How to Reach Your Goals When You Have No Motivation (Top Motivation Tips!)

Are you ready to crush your goals, but find yourself struggling with motivation?

Unleash your inner goal-smashing superpowers with these game-changing motivation tips and strategies.

These science-backed tips will turn you from a constant couch potato to a marathon-running maniac.

They will help you develop strategies for maintaining motivation throughout the year, and truly help you conquer your wildest goals.

Let’s get this party started!

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The Importance of Motivation

Maintaining your motivation throughout the year is a key ingredient to conquering your goals.

When you’re motivated, you truly can change your life.

In fact, motivation helps you to:

🎉Achieve Goals
⚡Increase Productivity
🧠Develop a Positive Mindset
🧑‍🎨Improve Creativity
👏 Advance Skills

And, as you can imagine, so much more.

So, what are the best strategies to boost your motivation? Let’s take a look at the top motivation tips…

The top productivity tips and time management ideas that will change your life in college, work, business, or as a stay at home mom. Start staying organized and blast through your to do list by using a planner, becoming a morning person, and mastering your daily schedules, study habits, and writing. Even includes free printables to help you stay focused and utilize these life hacks. Pin this post now so you don’t forget these life changing secrets! #planneraddict #organization #college

Top Motivation Tips

So, now that we’ve established why motivation is so important, let’s take a look at some of the top tips to help you reach your goals when you have no motivation.

✍️Take Action! Grab a notebook and prepare to take some notes. As you read through the motivation tips below, jot down your favorite ideas and make a plan to test them this week.

Take Regular Breaks

Be sure to take regular breaks throughout the day. These breaks will help you maintain energy levels and combat burnout.

But, how long should your breaks be? How long should you wait before taking a break?

Both of these are great questions! Unfortunately, the answer is not so simple, as each person is unique. The best way to determine your work and break lengths is through trial and error.

A great place to start is the Pomodoro technique, as follows:

25 minutes of focused work
5 minute break
25 minutes of focused work
5 minute break
25 minutes of focused work
5 minute break
25 minutes of focused work
20 minute break

Related: How to Stop Wasting Time (Game Changing Time Management Tips!)

Set a Timer

Are you struggling with getting started on a particularly difficult task? Try the timer method.

Set a timer for 10 minutes. When the timer begins, begin working on that task. Remember, you only have to work on it for 10 minutes! Once the timer goes off, you’re done. Great work!

Utilizing a timer is one of the best motivation tips specifically designed to work through difficult tasks. Test out different time lengths and watch your progress soar. You’ll often find that once you get started, you’ll be motivated to work even longer. It’s really like magic! ✨

Start Small

If you start too much too quickly, you are likely to suffer from burnout. Help avoid this issue by starting small and working your way up as you progress.

For example, if your goal is to get into shape, and your habit is to exercise every morning, you might want to consider starting with short 15-minute workouts 3 times a week, and eventually build up to longer, daily morning workouts.

Related: Morning Habits to Transform Your Day

Set Daily Rewards

Encourage yourself to reach your daily goals by adding a daily reward to your plan.

As soon as you complete your daily goal, be sure to set some time aside to reward yourself. Well done, you!

Daily Reward Ideas

Go on an outdoor walk
Read 1 chapter (looking for some addicting book ideas? Check out my latest book list)
Yoga session
Meditate
Watch 1 episode of your current show at the end of the day

Related: Self-Care Ideas Blog Post

Establish Routines

Build comfort into your life by establishing healthy and motivating routines. This will help automate your goal progress and decrease fatigue by eliminating everyday decision-making.

There are countless different routines you could add to your life. A few examples might include:

Morning Routine
After-Work Routine
Night Routine
Weekend Prep Routine
Weekly Planning Routine

Create a Routine Checklist

Make your routines even easier to follow by creating a routine checklist.

You can even snag this handy habit tracker printable to get you started.

Once you set up your routine checklist, simply check off each task as you complete them.

