Make it a fantasy
In the middle of a tough workout, I put my imagination in a survival situation. I pretend I haven’t had water for several days in a desert. I’m parched. I need to drill down to my last drop of strength to arrive at the oasis. (OK, it’s an ego fantasy as well as one of survival.) I feel the relentless desert heat, but refuse to slow down. I push and push, and then – oh wow, that stream of cool, clean water flowing down my throat at the end is like a magical elixir.
Diana Nyad, long-distance swimmer and motivational speaker
Try a tiny bit of tidying
When I feel weighed down by unanswered emails or tedious admin tasks, I turn to tidying a small space. It might be my bag or a corner of a drawer – just one manageable spot. Even this tiny act of tidying clears my head, lifts my energy and sparks the motivation to get moving again. Because tidying involves physical movement, I often use that momentum to tackle the very tasks I’ve been putting off.
Marie Kondo, organising consultant and author
Beat the soundtrack
When it comes to cleaning my home, racing to finish a task before a song or playlist comes to an end is helpful. I like to see what I can achieve to The Saturdays’ Greatest Hits Megamix, which is around seven minutes long. It’s amazing what you can achieve in a short amount of time when you crack on.
Iwan Carrington, author of Clean in 15: Create a Clean & Happy Home in Minutes
Check out obituaries
Two things motivate me: death and deadlines. The easiest and most enjoyable way to keep death ever-present in the mind is to read the obituaries every morning. When I read about people who did something with their lives, it makes me want to do something with mine.
Austin Kleon, author of Keep Going: 10 Ways to Stay Creative in Good Times and Bad
Aim low(brow)
I only allow myself to watch my favourite lowbrow TV shows while exercising. That means I end every workout wanting more and look forward to my time on the cross-trainer. This is how I’ve watched shows such as Bridgerton, Emily in Paris, Never Have I Ever, The Sex Lives of College Girls, Ted Lasso and more.
Katy Milkman, author of How to Change: The Science of Getting to Where You Want to Be
Use your imagination
When I need to push through a workout, I’ve got a few motivators on rotation. I once read that exercise is like a shotgun blast of health for the body, so I imagine that. Other times it’s more personal: I move for my dad, who’s too sick to move himself, or I remind myself that after giving birth to two kids, this is a piece of cake. I also hear my old coach, Rob Shaul, in my head yelling “Suck it up!”, which never fails.
Mintra Tilly, director of sports at fitness company Hyrox
Take one small step …
Ironman triathlete Chrissie Wellington. Photograph: Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images
It might seem incongruous for an Ironman athlete to talk about making things as easy as possible, but hear me out. Don’t think about moving mountains, think about taking one small, easy step. If I can’t motivate myself to go for a run, I put my shoes on and open the door. Once I get there, I step out and run four or five steps. Once I have that momentum, I continue – and so does my motivation. I log my progress in a training diary, ensuring I bank feelings of euphoria to draw on in future, and can be buoyed up by memories of times when I completed sessions that I didn’t want to do.
Chrissie Wellington, four-time Ironman triathlon world champion
Say yes
I say the word yes over and over again – in my mind or out loud. One syllable. It’s positive and it gets you into a motivated mindset.
Emily Harrington, professional rock climber
Ask yourself why
Sometimes when we lack motivation or procrastinate, there’s a reason. Often, it’s because there is some fear or reluctance to do something; maybe we think we won’t be able to manage or cope with it. Ask yourself exactly what you’re worried about. You can sometimes then see the fears are not real or at least not as large as you might believe. It may just be that you’re focusing on these feelings of not wanting to start, but turn it around and ask yourself how you’ll feel, or the repercussions, if you don’t begin that task. Often those feelings will be more scary or worrying. This helps me to start – because it’s the least worst option!
