When your motivation is low, examining your true intentions can jumpstart action. Why is it so hard to start on, stick with, and achieve your goals? Maybe you just need a little self-examination. , you’ve probably spent a lot of time seeking a surefire formula that will get you to start, stick to, and/or finish work on your own top goals. You may also have discovered that your procrastinatory habits have the uncanny ability to transition from one anticipated goal to a totally different one. As a personal example, I truly enjoy writing—most of the time—and at some point after I embarked on a writingis critical for staying healthy as I age—I have demonstrated a remarkable ability to come up with excuses for not doing it regularly. That's because knowing youAnd wishing that we could get the results without effort, as many among us have done, doesn't necessarily mean we're lazy. But it may mean we haven't yet come across the rightcould come in handy. It features fresh insights to add to your personal “do it” arsenal, and he writes with endearing self-deprecation and what seems like a great deal of compassion for the habitual procrastinator.Throughout the book, Bailey suggests you ponder deeply and reflect honestly on your own motives. Or, to put it another way, you can"interview" yourself to help figure out what's holding you back. To get a sense of the best way to do that, I asked for help from an expert in"motivational interviewing," which is a form of counseling that I believe ought to be more widely known and used. Elizabeth Barnett, Ph.D., who has spent her career researching, teaching, and using motivational interviewing, agreed to answer this question: Can you use motivational interviewing on yourself and how would you suggest someone begin such a strategy?When I used to offer my dad some leftover snacks , he'd say to me,"What? You have no willpower?" Offering my extra snacks to him was one way I avoided trusting my willpower; another way was never shopping when hungry.you want to exercise rather than focusing on the associated difficulties. Include your emotions in this conversation with yourself. Ask:"If you were exercising consistently, how would that feel in a month?" or"What are the top three reasons you want to be healthier?"Listen closely to your own answers, as those are your intrinsic motivators. Then, gently explore small, manageable steps forward based on those answers.aversive, tedious, unpleasant parts, but we can compensate for those, making them more attractive to us. This is where Bailey, Barnett, and my own research and experience lead to a similar suggestion: Make it more likely you’ll enter into a flow state and you'll find youThis may involve exploring ways to raise the challenge just enough to make it more like playing a game. In fact, Bailey writes about ways to “gamify” your actions, and I, too, have found that the right amount of challenge is a real motivator.to make it much more likely you’ll follow through. How connected are your intentions with your deeply held values?When I was just starting out as a writer, getting published overruled nearly everything else for me. But when one of my earlyessays that a Southern Baptist magazine bought was changed by the editors to say that me and my husband had prayed for guidance to solve a particular parenting issue—which we most definitely had not—I realized I could no longer write for that publication. Its conflict with my own humanistic values made me too uncomfortable.over what we accomplish. In setting goals, it's important to accept that you will only be able to predict the results of your efforts. Writers and other creatives of many kinds must learn this. You could be doing everything extremely well, and still not reach a goal that depends on others to need or want what you're creating.you have in you. If you believe you have four focused hours to do your deep work, as Bailey does, keep your goals congruent with that. Four may be a lot for some of us, but even with an hour a day, we can achieve a lot over time.you have, at least at this point in your life. If so, maybe it's time to let yourself off the hook withoutFind a Life Coaching TherapistSelf Tests are all about you. Are you outgoing or introverted? Are you a narcissist? Does perfectionism hold you back? Find out the answers to these questions and more with Psychology Today.