How to Convince Yourself to Do Anything

When it comes time to complete assignments, call up an old friend, submit your university application, or chase a lifelong dream, you might feel that getting started is the hardest part. Procrastination often stems from emotions like fear or lack of confidence, which encourage avoidance and can reinforce doubts about one’s abilities and worth. To push yourself to take action and overcome procrastination, you need some strategies. This is the moment to cultivate trust within yourself, unlock your potential, and motivate yourself to act.

Limit Negative Thoughts. Negative thoughts are often tied to negative outcomes. You might believe you're inadequate, undervalue your innate skills and talents, to the point where you sabotage your own efforts even before they begin, creating a vicious cycle of failure. Focus on empowering thoughts instead. Part of this process is learning to recognize what's behind your negativity, so you can 'let go' and replace negative thoughts with positive ones. Instead of worrying about the task ahead, ask yourself: what exactly are you afraid of? Fear of failure? Losing control? Once you identify the root of your negative thoughts, you can better manage your behavior.

Don't Fear Failure. We all experience failure at some point. In fact, we constantly fail. The most successful people are those who have failed the most because they embrace risks and learn from their previous failures. Take Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States, a serial failure who went bankrupt twice and lost 26 political campaigns before finding his political stance. Or Thomas Edison, whose teacher deemed him 'too stupid to learn anything' and was fired from his first two jobs for 'inefficiency.' Achieving big goals in life involves 'unlearning' fear and failure. Another way to do this is by exploring new things—yoga, painting, music—and training your mind to fail in order to overcome it.

Remove the word 'quit' from your dictionary. Along with embracing mistakes, adopt the mindset of never giving up on your goals. Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President of the United States, once said, 'Nothing in the world is worth having unless it takes effort, hard work, and struggle.' Remember that achieving great things is difficult, and success doesn't come easily. Be brave enough to face challenges and setbacks.

Stop Comparing Yourself to Others. There's always someone out there who is smarter, more skilled, more successful, or more famous than you. Measuring yourself by the standards of others is futile and will only decrease your motivation and make you feel inadequate. You may notice these feelings in yourself – you compare yourself and feel lacking; these feelings don’t ‘make’ you feel that way. Try reasoning this way: Similarly, you can plan strategically to stop making comparisons. For instance, sit at the front of the yoga class if you feel self-conscious about your body. Avoid looking at your classmates.

Don't Worry About What Others Think of You. Successful people dare to take risks regardless of what others think. You may hesitate because you're afraid of not fitting in or because your colleagues don't trust you, that they look at you with suspicion or tell you that you'll fail. They might be right. But what if they’re wrong? One method to deal with such thoughts is to build a hierarchy. Make a list of the people whose opinions matter most to you: your family, your parents, your partner. Then move down the list in descending order of importance. Your boss and friends should be less important than your family, and your colleagues should rank even lower. Eventually, you’ll reach the list of regular acquaintances and strangers, and you’ll realize that their opinions don’t really matter to you at all.

Reflect on your motivations. What do you want to accomplish? Is your goal to attend university? Do you dream of moving to a big city or owning a patent for an invention? Take time to think about your goals. Understand what they are and how to achieve them. Try putting your ideas on paper. What exactly is your goal? When do you want to achieve it? How do you plan to accomplish it? Build a realistic timeline. This will make your plan more concrete and empower you to stick to your schedule.

Think big, but stay practical. If you set low expectations, you're likely to receive low results for your efforts. High outcomes often require higher expectations, bigger dreams, and greater risks. For example, you might be content with attending a mid-tier university, but why not aim higher? Could you get into a prestigious institution or even earn a scholarship? Give it a shot. The risks are far less significant compared to the potential rewards. However, at the same time, keep your expectations within a reasonable range. Childhood dreams of becoming a president, a professional athlete, or a famous actor may not come true, simply because very few people can achieve such feats.

Step outside your comfort zone. Stagnation can prevent you from achieving great things. It's easy to get stuck in a daily routine, in a mental space where you feel safe, secure, and free from worry. But that comfort can stifle personal growth. Risk and anxiety are two elements that foster development. Staying within your comfort zone may mean consistency and stability, but leaving it allows you to try new things, be creative, and reach new heights. Try changing your relationship with the feeling of 'anxiety.' Instead of avoiding it, tell yourself that anxiety is a stepping stone for growth. Your comfort could be a sign of gradual decline.

Dedicate time daily for self-improvement. How much time do you invest in learning and expanding your mind? Did you know that this is a habit of successful people? Do you recognize that knowledge is power? Developing ideas and skills is another way to avoid becoming complacent in life. Set aside time each day to nurture yourself, even if it's just an hour—consider it your mental nourishment. Read good books, stay informed through news, listen to inspiring speeches, engage with new ideas, and remain curious about the world.

Remember past successes. Remind yourself of your past successes instead of dwelling on past failures. Keep a journal where you record and celebrate what you have accomplished, so you have a tangible record of your achievements. While it’s important to keep moving forward in life, occasionally revisiting your past victories can help you maintain your motivation.

Rewrite your goals. Write down your goals and the reasons you want to achieve them. A biology student can easily get tired and frustrated during their studies. Remembering why you chose this path—whether it's to develop life-saving drugs or become a teacher like the one who first inspired you—can be a powerful motivator. Place your goals on the wall in your study room, on your computer, in your bedroom, or even on the bathroom mirror. Put them somewhere you'll see them often. This will keep you focused and on track.

Change your destination. A large, specific goal will often motivate you more than a series of smaller ones. However, sometimes your grand ambition may feel too distant or impossible. Don’t let yourself become overwhelmed. This kind of thinking can kill your motivation and lead people to abandon their plans. Adjust your goal when it feels too much. For instance, if you're writing a novel, put aside your big goal and focus on completing the current chapters or editing 20 pages of your novel each day. Focusing on small, specific tasks will help you move forward step by step and complete what you’ve started.

Make a commitment to yourself. Chronic procrastinators often need a specific push. Set work standards and reward yourself. Commitments can be big or small. Reward yourself with a short break after completing a task. Did you ace your final exam? That calls for a bigger reward: take a full week off to celebrate with your friends. Try using rewards as motivation to keep yourself on track.

Consider the best and worst case scenarios. Pause and think: what’s the best thing that could happen if you complete your plan? What’s the worst? If you're truly determined to reach a goal, remind yourself of the potential rewards you could gain by achieving it, and what you stand to lose if you fail. Weigh these two possibilities. What do you expect from applying to your dream architecture program? What’s the worst thing that could happen if it doesn’t work out? Most of the time, the worst-case scenario is driven by fear—fear of failure, fear of rejection, or fear of regret—while the opposite holds many clear benefits.