Dr Radha Modgil, author of Know Your Own Power: Inspiration, Motivation and Practical Tools for Life
Keep a log
I like to keep a tally of hours spent doing deep work each day – that’s time spent focusing on cognitively demanding tasks without opening emails or having meetings. When I find myself, in the moment, wanting to avoid hard work for busyness, I ask myself: how will you feel tonight when you put down a big zero for your daily deep work hours? That often helps.
Cal Newport, author of Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World
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Lie to yourself
I have been walking up the six flights of stairs to my office since the lift broke at the start of the year, and carried on even when it was mended. I get through this by lying to myself about how many flights there are to go. I repeat “one, one, one” as I step, because if I count properly it seems to take for ever. So this is basically a strategy to stop me counting for real and then chickening out as it’s so many steps. I find this both makes it easier, stopping me thinking about how many stairs there are to go, and means reaching my floor is a pleasant surprise.
Prof Sophie Scott, director of the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London
Choose a lucky charm
Polar explorer Ann Daniels. Photograph: Martin Hartley
My mini motivator is Clive. He’s a pink-haired, inch-high troll that my niece gave me while I was doing IVF for my now grownup triplets. He was there for egg harvesting, reimplantation and birth. He symbolised support and care. I’ve since taken him on every expedition, and when it’s tough and I’ve used all my motivators (chanting my children’s names is favourite), I take comfort from his presence and keep going. He’s not just useful for expeditions. I regularly speak at corporate events and always have nerves beforehand. I never go on stage without him.
Ann Daniels, polar explorer
Engage your senses
I swear, if I get more than one of my senses actively involved, I can suddenly do tasks I couldn’t do mere moments ago. There is something about tuning into your senses that gives the mind a reset, an opportunity to get off the hamster wheel of dread and recalibrate into the current moment. This could be lighting a candle while playing moody music in order to focus on yoga lesson planning. It could be getting a drink and eating an apple before I settle in for Zoom calls. I’ve also been known to step outside to feel the Texas sun on my skin before slaying my chores. It’s really hard for me to put away laundry. I need the cross-sensory boost to gear my body and brain up for the tasks at hand, especially if they feel big that day.
Adriene Mishler, host of Yoga with Adriene
Focus for 15
To get through boring admin, I set a 15-minute timer on my phone. Here’s what happens in your brain when you do that: the open-ended anxiety of “this could take for ever” gets replaced with “I just need to focus for X minutes.” Fifteen minutes is the sweet spot for many people – long enough to make real progress, short enough to feel manageable even on difficult days or really tedious tasks. Usually, one of two things happens: the task doesn’t take anywhere near as long as you thought, or you get into the flow and it’s nowhere near as bad as you thought it would be. Before you know it, the task is done.
Mia Northrop, co-founder of life coaching company Life Admin Life Hacks
Ditch your devices
Whenever I find my motivation dipping, I’ll go for a device-free walk around the block. This may sound like procrastination, but it’s the opposite. A device-free walk always helps me reorient toward the task at hand. If I’m distracted, being device-free helps settle my mind. If I’m putting a task off, I can reflect on what’s making me not want to do it – and form a plan to combat that aversion.
Chris Bailey, author of Hyperfocus: How to Work Less and Achieve More
Picture the end result
Before decluttering or organising a space, I visualise how the newly organised space will make me feel. Daunted at the thought of organising all those coats and shoes jumbled at the front door? Imagine the ease and calm of stepping into the right pair of shoes and taking your favourite jacket as you leave the house in the morning. About to dive into sorting out the toy mountain? Imagine a sitting room where you can do a quick tidy in five minutes because everything has a home.
Mel Carruthers, owner of decluttering service More Organised
Start small
I remind myself not to wait for motivation as it rarely shows up. What matters is momentum, and momentum starts with something small: tidying one drawer, sending one email. That first step creates energy, and results follow with consistency. The truth is, most people give up because the vision in their head doesn’t appear instantly, but real change is a process.
Craig Hoareau, owner of house organisation company A Tidy Mind London
