Are you motivated to achieve what you really want in life? And how hard do you push yourself to get things done?

Wanting to do something and motivating yourself to actually do it are two different things. So, what's the difference between those who never reach their goals, year after year, and those who achieve one goal after another? Often, it's their self-motivation.

Self-motivation is the force that keeps pushing us to go on – it's our internal drive to achieve, produce, develop, and keep moving forward. When you think you're ready to quit something, or you just don't know how to start, your self-motivation is what pushes you to go on.

Self-motivation is complex. It's linked to your level of initiative in setting challenging goals for yourself; your belief that you have the skills and abilities needed to achieve those goals; and your expectation that if you put in enough hard work, you will succeed (or at least be in the running, if it's a competitive situation).

Four factors are necessary to build the strongest levels of self-motivation:

1.Self-confidence and self-efficacy.
2.Positive thinking, and positive thinking about the future.
3.Focus and strong goals.
4.A motivating environment.
By working on all of these together, you should quickly improve your self-motivation. Let's look at each of these factors individually.

By developing a general level of self-confidence in yourself, you will not only believe you can succeed, but you'll also recognize and enjoy the successes you've already had. That, in turn, will inspire you to build on those successes. The momentum created by self-confidence is hard to beat.

Take these steps:

•Think about the achievements in your life.
•Examine your strengths to understand what you can build on.
•Determine what other people see as your strengths and key capabilities.
•Set achievable goals for yourself, work to achieve them, and enjoy that achievement.
•Seek out mentors and other people who model the competencies, skills, and attributes you desire.
As you begin to recognize how much you've already achieved – and understand how much potential you have – you will have the confidence to set goals and achieve the things you desire. The more you look for reasons to believe in yourself, the easier it will be to find ways to motivate yourself