How many times have you had these thoughts: “I need to go out there and do it” or “I should go to the gym more than once a week” or “I ought to wake up thirty minutes earlier to revise my presentation” or any other ‘could’ve’, ‘would’ve’, should’ve’?

If you’re like me, you’ve probably had many of these thoughts. But how many of them did you actually commit yourself to in the long term? More than likely, not enough!

You know you should go for this, you ought to do that, or you would like to do the other. But the ‘knowing’, the ‘ought to’ and the ‘would like to’ are not going to make things happen.

Why haven’t things changed the way you wanted them to? Why haven’t you committed to going to the gym more than once a week, or why haven’t you gotten up thirty minutes earlier to revise your presentation? The answer lies in motivation: The skill of getting yourself to take action to achieve your goals, no matter what. The great thing about life is that you can learn, develop and master the skill of getting and staying motivated, so you can accomplish the things that you have always wanted.

This is procrastination. Delaying performing an act. Self improvement can never happen untill you have overcome procrastination.

Here are three potent ways to put a fire under your motivation and to overcome procrastination:

1. Know your desire. Your first step is to measure the strength of your passion. Is it a solid desire that you really want? Is it something that you excites you? This means looking at yourself through a clear lens and finding out who you really are. What makes you tick? What makes you happy and fulfilled? Often we are bombarded by many external factors telling us what should make us happy, what should define us as successful. The fact of the matter is only you can know what makes you happy. Take the time to honestly strip away all of the societal layers and pressures and really see who you are. The world doesn’t define you, you are the creator of your own world. You are responsible for your own happiness and productivity. You will not find this happiness, productivity, motivation or inspiration if you are trying to achieve things based on others’ standards. Once your passion is clear-cut and compelling, deep-seated in your thoughts, it becomes very easy for you to keep it at the forefront of your mind. Given that this passion is so important to you, it will be effortless for you to keep a clear image of your desire, passion or goal.

2. Know your benefits. Your second easy step is to ignite that passion even more. Get yourself a journal and make a list of the benefits that you will attain on the journey as you pursue your passion and the benefits that you will get when you achieve each passion or goal. At this point, it is important that you involve your four senses as best you can. When you write a benefit, close your eyes and measure the strength of it. If it does not excite you, it is not powerful enough. Rewrite each benefit until it electrifies you. It is essential that you involve your senses. See the benefits, hear the benefits, smell the benefits and touch the benefits.

3. Know your action steps. This last step will be remarkably easy for you. Why? The sheer power of your passion and the mighty energy you feel from seeing, hearing, smelling and touching the benefits will have incredible and stimulating clout that will motivate you into action.

When you are so passionate about your goal, when your desire has great influence over you, you will inevitably take action to make that passion a reality, even when you are not in the mood, tired or it’s late at night. There will be no excuses! Your motivation will incite action. It will automatically spur you on. Keep seeing, hearing, smelling and touching your passion to maintain your motivation level at a height you never thought possible.

Rekindle the fire under your motivation by reviewing your desire, your passion and goal, and you will be able to go ahead and achieve with very little effort. Learn how to eliminate the limiting beliefs that keep you stuck where you are.