Motivation is important to all people and it can come from different places. Some people are lucky enough to be self-motivated. This means they can look objectively at their life and see exactly what they want to do with it and what they want from it. Such a person will have a list of things they want in the short and long term and are motivated to spend their time achieving these things and will not need to be constantly motivated by a third party. Third party motivation can also be a positive force. An example would be a manager attempting to motivate you to learn something new by sending you on a training course with the promise of a promotion should you be successful in your endeavours.

Why then are motivational forces so important? If a person is not motivated then they will usually have a downtrodden, sullen and worthwhile feeling. This can even lead to more serious complaints such as depression. Unmotivated people have no direction or enthusiasm and can appear bored. Obviously they are therefore very unhappy in their day-to-day lives, which can be seriously detrimental to their work and home lives. One main reason for someone feeling unmotivated is a lack of personal goals. When someone wants something then they will work to get it.

I once knew a man who worked as a cleaner in an airport. When he was not at work he would spend his time playing video games and drinking with his friends. He never seemed particularly unhappy until one time he broke down and admitted that he felt lost, overwhelmed and bored by his life. When I asked him to consider what changes he would make to his life to improve it, he came up with a list of things such as a new job and a new car. Since he left school with few qualifications he felt that he had no control over his life or method of achieving his goals. We started small and broke down the list into more manageable pieces. He began studying part time, which led to a qualification. I then helped him with his CV and job hunting skills. He managed to get on the first rung of the ladder and is now working at a fulfilling and challenging job. His appearance and demeanour have improved drastically since he has personal goals and the motivation to work towards them.

One of the first steps therefore, is to motivate yourself by setting personal goals. Look at all aspects of your life and assess them objectively. Break your life down into work and home for example and look at improvements and changes you want to make in these very different areas. Consider the positives as well as the negatives. What makes you happy and what makes you miserable? If there is already an aspect of your life that fills you with joy then maybe your goals will include incorporating more of this.

Be careful not to confuse personal goals with unrealistic dreams! This will only serve to de-motivate you since you are asking too much of yourself. If you work in a bakery, the first personal goal you set yourself should not be to become Prime Minister! Do not set so many personal goals that you become overwhelmed before you begin. Start by considering two or three things you want and look at how you will achieve them. It may be necessary to set some short term and some long term goals.

Part of using this method to motivate yourself is believing that you have the ability to change your life for the better and achieve the personal goals you set for yourself. If you do not know where to begin then break the task down and find help. Ask other people for their advice, do research on the Internet and look at other people who have achieved something similar. How did they go about achieving their goals?

There are various professional organisations to help you. If your goal is a new job, look at your skill set and begin with the simple task of writing your CV. Compile the basic information and then research different CV styles and advice on the Internet. If you feel it necessary, employ a professional company to help you, although many employment web sites do offer free help for such tasks. Look at practical ways of working towards your goals and include time frames in which you will achieve the tasks. There is no point in writing a list, sticking it to the fridge with a slice of cheese magnet and wistfully sighing every time you get out the milk!

In order to achieve a sense of fulfilment, it is better to motivate yourself rather than waiting for another person or event to motivate you. The most basic method of motivating yourself is to set personal goals. It is important to realise that the motivation comes not from the reward, but the possibility of the reward of whatever goal you set. It is often the case that once you achieve some of your personal goals, this will lead you to set more and you will continue to lead a motivated existence.