Coaching practices for How to Increase Motivation
Describe almost anything you are working through and IX Coach finds the practices whose real-world fit is closest. For How to Increase Motivation, these are the strongest matches in the current practice library.
Does this sound like the set of challenges you might be facing?
- I’m completely unmotivated and I honestly can’t tell whether it’s that deep down I don’t believe I can pull this off, or that I just don’t care about it
- Every so often I get this burst of fire
- I chase everything completely alone, telling no one and treating asking for support as weakness
- Starting is the hard part — once I’m in I’m fine, but getting myself to begin takes everything.
- I keep setting goals I think I’m supposed to want, and the moment they get hard I just quit
Practices that may help
- Diagnose whether you are stuck on expectancy or value
Before trying to motivate yourself, identify which of the two factors is actually low.
Expectancy-Value Theory: Why You Try (or Don’t) - Surf motivation waves rather than engineering baseline motivation
Motivation is unreliable and peaks are temporary — use high-motivation moments to redesign prompts and ability, not just to behave better.
The Fogg Behavior Model, Made Practical - Meet the relatedness need
Connect the work to people — support, shared purpose, or being seen.
Self-Determination Theory, Made Usable - Design a cue that reliably predicts a reward
A cue that predicts reward eventually triggers the same dopamine response as the reward itself.
Reward Prediction Error: Using Dopamine Science to Stay Motivated - Capture compelling reasons why
Write the emotional and practical reasons this result matters — the "why" that will sustain action under resistance.
Tony Robbins’ Rapid Planning Method (RPM), Made Practical - Intrinsic motivation
Drive yourself toward goals for internal reasons rather than only external reward or fear.
Emotional Intelligence, Made Practical - Use rewards that signal engagement, not compliance
Rewards tied to quality or to your own goals protect motivation better than rewards tied to doing the activity at all.
The Overjustification Effect: When Rewards Kill Motivation - Use autonomy-supportive self-talk
Coach yourself with choice and rationale, not "shoulds" and self-pressure.
Self-Determination Theory, Made Usable - Leaderboards and social competition
Compare progress with others to add competitive and social pull.
Gamification of Habits - Schedule activities before you feel like doing them
Block specific pleasant activities in your calendar this week — do not wait for motivation.
Pleasant Events Scheduling, Made Practical
Related concerns
- How To Be More Motivated
Before trying to motivate yourself, identify which of the two factors is actually low.
Diagnose whether you are stuck on expectancy or value
- How To Build Motivation
A cue that predicts reward eventually triggers the same dopamine response as the reward itself.
Design a cue that reliably predicts a reward
- How To Be More Motivated To Do Things
Reframe a task until you are doing it from your own values, not external pressure.
Locate the autonomous "why"
- How To Motivate Yourself
Drive change from care for your future self rather than from self-attack.
Compassionate motivation over fear
- How To Stay Motivated
Write the emotional and practical reasons this result matters — the "why" that will sustain action under resistance.
Capture compelling reasons why
- Motivation 3 0
Before trying to motivate yourself, identify which of the two factors is actually low.
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