Without motivation, it’s easy for life to fall into a simple pattern. And while this pattern may be enjoyable, it’s hard to feel like you are achieving something when everything becomes a routine. Direction keeps the soul alive and gives your life a greater sense of purpose, so take matters into your own hands and get motivated!

The first step to motivating your life? Establish your drive. What invigorates you, what inspires you, what pushes you forward? Everyone is different, and so everyone’s motivational triggers vary. Some people are motivated by the idea of travel, others by career advancements, and others by baking, dieting, sculpting or sport. There is something for everyone, big or small, so figure yours out as a starting point.

To prevent your life from falling into a rise-work-home-bed routine (we’ve all been there at some point), engage in a regular morning or evening activity. This can be absolutely anything, as long as it gives you something to look forward to every day. I find that doing yoga each morning puts me in a balanced frame of mind and energises my body for the day to come. If you can’t think of anything, give it a go! Other ideas include reading a chapter of a book each night, taking your dog for a walk, and cooking a healthy lunch for the following day. It’s also a great idea to have activities that you complete on a weekly basis, like a social sport or group class of some kind.

As well as the everyday kinds of motivators, it is incredibly important to have long-term goals which give you something to aim for and achieve. Always have a goal. When thing get hard in the present, focus on that goal and drive yourself towards it. Your life is your own and anything you want, you can get – you just have to be prepared to do the work first. Keep your larger goals in mind each day – it might be a new job opportunity, a creative project you’ve been slowly working on, a lengthy trip overseas or buying your first house. Whatever it is, don’t lose sight of it. Have a planner where you work out what you need to do to achieve this goal, and give yourself small rewards when you reach each new step. Maintain your motivation by getting excited – look at blogs and read articles related to your goal, and tell your friends about it. When you are positive and driven, you can do anything!