Have you every asked “How to motivate yourself when doing repetitive tasks?

You’ve probably been there: you’re doing something boring or repetitive, and it’s so hard to motivate yourself to keep going. But the thing is, motivation isn’t really about getting yourself psyched up in the first place.

It’s about finding ways to keep your momentum going when you feel like quitting or slacking off—and that can often mean finding ways beyond just positive thinking or chanting “Yay me!” over and over again.

In fact, some of the best ways of getting motivated involve using your imagination, listening to music on repeat (or no music at all), and even imagining that what you’re doing is somehow fun (it can be!).

How To Motivate Yourself When Doing Repetitive Tasks

Listen to a good podcast

• Podcasts are a great way to learn something new. Whether you’re interested in learning something more about your passion or exploring some totally unrelated subject, there is probably a podcast out there for you! Many people have their favorite podcasts that they listen to regularly.
• Podcasts are perfect for long car rides and other times when you want to be entertained but don’t really want to focus on anything too challenging or complex. I find that when I listen to my favorite podcasts, I am able to do other tasks without feeling like I am missing out on what is being discussed.
• If you use headphones while working out at the gym, listening to a good podcast can help keep your mind off of your workout while still giving it structure so that it doesn’t feel like aimless time spent exercising

Set up checkpoints

To help yourself get through repetitive tasks, set up checkpoints. Like the term implies, a checkpoint is something you check in with to mark progress and motivate yourself. It could be anything you want—a certain number of minutes, pages or even tasks completed. This can be especially helpful if the task requires a lot of focus and concentration, as it’ll keep you focused on what you’re doing instead of becoming distracted by your thoughts or other things going on around you.

Checkpoints are a good way to keep track of how much work has been done so far as well as how much is left until completion (or another checkpoint). If there are specific things that need completing before moving onto another task/part of the project, checkpoints can help ensure those steps are completed first before moving ahead into uncharted territory (just remember not to become too attached).

Use meditation

There are many great ways to get into the zone, but one of the most powerful is meditation. Meditation can help you focus on the task at hand, relax and be more productive.

Meditation is not only good for your brain, but it’s also good for your body. It reduces stress and helps you focus on the present moment, rather than worrying about all of the things that need to be done later in the day.

Use your imagination

You can make repetitive tasks more fun by using your imagination. If a task seems boring, try to think about how you will feel when it is done. Think about the results of doing the job well. For example, if you want to work on an essay for class, imagine yourself getting a good grade for it and how happy that will make you feel.

Imagine the benefits of doing the job well and how that will affect those around you. Think about how proud they will be when they see what a good job was done and hear how important it was to have been done well.

Put on music you like

• Put on music you like. This could be your favorite song, something that’s upbeat and catchy, or something relaxing to help you focus.
• Make sure to choose a variety of different types of music so that you don’t become bored with one type.
• If you’re feeling energetic or want to get pumped up for the task at hand, try listening to music with an upbeat tempo (like pop or rock).
• If you need something soothing and calming that will help you focus better on the task at hand, choose a more relaxing melody (like jazz).

Put on music  that puts you in the mood to work

You can also use music to get yourself motivated. The trick is picking the right kind of music—not something that’ll make you want to dance or sing along, but something that will put you in the mood to work. Ideally, it should be repetitive, with a strong rhythm that can keep your hands moving along with it.

This process can be especially effective if you don’t like listening to the music while doing other things; then your brain associates this music with only one thing: working on some task!

Some examples of good songs for this purpose include “Cuckoo For Coco” by Van Halen (pops up randomly on Spotify), “White Noise” by Abba (also pops up randomly) and anything by Daft Punk (only if you’re not sick of them).

You can motivate yourself without being mean to yourself.

You can’t force yourself to be motivated. You can only change your mindset and then be motivated.

This can be done by changing how you think about your goals. If you want to lose weight, don’t focus on how much weight you want to lose. Instead, focus on how good it will feel when you’re healthy and fit.

Set up a reward system

If you’re doing a task that’s boring and repetitive, it can be tempting to procrastinate. To keep yourself on track, set up a reward system for completing each part of the task:

• Set aside time where you’ll tackle the task and put it off until then.
• When you start working on the first part of the task, work your way through until you finish it. Then reward yourself with something fun or relaxing (or both). This will help motivate you to continue with your list and make sure that each part is done before moving onto something else.