Morning Motivation: Tips for Waking Up Earlier

Speaking of routines, one major motivation and routine blocker is struggling to wake up early.

If you’re having trouble waking up early, try one of these great tips:

Utilize night routines to help calm your mind before you go to sleep
Use a sunrise alarm clock to make it easier to get up in the morning
Create and follow a plan to get better quality sleep (try these 12 tips)
Avoid hitting the snooze button
Skip the afternoon nap
Create a fun morning playlist to help boost your energy and mood
Set your alarm for 10 minutes earlier each day before you reach your ideal wake-up time
Set a recurring timer to go off every day before you begin your night routine to help avoid getting to bed too late

Related: 12 Tips for Better Sleep (that actually works!)

Try a 30-Day Challenge

Trying to establish a new habit? Build momentum and begin building your new habit with ease by completing a 30-day challenge.

This could be for anything! Exercise, self-care, waking up early, saving money, the list goes on and on. Just simply type “30 Day ______ Challenge” into an internet search to find some inspiration.

Use Printables to Kickstart Your Progress

When you use printable worksheets, half of the planning is done for you. That means you can quickly begin working on the tasks that will actually help you make progress with ease.

If you’re looking for a great printable to help kickstart your progress on any project, here is my tried-and-true printable project planner. It will walk you through the entire project planning process for any major task.

Learn how to conquer the project planning process in ten easy steps. This is one of the best productivity tips for college students looking to stay organized and better their time management. Includes a free project planning printable to stay organized and accomplish your biggest tasks. Read now to learn more time management and productivity tips!

How to Use a Planner to Stay Motivated

Utilizing a planner or planning system is a fantastic way to stay motivated throughout the week. It’s a tool that can help you organize your thoughts, schedule your day, prioritize your time, and so much more. Here are some of the top planning tips to help you stay motivated and utilize your time wisely.

Related: Beat the Afternoon Slump with these Energizing Tips

Find a Planning System that Works for You

Test out different planners and planning systems to see what works best for you and your lifestyle.

Of course, there are countless planning systems out there. Some examples include:

Paper Planner
Bullet Journal
Digital Calendar
To-Do List
Phone Planning App

The key is trial and error. Pick a method, test it out, and if it doesn’t work, move on.

Keep Your Planner Organized

If you choose to use a paper planner, try to keep it organized and functional to ensure it works effectively.

Looking for some ideas? Here are my favorite planner organization hacks to help you maintain an organized planner.

Related: Top Planner Organization Tips

Create a To-Do List

Declutter your mind and get all of your thoughts onto paper. Then, turn these thoughts into a comprehensive “Master” to-do list. This will help you visualize what tasks you need to accomplish and help you create an action plan.

Prioritize Your To-Do List

After you create a comprehensive to-do list, be sure to prioritize each task.

This can be easily done by assigning each task one of the following categories:

Urgent & Important
Urgent & Not Important
Not Urgent & Important
Not Urgent & Not Important

Or, if you’re looking for something a bit more simple, you can categorize each task into “High” or “Low” priority. Whichever works best!

Assign Tasks to Specific Weeks and/or Days

If you have a massive to-do list, try assigning each of your tasks to a specific week or day.

This can help you decrease overwhelm and create a realistic action plan to conquer your list.

Tip: Don’t forget to consider how long each task will take to ensure you don’t put too much on your plate.

Plan Your Day

At the beginning of each day, take a few minutes to create a plan.

Organize your to-do list by priority, schedule your tasks around your meetings, and make time for your routines and goals.

Related: The Ultimate Daily Planning Routine Checklist

Identify Your Top 3 Daily Tasks

On your daily plan, identify your top three tasks for the day. Ask yourself the following question: What three things do I need to complete today to feel accomplished?

Make sure these three tasks are realistic and bite-sized.

Identifying your top 3 can help you focus your time and energy on what truly matters, and help you boost your motivation along the way!

