How do you keep yourself motivated?

At least for me, I want to have a balance between getting my goals done and feeling rested and excited to work. If I have a lot of things to do and my body isn't up for it, then it's going to be a slog. If I'm well rested, but I don't really have any goals and I'm living it "day by day" then I'm not really getting anything done.

Creating goals for yourself is key - the way I would approach this would be to:
just get a piece of paper or notebook (or use a spreadsheet or online project planning tool if you're feeling fancy and)
write everything down that you need to get done - this includes work stuff, life stuff, personal things, etc.

Prioritize everything. What are things that need to get done today? By the end of next week? By the end of next month? By the end of year? What's something you'd like to do something but maybe it's further out in the future?

Getting it all down on paper and understanding what needs to get completed in what order is a good start.

If you start to feel unmotivated just try to complete a lower priority goal. Even if's not as important. Getting something done and feeling like you accomplished something is a good motivator for completing bigger jobs.
In terms of slacking off - if you have a hobby or something that's more a reward, try to put that fun event as a reward for getting something done. For example, if you like to watch Netflix or surf facebook, save those activities for after you complete a couple goals. Make some rules for yourself to get you in the habit of being productive first, then following up with the reward. Once you do it for a while it becomes more natural and easier.

You have to keep focused on your goals. Personally, I found that whenever I was tempted to slack off, all I had to do was think "is slacking off right now really worth it? Do I really want to undo all of the hard work I have put in to get here?". Remembering all of your effort and keeping focused on your end goal (and all the good things that will come when you accomplish it) will really help.

I've also found it helpful to surround myself with people who support my goals and will help keep me on track if I start slipping. I had to step away from more than a few friends who were enabling my bad behavior, rather than helping me reach my objectives and better myself.

Keep strong and focused. Good luck!

Hi Maeve

Stay motivated by embracing what inspires you the most in life and maintaining a positive attitude, regardless of what trials you encounter. Motivation takes work, but in time you can develop the desire and energy that will drive you to get a promotion, stay in school or nurture relationships. You can start to create the life you want by making small changes: Keep your goals in mind, enlist the help of friends and seek out others on the same path. Don't let obstacles break your spirit, and get right back up every time you fall.

I hope this helps.

Staying engaged with team members is a great way to stay motivated because you benefit from their smarts, passion and stay tuned in to what is going on throughout your team. Sometimes large projects can seem intimidating which can dampen motivation. Then it's time to break down the projects into modules, prioritize them, and start working through them. Target an overall deadline, but have mini-deadlines for the modules. This approach can help keep you on track and motivated.

If you find something that you are passionate about you will naturally stay motivated. Think of the good that what you're doing will bring. For instance, I work in a big pharma company so my motivation is thinking of the progress that we are making to find a cure to multiple diseases.