Start small, keep a log, picture the end result: 17 experts’ top tips on how to stay motivated | Health & wellbeing

Make it a fantasy

In the middle of an intense workout, I put my imagination into a survival situation. I pretend I haven’t had water for several days in a desert. I’m parched. I have to dig with all my last strength to reach the oasis. (OK, it’s an ego fantasy as well as a survival fantasy.) I feel the relentless heat of the desert, but I refuse to slow down. I push and push, and then – oh wow, that stream of cool, clean water running down my throat at the end is like a magic elixir.
Diana Nyad, long-distance swimmer and motivational speaker

Try one a little bit of storage

When I feel weighed down by unanswered emails or tedious administrative tasks, I turn to tidying up a small space. It could be my bag or the corner of a drawer – just somewhere manageable. Even this small act of tidying up clears my head, boosts my energy and gives me the motivation to move again. Because tidying involves physical movement, I often use that momentum to tackle the very tasks I’ve been putting off.
Marie Kondo, organizing consultant and author

Beat the soundtrack

When it comes to cleaning my house, it helps to run to finish a task before a song or playlist ends. I like to see what I can achieve with Saturdays’ Greatest Hits Megamix, which is about seven minutes long. It’s amazing what you can achieve in a short time when you crack on.
Iwan Carringtonauthor of Clean in 15: create a Do the housework & Happy Home in Minutes

Check the obituaries

Two things motivate me: death and deadlines. The easiest and most enjoyable way to keep death fresh in the mind is to read the obituaries every morning. When I read stories of people who have done something with their lives, it makes me want to do something with mine.
Austin Cleonauthor of Keep it up: 10 ways stay creative in good times and bad

Aim bottom (eyebrow)

I only allow myself to watch my favorite TV shows while I exercise. This means I finish each workout wanting more and looking forward to my time on the elliptical. This is how I watched shows like Bridgerton, Emily in Paris, Never Have I Ever, The Sex Lives of College Girls, Ted Lasso and many more.
Katie Milkmanauthor of How to Change: The Science of Getting where you want to be

Use your imagination

When I need to continue a workout, I have a few motivators in rotation. I read once that exercise is like a shotgun blast to body health, so I imagine that. Other times, it’s more personal: I’m moving for my father, who is too sick to move himself, or I remember that after giving birth to two children, it’s a piece of cake. I also hear my old coach, Rob Shaul, screaming in my head “Suck it up!” ”, which never fails.
Mintra Tilly, director of sport in the fitness company Hyrox

Take oone small step…

It may seem incongruous for an Ironman athlete to talk about making things as simple 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 on my shoes and open the door. Once there, I go out and take four or five steps. Once I have that momentum, I keep going – and so does my motivation. I record my progress in a training journal, ensuring I bank up feelings of euphoria to draw on in the future, and I can be buoyed by memories of times when I completed sessions I didn’t want to do.
Chrissie Wellington, four-Ironman time 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 puts you in a motivated state of mind.
Emily Harringtonprofessional climber

Ask yourself whyYes

Sometimes when we lack motivation or procrastinate, there is a reason. Often this is because there is some fear or reluctance to do something; maybe we think we won’t be able to handle it or cope with it. Ask yourself exactly what is worrying you. You may then sometimes realize that the fears are not real or at least not as important as you might think. You may simply be focusing on that feeling of not wanting to start, but turn the situation around and ask yourself how you will feel, or the repercussions, if you don’t start this task. Often these feelings will be more frightening or worrying. This helps me get started – because it’s the least worst option!
Dr Radha M.Odgil, author of Know your own power: inspiration, motivation and practical tools for life

Keep a journal

I like to keep track of the hours spent doing deep work each day – this is the time spent focusing on cognitively demanding tasks without opening emails or holding meetings. When I find myself, in the moment, wanting to avoid working hard for the sake of being busy, I ask myself: How will you feel tonight when you put a big fat zero for your intense daily work hours? This often helps.
Cal Newport, author of Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success In a distracted world

Lie to yourself

I’ve climbed the six flights of stairs to my office since the elevator broke earlier this year, and I continued even when it was repaired. I cope by lying to myself about how many flights I have left. I repeat “one, one, one” as I walk, because if I count correctly it seems to take forever. So this is basically a strategy to keep me from counting for real and then chickening out because there are so many steps. I find it makes things easier, stops me thinking about how many stairs there are to climb and means reaching my floor is a pleasant surprise.
Professor Sophie Scott, director of the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London

Choose a lucky charm

My mini motivator is Clive. He’s an inch tall pink haired troll that my niece gave me while I was doing IVF for my now adult triplets. He was there for the egg retrieval, reimplantation and birth. It symbolized support and care. I’ve taken him on every expedition since, and when it’s hard and I’ve used all my motivators (singing my kids’ names is my favorite), I take comfort in his presence and carry on. It’s not just useful for expeditions. I regularly speak at corporate events and am always nervous in advance. I never go on stage without him.
Ann Daniels, polar explorer

Engage your senses

I swear if more than one of my senses are actively engaged, I can suddenly perform tasks that I couldn’t do just moments ago. There is something about listening to your senses that gives the mind a reset, an opportunity to step off the hamster wheel of fear and recalibrate into the present moment. This could be lighting a candle while listening to moody music in order to focus on planning yoga classes. It might be having a drink and eating an apple before settling in for Zoom calls. There were also times when I went outside to feel the Texas sun on my skin before completing my tasks. It’s really hard for me to put the laundry away. I need a transsensory boost to prepare my body and brain for the tasks at hand, especially if they feel important that day.
Adriene Mishlerhost of Yoga with Adriene

Concentrate 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 this: The boundless anxiety of “this could take forever” is replaced with “I just need to focus for X minutes.” For many people, fifteen minutes is an ideal time frame: long enough to make real progress, short enough to feel manageable even on tough days or really tedious tasks. Usually one of two things happens: the task doesn’t take as long as you thought, or you get into the flow and it’s nowhere near as bad as you thought. Before you know it, the task is complete.
Mia Northrop, co-founder of a life coaching business Life Admin Tips

Ditch your devices

Whenever my motivation wanes, I take a device-free walk around the block. This may sound like procrastination, but it’s the opposite. A walk without a device always helps me reorient myself to the task at hand. If I get distracted, not having a device helps me calm down. If I’m putting off a task, I can think about what makes me not want to do it – and come up with a plan to combat that aversion.
Chris Baileyauthor of Hyperfocus: How to work less and achieve more

Picture the final result

Before decluttering or organizing a space, I visualize how the newly organized space will make me feel. Are you intimidated by the idea of ​​organizing all those messy coats and shoes outside the front door? Imagine the ease and calm of putting on the right pair of shoes and grabbing your favorite jacket when you leave the house in the morning. About to start sorting through the mountain of toys? Imagine a living room where you can quickly tidy up in five minutes because everything has its place.
Mel Carruthersowner of a More Organized decluttering service

Start small

I remind myself not to wait for motivation because it rarely appears. It’s all about momentum, and momentum starts with something small: cleaning out a drawer, sending an email. This first step creates energy and the results follow with consistency. The truth is that most people give up because the vision in their head doesn’t appear instantly, but real change is a process.
Craig Hoareauhome organization business owner A tidy mind London