Create a Schedule

Plan out a realistic schedule that will help you reach your goals. Take into account the habits, projects, and tasks that are required to meet each goal, and the realistic amount of time you need for each item.

For example, if your goal is to land a new job, you might consider creating a job search routine (here is mine) that you work on for 30 minutes every morning.

Related: The Ultimate Job Search Routine (how to land your dream job!)

Try Time Blocking

Time blocking is the time management technique that describes setting aside a chunk of time to focus on only one task or type of task.

This can help you organize your day in a more efficient and streamlined fashion.

Although you don’t need to use a full day of time blocking for this technique to be effective, here is a full-day example:

5:00 – 7:00a: Morning Routine & Workout
7:00 – 8:00a: Emails
8:00 – 10:00a: Work on Project A
10:00 – 12:00p: Work on Project B
12:00p – 12:30p: Lunch Break & Self Care
12:30 – 4:00p: Meetings
4:00 – 6:00p: After-Work Routine & Chores
6:00 – 8:00p: Dinner & Evening Routine

Related: Time Management Tips to Skyrocket Your Productivity

Use Planning Routines

Automate your planning system by following a planning routine that is customized to meet your needs.

This can be done by creating easy-to-follow checklists that will walk you through your own planning process.

Here is a list of my own planning routines to help you create your own:

Create a Ta Da! List

Keep track of your accomplishments throughout the day by writing out a Ta-Da list!

A Ta Da! List is simply a list of tasks you’ve already accomplished in the day. This list will help remind you throughout the day just how productive you really are!

How to Reach Your Goals When You Have No Motivation

Next, let’s take a look at some of the top motivation tips specifically designed to help you accomplish your goals.

Set SMART Goals

Set yourself up for success by turning each of your goals into SMART goals.

A smart goal includes each of the following characteristics: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Timebound.

Let’s take a look at a quick example:

Non-SMART Goal: Buy a house.

SMART Goal: Save $24,000 for a downpayment on a new home before December 31 of this year.

See the difference?

With the first goal, you don’t have direction on how or when your goal will be achieved.

With the SMART goal, you can easily identify your next major milestone in purchasing a home is to save for your downpayment. You even know how much money you need to save and when your deadline is.

Heck, you can even break this SMART goal further into the following monthly goal: Save $2,000 for a downpayment on a new home this month.

Related: How to Set Yearly Goals You Can Actually Achieve

Determine Your WHY

Ignite your inner fire by taking a deep dive into your personal values to determine your WHY.

Your personal mission statement, or your “why,” should encompass your values and overall life mission. This statement should, when spoken out loud, give you such a large boost of motivation that you get goosebumps.

Your WHY will also help you make everyday decisions and better align your goals, habits, and daily life with what matters most to you.

Don’t have a personal mission statement yet? No problem! Learn how to create your own here.

Related: How to Create the Perfect Personal Mission Statement

Choose the Right Goals

Do you care about your goals?

If not, you’re choosing the wrong ones.

Your goals should make you want to jump out of bed in the morning, excited to take on a new day!

One of the easiest ways to ensure you choose the right goals is to align them with your personal mission statement.

Break Your Goals Down into Small Action Items

Create an action plan for each of your goals. This plan should be comprised of smaller, bite-sized tasks that will, once completed, ensure you reach your goal.

There are several fantastic methods to break your goals down (learn more in this comprehensive guide), but some of my favorites include turning your goals into habits, projects, or one-off tasks.

Related: An Ultimate Guide to Goal Setting

Set Milestone Deadlines and Rewards

Another great way to help build momentum, motivation, and clarity is to create milestone deadlines and rewards for each major goal.

To better explain this, let’s re-examine the downpayment example.

Remember, the SMART goal is to save $24,000 for a downpayment on a new home before December 31 of this year.

