The Only Two Secrets to Motivating Yourself You’ll Ever Need ...

And those two things are so deceptively simple that you might decide to stop reading after I name them: 1) make things enjoyable and 2) use positive public pressure.

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And those two things are so deceptively simple that you might decide to stop reading after I name them: 1) make things enjoyable and 2) use positive public pressure.

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And those two things are so deceptively simple that you might decide to stop reading after I name them: 1) make things enjoyable and 2) use positive public pressure.

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And those two things are so deceptively simple that you might decide to stop reading after I name them: 1) make things enjoyable and 2) use positive public pressure.

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1) make things enjoyable and 2) use positive public pressure

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It’s Motivation, Not Discipline

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sticking

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sticking

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sticking

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But what is discipline, really? It’s mostly an illusion, in my experience.

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discipline

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motivation to stick to something.

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When people say that someone has “discipline”, as I’ve written about before, they really mean he has the motivation to stick to something.

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If he doesn’t do them, he might get yelled at or demerited or look bad in front of his peers. If he does do them, he’s an exemplary soldier.

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If he doesn’t do them, he might get yelled at or demerited or look bad in front of his peers. If he does do them, he’s an exemplary soldier.

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If he doesn’t do them, he might get yelled at or demerited or look bad in front of his peers. If he does do them, he’s an exemplary soldier.

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public pressure (both positive and negative) to do all of the things listed above

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after awhile, these things become pleasurable for him. He gets a sense of satisfaction out of staying in shape and keeping things neat. He enjoys the early morning. He feels good about being conscientious about his job.

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So in the end, it’s not some vague quality (”discipline”) that allows him to stick to these habits, but rather the two secrets of motivation: positive public pressure and enjoyment.

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So in the end, it’s not some vague quality (”discipline”) that allows him to stick to these habits, but rather the two secrets of motivation: positive public pressure and enjoyment.

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So in the end, it’s not some vague quality (”discipline”) that allows him to stick to these habits, but rather the two secrets of motivation: positive public pressure and enjoyment.

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So in the end, it’s not some vague quality (”discipline”) that allows him to stick to these habits, but rather the two secrets of motivation: positive public pressure and enjoyment.

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taught me

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taught me

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taught me

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While pressure is often seen as a bad thing (”I’m under too much pressure!”), if used properly it can actually be a good thing. It’s important that pressure not be applied in too negative a way and too high an intensity. Keep things positive and at a manageable intensity, and things will move along nicely.

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While pressure is often seen as a bad thing (”I’m under too much pressure!”), if used properly it can actually be a good thing. It’s important that pressure not be applied in too negative a way and too high an intensity. Keep things positive and at a manageable intensity, and things will move along nicely.

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and report

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Post your goal on your blog and post regular updates. It’s important that you not just post the goal but also stay accountable with the updates. Encourage people to ask you about your goal if you don’t report your progress.

Join an online forum related to your goal — I’ve done this when I quit smoking and also when I started running. Introduce yourself, make friends, tell them about your goal, ask for help when you need it, and report your successes and failures.

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Post your goal and a chart of your progress up in your office or other public place.

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Post pictures of yourself each day. One guy did this and created a video of his progress — it was amazing to watch.

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Post pictures of yourself each day. One guy did this and created a video of his progress — it was amazing to watch.

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Post pictures of yourself each day. One guy did this and created a video of his progress — it was amazing to watch.

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Enjoy Your Goal Activity

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But if you really don’t enjoy it, you’ll only be able to keep it up for so long. And even if you could do it for months and years … is that something you’d want to do? If you don’t enjoy it, why do it for very long?

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But if you really don’t enjoy it, you’ll only be able to keep it up for so long. And even if you could do it for months and years … is that something you’d want to do? If you don’t enjoy it, why do it for very long?

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But if you really don’t enjoy it, you’ll only be able to keep it up for so long. And even if you could do it for months and years … is that something you’d want to do? If you don’t enjoy it, why do it for very long?

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You can motivate yourself to do something you don’t like to do, using positive public pressure as motivation. But if you really don’t enjoy it, you’ll only be able to keep it up for so long. And even if you could do it for months and years … is that something you’d want to do? If you don’t enjoy it, why do it for very long?

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There are ways to find enjoyment in most things — the key is to focus on the enjoyable parts. Focus on the positive.

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Here are some ways to use this motivational principle to your advantage:

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Having trouble motivating yourself to write for your blog? Look for topics that excite you.

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Having trouble motivating yourself to write for your blog? Look for topics that excite you.

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Having trouble motivating yourself to write for your blog? Look for topics that excite you.

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Having trouble with a dissertation for graduate school? Maybe you’re not as passionate about the topic as you thought you were. Re-examine your dissertation topic and see if you can either re-energize yourself about it or find a new topic you can get excited about.

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Having trouble with a dissertation for graduate school? Maybe you’re not as passionate about the topic as you thought you were. Re-examine your dissertation topic and see if you can either re-energize yourself about it or find a new topic you can get excited about.

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Having trouble with a dissertation for graduate school? Maybe you’re not as passionate about the topic as you thought you were. Re-examine your dissertation topic and see if you can either re-energize yourself about it or find a new topic you can get excited about.

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find things that you’re passionate about

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Find exercise that’s fun for you. If you don’t like running, try soccer or basketball or rowing.

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Find exercise that’s fun for you. If you don’t like running, try soccer or basketball or rowing.

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Find exercise that’s fun for you. If you don’t like running, try soccer or basketball or rowing.

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Having a hard time exercising? Find exercise that’s fun for you. If you don’t like running, try soccer or basketball or rowing. If you don’t like to lift weights, try doing some primal workouts where you flip logs and jump through tires. Go hiking. Walk with friends and talk the whole time.

Is eating healthy a challenge for you? Find healthy foods you love. Experiment with new recipes and have fun testing them out.

Is training for a marathon tough? Learn to enjoy the quiet of the early morning, the contemplative nature of running, or the beautiful nature that surrounds you. Or play some songs that pump you up. Or listen to interesting audiobooks as you run.

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Find exercise that’s fun for you.

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Find healthy foods you love.

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Learn to enjoy the quiet of the early morning, the contemplative nature of running, or the beautiful nature that surrounds you. Or play some songs that pump you up. Or listen to interesting audiobooks as you run

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Find the enjoyable parts of any activity, and focus on those. In time, you can really learn to love something. Or, switch to something you love more and stick to that.

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These two principles, especially when used together, can be powerful motivators. In fact, in most cases, they’re all the motivation I ever need.

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