Imagine your ideal result

When you are doing repetitive tasks, it can be really hard to stay motivated. It’s easy to grow tired and bored with the same thing day after day. When this happens, it’s important that you take a few minutes out of your day to imagine your ideal result. Imagine what it will be like when you have achieved your goal and who will be there with you celebrating.

Imagine how good it will feel when all of this work is finally finished and done with. Imagine the satisfaction of knowing that this is one less thing on your list and one more step closer to achieving whatever else is important in life!

You should also think about how this accomplishment would affect other people’s lives as well as yours by taking into account things like: How many people have benefited from whatever task or project is being completed? Will these benefits apply only within an organization or could they potentially spread outside of its walls as well? What kind of impact does completing these tasks have on them?

Make a list of why you’re doing the task

The next time you need to get motivated, make a list of all the reasons why completing this task is important. For example, if I’m about to start writing an article for my blog, I’ll make a list like:

• It’s important because it helps me share what I know with others and provides value to them
• It’s important because it allows me to learn more about myself
• It’s important because people will be able to read these articles and hopefully find some value in them

Treat it like a game

If you think of the task as something to be completed and move on with, then chances are you’ll find yourself feeling bored and unmotivated. But if you treat the task like a game, where there are rules and goals to achieve, it becomes more interesting. Maybe try making up rules or adding elements that make it more difficult to win (like having to start over if you make a mistake).

Or, if your creativity is on fire today, consider trying out different ways of completing each step until something clicks for you: maybe instead of just doing what’s written in the recipe book or whatever instructions were given by your boss at work—which may seem boring—try creating new recipes or coming up with creative solutions for how to do things differently (and better!). This approach won’t only help pass time more quickly but could also lead to some amazing discoveries!

Find a way to make it feel like less work

If you have a really boring task that needs to get done, one of the best things you can do is find a way to make it feel more like less work. Here are some things that might help:

• Focus on the end result. Sure, you may be doing something mundane at the moment, but if it’s leading up to something fun or exciting (like getting your paycheck), it can help keep yourself motivated.
• Break down the task into smaller parts. If there are other tasks involved in what you’re doing right now (such as cleaning up after dinner or taking out trash), try breaking those down into smaller steps so they don’t seem quite so overwhelming.
• Get help from others! It doesn’t matter how big or small your project is—you can always ask someone else for their input on how to improve what’s happening now and what might happen next time around.
• Use tools! There are many tools available online these days that can help make tedious jobs easier than ever before—everything from simple calculators all the way through super-smart virtual assistants who will do practically anything for money…or at least for treats!

Find something good about the task

To make a task more enjoyable, it’s important to find something good about the task. For example, if you’re cleaning out your closet and come across an old shirt that you haven’t worn in years, make yourself think of one thing positive about it (maybe it was comfortable or maybe the color was really flattering). Or perhaps during tax season when doing taxes seems like a chore, try imagining how great your life will be after all that paperwork is finished!

Another way to motivate yourself is by making the task seem less work. For example, if you’re having trouble motivating yourself while doing laundry–which can take hours–find ways to make each load shorter and easier: Wash only one load at a time; wash things in hot water instead of cold water; use dryer sheets for static-free clothes instead of fabric softener; use stain remover on tough stains first so they come out quicker (but don’t forget about them!).

Focus on goals, rewards, and benefits rather than the drudgery

The next time you find yourself dreading a task, try to refocus your attention on the end result. You might be thinking about all of the work required to get there, but that’s just going to make things seem like they take longer than they need to. Instead, visualize yourself enjoying the fruits of your labor once the task is complete: taking a well-deserved break or celebrating with loved ones. If you can’t see how something will benefit you once it’s done, then maybe reconsider whether or not it’s worth doing in the first place!

Another way to keep yourself motivated when doing repetitive tasks is by setting goals for yourself along with rewards for reaching those goals (and penalties for failing). For example, if I’m about halfway through writing one article and I still don’t feel motivated enough by either my goal or my reward (in this case being money), then I’ll set another deadline for myself at 75% completion and increase my reward amount by 10%. This gives me something new and exciting to focus on while also giving me additional motivation as I inch closer towards meeting my goal!

Conclusion

You can motivate yourself without being mean to yourself. Be kind and self-compassionate with yourself, and use positive language when talking about the task at hand.

Focus on goals, rewards and benefits rather than the drudgery of what you’re doing right now. Find something good about the task and treat it like a game