Ah, feeling motivated. It seems to come, and it goes. It ebbs and flows. I’m a firm believer in the idea that motivation is not something that burns in the lucky few of us. Motivation is better viewed as an attitude.
Those people who seem more motivated and more consistent are not special. They have simply chosen better habits to allow real motivation to rise up, even when they aren’t initially feeling it. Motivation starts and ends with a decision, not a feeling.
Here are 11 signs of a truly motivated person:
1. They make their work fun
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Decide to have fun right now with whatever you are doing. Make a game out of it, even if you aren’t in the mood to start with.
What could be enjoyable about what you need to do next? What’s funny about the place you’re in? What makes you smile about what you hate to do?
The only reason things are serious is because you choose to make them so. Choose to be a rebel and have fun.
Research published in 2022 shows that having fun can positively impact motivation in several ways, including enhancing creativity, improving mood, promoting goal pursuit, and improving resilience.
2. They have true character
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How you act today is who you become. If you want to be a world-class [insert dream job here], what do people like this do every day? How do they act?
You can live the life you want right now by acting like the person who has that vision. There is no later. Today is the future. Don’t try; just BE the person you want to be at this very moment.
Being your best self significantly impacts motivation by boosting self-efficacy, fostering a positive self-image, and increasing the belief in one’s ability to achieve goals, ultimately leading to greater drive and persistence in pursuing desired outcomes, according to a 2020 study published by the Journal of Learning and Motivation. This is often explored through concepts like “possible selves” and “self-determination theory.”
3. They can sit calmly with themselves
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Do nothing; sit, breathe, and watch yourself as an observer for a while. Let yourself do nothing for at least five minutes. It’s ok because I told you so.
Let your shoulders drop. Watch your thoughts go by and let them dissolve into thin air.
Watch the feelings you feel. See how in doing this, you aren’t your emotions or your thoughts. You are an observer who can see the gap between your true self and your emotional, ‘wrapped in thought’ self.
See how emotions are just hints to guide your true, deeper self. An observer is calm, clear, aware, and in control.
4. Their mind (and workplace) are uncluttered
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Tidy up and de-clutter your surroundings. Go full minimal! Avoid and delete the things that distract you the most. Turn off your phone.
Your environment has a huge influence on your state of mind and your motivation. The less distracting and dirty it is, the better you will feel.
Decluttering can improve motivation and mental health in several ways, including improved focus, increased productivity, better mood, increased sense of control, improved self-esteem, and better sleep. However, external pressures to declutter can lead to undesirable outcomes. Psychological reactance theory suggests that motivation changes when the freedom to act freely is threatened, according to a 2023 study.
5. They use their imaginations
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What we see in our mind’s eye is real. Our bodies cannot tell the difference. Make the most of your power to visualize a motivated life, and your motivation will follow.
2019 research indicates that using your imagination, mainly through mental imagery, can significantly boost motivation by allowing individuals to vividly visualize themselves achieving a goal, which in turn generates positive emotions and increases the perceived likelihood of success, leading to a more significant commitment to acting towards that goal.
6. They let go of the opinions of others
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Give yourself permission right now to not care about what others think of you. That’s all it needs. Your own permission to be immune to the judgments of others.
Instead of putting energy into trying not to care, shift your attention to making others feel good about themselves. How can you improve someone else’s life today in a small way? Your life can — and will change by turning your focus to helping others.
Making others feel good significantly boosts an individual’s motivation, primarily because acts of kindness and prosocial behavior trigger positive emotions like happiness and a sense of connection, which can fuel personal drive and a desire to continue engaging in beneficial actions, according to research published in 2021 by the Journal of Positive Psychology.
7. They are conscious of the good things in their lives
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Asking ourselves simple questions awakens the mind. Ask yourself the simple question: ‘What’s good in my life today?’
No answers are beneath you. Build a list and savor that list for a while.
Being conscious of the good things makes us feel good right now. Sometimes, all it takes are reminders to snap us out of our worries. This awareness also provides a launchpad for bringing in more good things into our lives.
8. They reframe their problems
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Write a list of your biggest concerns niggling at you right now. For each perceived ‘problem,’ work out how that problem is actually an opportunity.
All problems are simply opportunities in disguise for making your projects and your life infinitely better. We just rarely spend the time to reframe them as such, and you can do that today.
Research published by the Journal of Positive Psychology on the perception of problems focuses on how individuals interpret and assess situations as problematic, influenced by factors like personal experiences, cognitive biases, social context, and emotional state, leading to variations in how people perceive the severity and potential solutions to challenges they face.
Key findings include people tend to overestimate the severity of problems based on their past experiences, social comparisons can impact how someone views a problem, and framing a problem in a positive or negative light can significantly alter perception
9. They break down tasks into little steps
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Break down your tasks into little steps. Make the first step tiny, like laughably small. Walking is easier once you’ve started.
Breaking down large tasks into smaller, manageable steps significantly increases motivation by providing a sense of accomplishment with each completed step, triggering dopamine release in the brain, and creating a positive feedback loop that encourages continued effort.
This process is often called the “chunking” or “small wins” approach, effectively combating feelings of overwhelm and procrastination associated with large tasks, according to a 2023 study by researchers at Cornell University.
10. They brainstorm well
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Get out a pen, and write down a goal or a change you want in your life. Write this at the top of the page, and create a numbered list of 1–20.
Write out 20 ideas for attaining that goal or different ways to solve that problem. Doing this will show you that you know most of the answers to everything you want. Instant motivation. The only thing for you to do now is take this renewed energy and take the first step.
Research by the Journal of Applied Cognitive Psychology indicates that brainstorming can positively affect motivation by stimulating a sense of creativity, encouraging participation, and providing exposure to diverse perspectives, leading to increased engagement and a desire to contribute further to the idea-generation process. Essentially, seeing others generate ideas can act as a motivator to produce your novel thoughts.
11. They’re not afraid to fail
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Don’t wait until you are perfect to take on a challenge, big or tiny. Laugh at how bad you are at something, enjoy it, and see how your attitude changes. All that matters is that you did the thing.
Performing a task poorly can sometimes positively affect motivation when individuals attribute the poor performance to a lack of effort or a need to learn, seeing the setback as an opportunity to improve and grow rather than a reflection of their inherent ability. According to a study by the Journal of Computers in Human Behavior, this is often linked to a “growth mindset,” where challenges are viewed as learning experiences.
Alex Mathers is a writer and coach who helps you build a money-making personal brand with your knowledge and skills while staying mentally resilient.
