Motivation
Hack Your Motivational Flow
How to go from a work-mindset to a flow-mindset.
Posted August 11, 2023 Reviewed by Monica Vilhauer
Key points
- Hack your motivational mindset to improve productivity.
- Induce a flow-mindset for more ease and joy in your work life.
- Use your motivational style to reduce burnout.
Getting yourself motivated doesn't have to be hard.
In fact, pushing or forcing yourself to do something seldom succeeds. Acting from a mindset of "should" rarely feels good, seldom results in our best work, and requires more and more effort as time goes on.
Instead, when you want to transform or up-level any area of your life, you're far more likely to be successful if you can tap into a state of flow.
How to create a flow mindset:
![Brooke Cagle/Unsplash Brooke Cagle/Unsplash](https://cdn2.psychologytoday.com/assets/styles/article_inline_half_caption/public/field_blog_entry_images/2023-08/brooke-cagle-xcgh5_-QIXc-unsplash.jpg?itok=u4bwI1eZ)
1: Understand Your Real Why.
When you link your "why" to something truly important to you, you're far more likely to keep it up. Instead of meditating for ten minutes every day because you think you "should," uncover your real why. Maybe you notice you're more calm and more patient when you meditate in the mornings. Maybe you drink less coffee and feel less jittery on days when you meditate. Maybe you sleep better at night when you meditate before bed. When you know your why, it's far easier to keep it up.
2: Link It to a Habit.
Link the new habit to something you already do at the same time of day or in the same space as the new intended habit. If you want to start meditating before bed and you already take a shower before bed each night, link the two. Maybe meditate while you're in the shower. Maybe dry yourself off then sit on the edge of your bed in your towel and do a four-part breathing meditation. Starting a new habit is far easier when you don't start from scratch.
3: Set the Stage.
Make it as easy as possible for you to do the thing you want to do. This could be telling people in your family about your new intended habit and specifically letting them know how they could be helpful to you. If it's a nighttime meditation routine you want to start, set up an area for yourself (mine is in my closet), get earplugs, find a meditation app you like, or put your favorite cozy blanket in your meditation area and anoint it your "meditation blanket".
![Rachael Gorjestani/Unsplash Rachael Gorjestani/Unsplash](https://cdn2.psychologytoday.com/assets/styles/article_inline_half_caption/public/field_blog_entry_images/2023-08/rachael-gorjestani-X6CZGpJBi8U-unsplash.jpg?itok=QsWIhDv7)
What's Your Motivational Style?
Understanding what motivates you most is vital — not only to your productivity levels but to your self-confidence as well. Trying to use methodologies that work well for others, but not well for you, can lead to frustration, self-doubt and burnout.
Maybe you work best when you have an accountability partner. If so, find someone with a similar motivational style and set up an accountability relationship.
Maybe you work best when you break a project up into smaller goals. Perhaps you're most easily motivated when you link small treats or rewards to those goals. (Rewards work when the task is something that you don't particularly enjoy doing, but must be done.)
If you tend to procrastinate, chances are you enjoy the high of that last-minute adrenaline rush. If this is you, try initiating a false sense of urgency by creating a false deadline and committing to it publicly. If you're more motivated by a big audacious goal, set one that sneaks in your true goals. For instance, if you want to lose ten pounds, but exercising for 45 minutes a day feels like a chore, sign up for a sprint marathon or commit to a rim-to-rim hike through the Grand Canyon.
If you find that taking care of other people's priorities continually gets in the way of accomplishing your own, avoid building resentment by sharing your goals with those you love and asking for their specific support. For instance, tell your family and friends that you'd like to finish your manuscript, learn guitar, or get a new job and tell them specifically how they might support you to make it happen.
When it comes to motivation:
- Understanding your particular motivational style is key to unlocking your true potential.
- The easier you can make it, the more likely you are to actually do it.
- The more you actually do it, the more you'll see the benefits show up in your life.
- The more you see the benefits in your life, the easier it becomes to do it again and again. And again.
For more practical strategies to help you feel better, do more, and make an impact in the world, go to www.ambertrueblood.com.