Becoming motivated starts with the mind and the thoughts that you tell yourself each day. Motivation can be influenced by outside forces but is ultimately determined by how you think on a consistent basis. When you want to get motivated to meet your goals and obtain success, there are a few psychological tips to stay driven.

Write Down Your Goals

Putting your dreams or goals into writing can make it easier to visualize what you want to work towards. Be clear and specific about what you want to accomplish to ensure that you are reminded of what you want to work towards in the future. Place the list of goals in a visible area of your home or office to ensure that you’ll see it each day and will be reminded of where your focus should be.

Give Yourself Rewards

Rewarding yourself with milestones as you work hard to accomplish your goals is necessary to remain motivated and avoid losing focus. You may want to take a trip, go on a shopping spree, or take a break to recharge and continue making progress. Failing to reward yourself occasionally can make it easy to suffer from burnout and have a lack of willpower as time passes.

Avoid Distractions

Distractions can make it easy to lose your focus and spend your time on other activities that aren’t contributing to your goals. Avoid surfing the web or going on social media during the day to remain focused. You may also want to clean up your home or office each day to avoid feeling overwhelmed or distracted by the clutter or messes that are present.

Stay Positive

Your attitude is everything when it comes to how driven you are, making it necessary to practice positivity. Failing to have hope about the future or dream big will affect how much work you put into working towards your goals on a consistent basis. Consider finding a mentor who can inspire you and will allow you to see your goals as reality due to what they’ve already accomplished. Affirm yourself and meditate on your strengths to ensure that you can have a healthy mindset that doesn’t become negative due to mistakes or mishaps that you have during the process.

Lisa Landman holds a Doctorate in Psychology and has worked in a variety of professional settings. Learn more about her professional work or check out her Twitter!