A new year is supposed to be a great way to start afresh. It’s not necessarily a clean slate, but it’s clean enough for most people. For a lot of people, a new start is enough of a motivation to begin with, so let’s get back to some basics, shall we?

First off, what have you been doing with your life in the past year? Did you build your own business? Have you tried a new sport? Did you write that novel you’ve always wanted or that tune you’ve always been thinking of? Whatever it is, it’s time to evaluate the things you’ve been doing. If you haven’t had the right motivation to do those things you’ve wanted to do, why not?

One reason why you haven’t found it is probably because you don’t like what you’re doing. It’s an elementary analysis, but true, nonetheless.

You get intrinsic motivation when you do something you like.

When you do something, you like, you don’t really think about how hard it is, but you do think of the challenge ahead of you as something fun. It’s pretty powerful stuff, but what if you don’t enjoy what you’re doing?

In situations like that, you should look ahead. Look into the near future or a place that’s farther away, but basically, you should think about a goal you’ll get to once you reach the end of your labors. After hours of working at the office, you could get yourself that new gadget you wanted. After all that dieting and exercise, you can look forward to a fitter, healthier you.

You can find several ways of rewarding yourself just to get things done. Extrinsic motivation can work in labor that you enjoy, but it matters most when you feel that you don’t like what you’re doing. Besides, what good is it to keep working at something you don’t enjoy and something you won’t get anything out of? When that happens, it’s time to reevaluate your life.

Time for less elementary thoughts on the matter. Motivation will only take you so far, so if you want to achieve success, job, or anything that needs your attention, it needs your patience and dedication. If you’re working on something that takes really long to finish, make a habit out of it and build a routine around it. You don’t have to stick to it forever but make it something that you can get used to so it’s familiar. When you’re familiar with something, it’s just that much easier to do.

Finally, get yourself the appropriate amount of rest and relaxation so you’ll have the energy and motivation to tackle anything ahead of you. The mind is only as strong as the body can carry you. Even if you like what you do, you still get tired. And if you combine the two, you could fool yourself into thinking that you’re doing something tiring and it could lead you to inactivity. Fatigue and boredom are two of your worst enemies. You can get rid of one of them when you eat good food and get good rest.