when you hope you achieve your goals. Creating smaller milestones that eventually help you achieve a larger goal is a great way to ensure your motivation stays consistent. 

What are Common Causes of Low Motivation? 

Stress, burnout, low physical + mental wellness, and general apathy are common causes of low motivation, in addition to the fear of failure. 

To start increasing feelings of motivation, you need to understand what's causing a lack of it. These common causes can help you uncover why you're struggling to stay motivated: 

• Stress: Stress can cloud your judgment and make it feel like you don't have time to get everything done. When you can't think clearly, you'll lose sight of what's truly important. Stress can also distract you from your goals which makes you forget why you're expending the energy to achieve them in the first place. 
• Burnout: Burnout makes it feel impossible to take on anything else and keep working. It can force you into survival mode where your only priority is getting through the day. When you can only focus on keeping your head above water, everything else you've been working towards is put on the back burner. 
• Physical + mental wellness: Physical and mental wellness connect to a core concept in psychology: Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. This concept establishes different needs that must be met before you can move up to the next set of needs. Physical and mental wellness are foundational needs that must be met before you can focus on your purpose and passions. When you don't feel well, all of your focus goes toward getting better. 
• General apathy: General apathy about what you're working towards makes it hard to find a reason to see anything through. When you actually care about what you're working toward, you're more likely to feel motivated to put in the work to achieve those goals. 

These are just a few causes of low motivation. When you start to feel motivation fade, assess how you're feeling and what your environment looks like to uncover the cause. 

How to Increase Motivation When it Fades? 5 Tips from Real People 

From breaking big projects into smaller chunks to rewarding yourself, members of the CONQUERing Community shared their tips for increasing motivation when it begins to fade. 

These 5 tips can help you stay motivated when you need to be productive. 

Tip #1: Listen to Music, Fidget, and Stimulate Your Brain

Karen mentioned that she gets a lot more done when she's listening to music. Having something playing in the background focuses her brain and helps her avoid distractions. 

Fidgets and other methods for stimulating the brain while you're trying to stay on track are great ways to stay motivated and accomplish your goals efficiently. 

Tip #2: Make Lists and Commit to Accomplishing Tasks

Bair shared that she finds lists to be a powerful motivational tool. She will make a list each day and challenges herself to knock at least 3 things off by the end of the day. What she doesn't get to can be carried over to the next day. 

Visualizing everything you need to do can help you prioritize and make your to-dos feel more manageable. 

Tip #3: Break Big Projects into Smaller Milestones

Kelly talked about how hard it is for her to tackle a big project all at once. It can feel daunting and quickly cause motivation to fade when you try to take on a project in its entirety. 

She has found success with breaking projects up into smaller tasks and working her way through those. This way, while she might not get the whole thing done right away, she's at least made progress toward the end goal. 

Tip #4: Set Up Reward Systems

Amber has created a self induced reward system to sustain motivation. If she wants to get a massage or buy a new CONQUERing Element, she hast to complete a chore or a task before rewarding herself with something nice. 

This could be as small as treating yourself to 30-minutes of TV time once you've put your laundry away. Figure out a system that works for you and reward each win. 

Tip #5: Strike a Balance with Joyful Activities 

Jenny shared that she finds it important to give herself grace and make sure that she is sprinkling in activities that bring her joy when she's trying to get through her list of to-dos. For her, getting outside, taking breaks, or doing something creative help her reset and feel ready to tackle her list.

All of these tips emphasize the importance of giving yourself grace and breaking up your list into more manageable tasks. It's natural to feel unmotivated and it's important not to be too hard on yourself when you don't accomplish everything you need to. 

Motivational Interchangeable Jewelry to Conquer Your Day

Interchangeable fidget jewelry that features motivational messages and helps you focus can be a powerful tool to have at your fingertips. Fidget jewelry is proven to help you stay focused by balancing chemicals in the brain that regulate attention. 

"[V]ery motivational while I am working to conquer my goals. Highly recommend this product!"—Kim, CONQUERing Customer 

Interchangeable jewelry opens up a world of opportunity to have the empowering message you need wherever you are. You can swap in an Element that makes you feel motivated when you're getting ready to tackle your to-do list and work toward achieving your goals. 

These pieces of jewelry would be great to have when you're struggling to stay motivated: 

DREAM BIG	YOU GOT THIS	FOCUS	Carnelian