This goal could be broken down into milestone deadlines and rewards as follows:

January 31: Save $2,000 (total: $2,000) – Reward: Bake cookies
February 28: Save $2,000 (total: $4,000) – Reward: Read 5 chapters
March 31: Save $2,000 (total: $6,000) – Reward: Attend a free event
April 30: Save $2,000 (total: $8,000) – Reward: Watch 2 movies back to back
May 31: Save $2,000 (total: $10,000) – Reward: Take a day off work
June 30: Save $2,000 (total: $12,000) – Reward: Picnic at the beach
July 31: Save $2,000 (total: $14,000) – Reward: Complete a puzzle
August 31: Save $2,000 (total: $16,000) – Reward: Host a game night
September 30: Save $2,000 (total: $18,000) – Reward: Take a bubble bath
October 31: Save $2,000 (total: $20,000) – Reward: Meditate
November 30: Save $2,000 (total: $22,000) – Reward: Decorate the house
December 31: Save $2,000 (total: $24,000) – Reward: Stay up for fireworks

Remember to align your rewards with your goal. In this example, I chose all FREE rewards to help boost money-saving potential.

Track Your Goal Progress

When you track your goals, you can easily see your progress at any given point.

This can be an incredible motivation tool, reminding you just how far you’ve already come.

I personally use this handy habit tracker to track my goals. Super easy to use!

Enjoy the Journey

Fall in love with the journey and find ways to enjoy the process of reaching your goals.

Is getting fit your top goal? Try blasting fun music and dancing early in the morning as you get ready for the gym.

Perhaps your goal is to save money for a major expense? Challenge yourself to find the most fun free weekend activities (like free zoo admission days, free concerts in the park, etc.) to ensure your free time is still packed with fun without spending a dime.

Focus on the Final Result

Keep your eye on the prize!

If you’re struggling to enjoy the process, try focusing your thoughts on the final result. This might help remind you why you started this journey in the first place and give you the burst of motivation you need.

Learn More About Your Goal

Learning more about your goal is a great way to boost motivation and develop a better understanding of how to succeed.

You can learn more about your goal by reading a book, watching a video, or reading an article about the subject.

Related: Top Books on Goal Setting and Achieving

Find an Accountability Partner

Ask a close friend, mentor, coworker, or family member to be an accountability partner. Better yet, ask someone who has the same goal as you.

This accountability partner can help cheer you on and give you motivation to follow through with each goal.

For example, if your goal is to get fit, you could text your accountability partner your workout schedule, and then text every time you go to the gym. This way, if you miss a day, your partner can help encourage you to get back on track.

Regularly Re-Evaluate Your Goals

As our lives change, our goals and priorities are also likely to change.

You probably don’t have the same goals now as you did when you were younger. I know I sure don’t! When I was a kid, I wanted to be a veterinarian on the moon🌛🐮. Although that does sound fun, that has nothing to do with my current life (lol).

One of the easiest ways to ensure you maintain relevant goals is to complete monthly, quarterly, mid-year, and/or yearly goal reviews.

Here are a few resources that walk you through each of these processes:

Emergency Motivation Tips

If you’re completely exhausted and looking for a foolproof motivation technique that will get anyone off the couch, try one of these amazing energy-boosting and motivation tips.

Go for an Outdoor Walk

Get your body moving and clear your mind with an energizing outdoor walk. Sometimes only 5-10 minutes is all you need to boost your energy!

Listen to Fun Music and Dance

Blast your favorite music and dance like no one is watching. 💃

This will get your blood pumping and reset your energy.

Exercise

Exercise has been proven to improve energy levels by sending oxygen and nutrients into your tissues.

Not only that, it can help improve your sleep, mood, and overall health. It really is a win-win-win!

Practice Gratitude

Write down three things you’re grateful for in this moment.

Focus your thoughts and energy on these three things to help improve your mood and reset your thinking.

Meditate

Take a few minutes out of the day to calm your mind through meditation.

There are several fantastic Apps and free videos to walk you through a guided meditation if you need it.

Practice Self Care

Pick your favorite self-care activity and spend a few minutes (or a full day) focusing on yourself. Use this time to reset your mind to help get back on track.

