Tips for getting and staying motivated

Motivation is what drives you to make things happen, gets you up in the morning, and keeps you working through a task, determined to succeed when things get tough.

Motivation can be both positive and negative. Positive motivations focus on the positive things that will happen when you take action. Negative motivations focus on the negative backlash that will occur if you don't take action. Both can be effective in different circumstances.

• Set goals - this gives you a direction to focus on

• Choose goals that interest you - you're much more likely to stay motivated if you're working towards something that you genuinely want to do

• Find things that interest you within goals that don't interest you

• Make your goal public - if you tell someone, you've essentially made a promise to keep your word

• Plot your progress - it can be really motivating if you can see evidence that you're making progress

• Break up your goal - start with easier tasks and work your way up to bigger challenges

• Use rewards - promise yourself some reward each time you complete a task

• Don't do it alone - other people's encouragement to keep going can be a big boost to your motivation

If you've tried but failed to get motivated, then it might help to talk it through with someone you trust. Sometimes, it can be hard to achieve things on your own, so having a good support network may help when you've taken on a big challenge. You could also try talking to a counsellor, who can help you to work out which motivating strategies work best for you.