Some days, it’s just hard to get moving. Everyone goes through it. Everyone has days that feel as though they’re in a movie playing at regular speed while they’re stuck on frame advance. It’s just hard to get anything done. Motivation is the missing piece, but how does one get motivated if they just aren’t? It’s easier than you might think. Here’s what you do:

1) Start. It doesn’t matter what task you have before you, just start. Go through the motions. Your mind’s version of muscle memory will take over, and before you know it, you’ll find your rhythm again.

2) Get up and move. Maybe the problem is that you’ve been staring at it too long. You need a break in order to shift your perspective. So take five, or even fifteen. Get up and move around. Clear your head. Even when you intentionally try not to think about whatever problem you’re working on, your subconscious mind is still chewing on it in the background, and this is often where your best flashes of insight and inspiration come from.

3) Remind yourself why. You’ve probably got a grand plan, right? If you don’t, make one. Give yourself a large, long term objective to work toward, and write it down. Any time you find your motivation flagging, open up the document you’ve saved the notes about your dream on and review them. This is quite often all it takes to find a new surge of energy and enthusiasm for the task at hand.

4) Plan ahead. It’s hard to lose motivation if you’ve got a solid plan in place. Once you finish all of today’s work, start mapping out tomorrow’s. Pay special attention to the way tomorrow’s work fits into the grand design you have in mind. Then, when you wake up the next morning, you won’t have to worry about not being motivated. You’ll just get up and automatically be ready to begin.

5) Take time for yourself. Sometimes, your lack of motivation stems from the simple fact that you feel overwhelmed. Make sure to take some “you time” every single day. It doesn’t have to be much. Even fifteen minutes a day will be enough to recharge your brain, but it’s something you need, and nobody’s going to give it to you. You have to take it for yourself.

Try these simple motivational tactics on for size. You will be amazed at the results.