Related: The Ultimate List of Self-Care Activity Ideas

Remove Distractions

Eliminate any and all distractions that are keeping you from your goals.

Here are some game-changing distraction-free tips to get you started:

Put your phone in another room (or at least turn it on airplane mode)
Use noise-canceling headphones (these are my favorite)
If you work from home, create a separate work space JUST for work
While you are working, write down any distractions that come up to deal with at a later time

Complete Multiple Easy Tasks

When you complete one small task, you send a signal to your brain and begin building productivity momentum.

Magnify this effect by creating a list of several tasks that all require a small amount of effort and time.

You can even turn this into a fun challenge by completing a Power Hour, or an hour of time set aside to complete many small tasks. Set your timer and see how many items you can finish within the hour. ⏰

Create and Listen to an Inspirational Playlist

Build a music playlist that you can turn to in times of need. Each song on this playlist should inspire you in some way.

Create a Vision Board

One of the most popular motivation tips is to create and use a vision board.

Your vision board should include inspirational photos and quotes that relate to each of your goals.

For example, if you have a goal of purchasing a house, perhaps add a photo of your dream home. Be sure to place your vision board somewhere you can see it every day, such as your phone or computer background.

Learn how to create your own vision board that actually helps you reach your goals in this informative guide.

Practice Visualization

Visualize yourself reaching your goal.

How do you feel? How is your life different?

Use this excitement to fuel your motivation batteries.

Related: 12 Secrets to Achieving Your New Years Resolutions

Inspirational Video, Movie, or Podcast

Get inspired by watching a video or movie, or even listening to a Podcast that relates to your goals.

Once you find some great content that inspires you, be sure to save it for later so that you can turn to it at any time.

Inspirational Quotes

Need a quick fix? Search “Inspirational Quotes” on Pinterest and read through some excellent motivation tips and content.

Be sure to save your favorite quotes on your Pinterest account, your phone, or even your vision board.

Schedule Time Off From Your Goals

Starting to feel burnout? It might be time to schedule a break from your goals for a while.

Consider a self-care weekend, a week away from your routines, or even a vacation to help recuperate.

When you return from your time off, consider re-evaluating your goals to ensure they are realistic and in line with your priorities.

Related: How to Beat the Afternoon Slump

✍️Take Action! Choose your top three motivation tips and make a plan to test them out this week. Add them as a task to your to-do list so you don’t forget.

BONUS: How to Actually Set Goals You Love

Ready to set your goals but not sure where to start?

Don’t worry, friend, I’ve got you covered!

Check out my free goal-setting series. Each resource walks you through the entire goal-setting process that will ensure you create the right goals and set up an action plan that truly works.

Goal Setting Series:

Top Motivational Books

Looking to take things one step further? Dedicating time to your education and personal development is among the best investments you can make. You can even integrate reading these books into your routines! Here are some of the top motivational books to get you started:

Atomic Habits by James Clear: If you haven’t heard about or read this life-changing book, I would be shocked. But, just in case, I HAD to add it to this list. This number one best-selling book covers how to form good habits, break bad ones, and use tiny changes to reach your biggest goals in life. It’s probably the most popular habit book there is… and for good reason!
Can’t Hurt Me by David Goggins: In his world-renowned, best-selling book, David retells his story of how he pulled himself out of a life of poverty and obesity and became a top athlete and military icon. Includes countless motivation tips to add to your list.
Own Your Anxiety by Julian Brass: With a combination of personal experience and scientific research, Julian Brass teaches you how to channel your anxiety into a positive, motivational force to help you live a happier life.
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey: Although this book was written a while ago, it consistently ranks as the number one book for many genres, including the number one most influential business book of the twentieth century! As the title suggests, Covey outlines the top 7 habits you should build into your life for success.
The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg: This book will help you build your habit-secret powers by breaking down the scientific understanding of habits. This knowledge will allow you to truly build lasting healthy habits.