When you feel less motivated, it can be easy to fall behind in your work, personal life, and aspirations. When that mood strikes, it’s important to dig deep and find a way to overcome it to become the motivated person you want to be. While you may occasionally ask for help from others, ultimately it’s up to you to motivate yourself to do what you need and want to do.

If you want to get more motivated, consider setting achievement levels for yourself. For example, if your ultimate goal is to run 5km, run 800 meters without interrupting your first level of achievement. It doesn’t have to be achieved all at once, but little by little. When you feel you have completely reached your first level, move on to the next. Having an end goal, but establishing the steps to get there, can help you have mini-milestones. This practice can increase your motivation to keep going.

When you want to reach a certain goal, it can often help to imagine that you are already achieving it. You can be more motivated if you track your progress. Consider creating a journal with photos of what you want to accomplish. Place an image at the top of each page and below it, write what you did to achieve that goal. If there are too few words on the page, it might be time to step up your efforts and move forward to get what you want.

Special quotes can be a great way to inspire self-motivation. Find a quote that moves you, that can inspire you in a way that no other set of words has before. If possible, turn these words into an art print and hang it in your home. Look at it daily, let the words wash over you, and use it as a way to inspire yourself to be more motivated.

Being self-motivated can be difficult at times, but the effort often pays off. Even on days when your motivation is lacking, there are ways to move forward and do what you need to do. If you want to be more motivated, it takes a lot of sweat and effort, but it can eventually produce the results you want.