Are you trying hard enough to achieve your dreams? Take our quiz to find out how motivated you are!

Do you have the motivation and desire to succeed? Or does your self-confidence and determination waver? Take our quiz to find out how focused you are, then find advice on how to tap into your inner enthusiasm and aspiration.

Quiz: How motivated are you

What’s your approach when it comes to getting things done? 

A. I’m always looking for ways to improve my performance.

B. I do the best I can…

C. I often get overwhelmed and struggle to finish what I start.

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You win a three-month membership pass for your local gym. Do you:

A. Book in with a personal trainer and set yourself manageable goals to work towards over the next three months.

B. Try to do a weekly class when you can fit it in.

C. Stick it on your fridge and forget about it.

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How do you approach a new challenge at work? 

A. I’m confident that I’ve got the skills to do it well.  

B. Whenever I doubt myself, I push through to prove myself wrong.

C. I avoid challenges, as I’m worried I might fail.

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When it comes to life goals, do you:

A. Dream big and create a five-year plan to make it happen.

B. Love to daydream but lack the confidence to go for it.

C. Feel quickly discouraged.

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Your manager/lecturer sets you a group assignment, what do you notice first:

A. Excitement to be taking on a new project.

B. A nagging doubt you won’t be able to do it well.

C. Relief that someone else in the group is likely to take responsibility for completing the task.

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When an obstacle gets in the way of achieving a goal, I…

A. Immediately create a plan B and push on.

B. Take a break, then rethink and work out my next steps.

C. Take the hint and give up – it’s a sign that it wasn’t meant to be…

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In a moment of optimism, you sign up for the local half marathon. Do you:

A. Set up a training programme and look forward to getting fit.

B. Go on the odd run when you can and hope for the best.

C. Decide to phone in sick on the day.

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How do you give yourself a boost when your motivation starts to flag?

A. Imagine yourself achieving your goal and how great it’ll feel, and resolve to keep going.

B. Open a bottle of wine and decide to think about it tomorrow.

C. Do nothing – things will improve on their own. 

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Score your answers

Mostly As:

Wow, you’re a real go-getter! Your thirst to succeed is taking you places, and your ambition drives you to get what you want.

Be sure to take stock of your achievements and enjoy the fruits of your labour. Stay mindful of the consequences when working as hard as you do to achieve all that you desire. Aim to create a healthy flow that includes time to pause and time to press on.

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Mostly Bs:

You’re doing really well, but there are times when you can afford to be more confident. When you apply yourself to something you’re passionate about, you see great results.

However, at times you struggle to strive for success and are overcome with doubt. It’s easy to become overwhelmed when you find yourself here and thoughts of quitting can creep in.

Take a breather and try speaking to your go-getter friends and family to help you make good choices about how to motivate yourself, then move towards your goals in a way that feels right for you.

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Mostly Cs:

We all lose direction from time to time and, right now, something is holding you back. You’re struggling to apply yourself fully in one or more domains of life, lacking the confidence, energy and motivation needed to visualise and pursue your goals.

At times like this, it’s helpful to revisit what excites you most. What lights you up? What causes are you most passionate about? Start by setting your sights there and trusting you’ve got everything you need to act now.

Take small, consistent steps to help you build your confidence gradually. Stretch yourself a little more than you are – and you’ll soon see what’s possible when you do!

“Believe you can and you’re halfway there.”

Theodore Roosevelt

How to find your mojo

What are the goals you really want to achieve? Are you ready and raring to go, or finding reasons not to take action? Read on for Annika Rose’s insight into how to motivate yourself and focus on moving positively towards your dreams

Inner strength

When it comes to the source of your ambition, a range of internal and external forces will be at play.

Internal (or intrinsic) motivation leads you to do something simply because you enjoy it. External (extrinsic) motivations may include praise, status, money or accolades. Friends, family, your boss or society can all influence – even dictate – your goals and impact on your motivation from the outside.

While there’s nothing wrong with working to earn a paycheck, studying to get good grades or competing to win an award you’ve been encouraged to aim for, research suggests it’s more fulfilling to be driven by intrinsic motivation.

Having a personal desire to achieve something is the kind of motivation that lasts longer and ultimately leads to achieving greater successes in life.

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Tap into your passions

If you’re stuck in a rut and your drive has taken a wrong turn, fear not. Your motivation hasn’t departed, it’s simply not being channelled in the right way at the moment. The biggest hurdles to overcome on the way to achieving what we want are often the ones we’ve created in our own heads.

When your motivation is dwindling, it’s worth revisiting what brings you joy. Identifying the link between what you’re passionate about and what you’re currently pursuing will make you far more likely to stick at it. 

Setting your sights on something that excites you and having a clear and meaningful ‘why’ can do wonders for your wellbeing.

Researchers Deci and Ryan developed Self-Determination Theory to explain how healthy motivation is attained and sustained. They identified three basic human needs to explain what keeps us engaged: autonomy, feeling in control of your own behaviour and goals; competence, mastering tasks and learning different skills; and relatedness, feeling connected to other people.

When these needs are met, we feel good and function well, gaining a sense of control over our goals and our life. It’s far easier to flourish from a place of self-determination. 

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Reaching for the sky

Just as it’s important to understand what motivates you, having a solid understanding of what holds you back can help you to overcome it. Fear of failing is a common worry that regularly gets in the way of being bold, speaking up or releasing your creativity.

Try silencing your inner critic for just a moment – in reality, what’s the worst that can happen if you decide to go for it? It does take dedication because we all have these inbuilt insecurities and internal struggles to face and process.

Any highly motivated person will tell you they’ve had to work on themselves and deepen their self-awareness to move past the very same blocks that might be holding you back right now. The good news is that once you do, the sky will be the limit…

“We may encounter many defeats, but we must not be defeated.”

Maya Angelou

Put it into practice

Visualise.

Close your eyes and use your imagination to dream up what’s possible. Watch yourself achieving your goals. Then start taking steps towards making your dreams into a reality.

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Learn.

Take in as much knowledge as you can. Speak to people, be curious and find out the facts about what it takes to gain the skills to succeed. Surrounding yourself with ambitious people will help you to learn from them and their experiences and motivate you further.

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Focus on you.

Rather than working towards what others think you should do, or comparing yourself to others, work out what’s most important to you and what you deeply desire. Stay true to yourself and focussed on achieving what lights you up!

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Rethink an existing goal.

If you’re struggling to achieve something, reframe it in a clearer and more positive way. For instance, switch “I want to lose weight” to “I want to be fit and healthy enough to run the Manchester 10K with my best friend in May to raise money for MIND”. This has the power to rapidly transform your goal from a chore into something you just can’t wait to do. 

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Get clear.

Having crystal clarity on what you’re setting your sights on will help you to aim high and allow you to go get it.

“It always seems impossible until it’s done.”

Nelson Mandela

Holding out for happiness

Achieving your goals and reaching for the stars is great for your motivation, but it's not the only way that you can be happy. Discover how to become happier in just two weeks with Gathered.