For Jennifer Lopez, “I always joke about letting the haters motivate you. Everybody has that in their life, people who doubt them or make them feel less than they are.” Indeed, haters and naysayers do help. Besides that, check out the following hacks that you can apply easily to your life.

  1. Get enough sleep. Nothing works if you feel lethargic. Energize yourself with a 10 to 20 minutes nap.
  2. Have positive self-talk in the morning. Look into the mirror and say, “I’m awesome and I can do it!” Repeat five times and you’ll feel powerful.
  3. Use quotes to ignite your fire. Paste them on the wall, save as your devices wallpapers or read them to yourself every day.
  4. Visualize using a vision board. Looking at the photos that portray your goal is way better than just using your imagination.
  5. Get some music to rock your body and soul. Regardless it’s the classic “We are the champions” or the current “Happy”, seek strength from the lyrics, sing, dance!
  6. Take a shower or citrus bath soak. Refreshed body and mind are ready for any challenges.
  7. Feel regret now. Imagine that today is your last day and you’ve never done the things that you wanted to do. Remember the pain. Then get back to reality and start doing them.
  8. Set milestones so you have a clear, doable action plan with deadlines. Be flexible but not to delay as you like.
  9. Work with motivational apps like GoalTracker, Lift or LifeTick. You can set your goals, add tasks and check your progress so you will keep on track.
  10. Break project into smaller chunks. Handle them just like how you eat an elephant – one bite at a time.
  11. Create a nice and tidy working space. Clean your desk, decorate with small plants, get some fun stationery or stick an inspiring poster. Spice it up!
  12. Tell everyone about your goal. Your family and friends will support you, and your rivals will keep an eye on you. All of them fire you up to keep going.
  13. Use unpleasant consequences as motivation force. For example, if you’re afraid of failing in exams again and being look down by others, use that to push yourself to study hard.
  14. Buy expensive but useful tools. For example, invest in a professional camera even if you are a beginner. The high price reminds you not to give up easily.
  15. Change venue once in a while. Let’s say if you are a freelance writer, try working in a park or cafe instead of your room. It sparks your creativity.
  16. Find friends with similar goal. Strive together, help and support each other. Team spirit helps everyone goes further.
  17. Join competition. The prize excites you and you’ll train yourself harder for the battle.
  18. Treat yourself with small pleasures like an ice-cream for completing small tasks. Not to forget to reward yourself generously when you accomplish a long-term goal.
  19. Read books, not just to deepen your knowledge, but to strengthen your resolve. Learn how others stand up from failures and keep your fighting spirit alive.
  20. Follow a role model. Be a serious student to learn and apply his or her strategies. Remember that your ‘teacher’ won’t be happy if you are lazy.
  21. Watch TED Talks. Just like good cups of coffee, they give you a great boost of motivation to start your day.
  22. Keep record of your victories. They are like magic pills that pick you up and empower you to continue your journey.
  23. Help people with your talent, skills or experiences. Your contributions not only make a difference in the lives of others, but also reaffirm your capabilities and build your confidence to carry on.
  24. Give yourself a break. Take a stroll, gather with friends or go vacation. Reboot yourself and come back stronger.
  25. Change plan when you are stuck. Sometimes you don’t need more motivation, you need to review and change the things that don’t work anymore. New approach can enliven you.
  26. Participate in workshops or seminars. You acquire new knowledge, skills and like-minded friends.
  27. Do what you love and make yourself happy. Without good mood, you will lack of energy and enthusiasm to do anything. Put your happiness first.
  28. Focus on today. If you’re overwhelmed because there is still a long way to succeed, relax. Look how far you’ve come. Excel each day and success will take care of itself.
  29. Stop worrying about “what-ifs”. Don’t strive for perfections. Just do your best and enjoy the journey.
  30. Accept failures as hints for success. Their purpose is not to destroy you, but to guide you to the correct path. Learn from them and begin again. Featured photo credit: Miss Summer by tdnb via freeimages.com