Nature has placed mankind under the governance of two sovereign masters, pain and pleasure. It is for them alone to point out what we ought to do, as well as to determine what we shall do. -Bentham 1789

Motivation is the most important requirement for man to do anything. It could be as simple as cutting an apple, to as complex as learning music. The common factor here is motivation. Thus, nothing can be achieved unless there is motivation. Even as a person writes, there is the underlying motivation. Without the motivation, a writer would not even touch the keyboard. There are a number of factors that contribute towards a man being motivated or even de-motivated, for that matter. This makes it one of the most vast and complex areas of human psychology.
Some of the most successful people in the world are those who are very highly motivated. But the most ironic thing is that no one can motivate anyone to do anything.

A person can set an example for others to follow and can provide the necessary incentives to motivate. Here are some tips that could help you self-motivate:

. Leave your comfort zone- One of the greatest barriers to realizing your own potential is the comfort zone. This limits a persons ability to go out of the way and explore the self. When you step beyond, great things are bound to happen.

. Never be afraid to make mistakes- All of us are afraid of making mistakes. This comes from the fact that we were expected to be always right and were often punished for our mistakes during our upbringing. There is a kind of in-built fear in all of us about making mistakes. Wisdom helps us to avoid making mistakes, however, this wisdom comes from making a million errors. So one should never be afraid to make mistakes, but should always learn from them.

. Dont self limit your thinking- We all have a tendency to limit our thinking. We always have a feeling that what we are thinking is way too big. This has a very negative impact on self-motivation. One should always think empowering, expansive thoughts.

. Be happy- There is a direct link between being happy and being motivated. It is the feeling of satisfaction that happiness brings that leads to being motivated. Happiness is your birthright, so go ahead and be happy.

. Spend time everyday for self-development- One should spend at least some amount of time everyday doing things to develop and grow. This could include reading good books or listening to inspiring tapes. Driving to and from work provides a good opportunity to listen to inspiring messages.

. Finish what you start- So many of us go wrong by starting too many things and not finishing them, systematically. Make it a habit to finish the task that you have in hand and only then start another task.

. Live in present- By living in past or the future, we lose opportunities in the present. This holds us back from making things happen in the present.

. Never quit- One should never quit on experiencing set backs or failure, for all you know, success could just be round the corner.