Lack of motivation still runs unrestrained. It stonewalls us at every turn and twist. But as a wise man once said – “People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing - that's why we recommend it daily.”

How to motivate yourself isn’t taught in schools. It is something each of us must learn to do on one’s own…or take the help of the web for some pointers. One of the pointers that will serve you well is to keep motivation triggers simple.

The simpler it is, the easier it will be to spend more time on action rather than the rigmarole of motivational mumbo jumbo. So, here are four really simple ways you can motivate yourself.

Don’t Break the Chain

Do you believe that a series of successful actions can spur you towards continuing the habit of success? If you do then Don’t Break the Chain is a motivational app that should be on your daily to-do list. It is apparently based upon a technique used by Jerry Seinfeld, the American stand-up comedian. It uses a simple 3-step process:

1. Pick a goal.

2. Mark off the days on which you work toward that goal.

3. Use your chain of marked off days as a motivator.

As you can see, it is a simple calendar based app that allows you to mark off successful days with a click. Registering into the site enables you to manage your chains and configure the calendar.

iDoneThis

This minimalistic app also believes in the “streak”. You get an email everyday asking you about your achievement for the day. Successful days are marked on a calendar, and the streak of successful days should motivate you to continue with what’s making it all happen in the first place. As the site says - Inch by inch, anything’s a cinch. This app works just as effectively for teams as it does for personal have done’s.

LazyMeter [No Longer Available]

LazyMeter is a nice and neat app that simplifies your over-complicated to-do list; one of the main bugbears for lack of productivity. LazyMeter focuses on one day and task at a time. It doesn’t allow you to over reach and take on too much at one time.

The interface comes with pause ‘n play buttons that help you manage tasks. You can place the task you are currently engaged in into the play category and the remaining ones in the pause category. Pressing pause delays the task and you can take it up later. Tasks can be halted by using the Stop category and completed tasks appear in the Completed category. A progress bar is a visual indicator of how you are faring with your tasks. Productivity can also be visualized with the help of simple stats and a bar chart.

Aherk

This is the first time I have hear about a “self-blackmailing” motivational service. But Aherk.com is intriguing. The site uses fear and pressure (though in a fun and harmless way) to motivate action. Aherk uses the social community (and Facebook) as a blackmailing medium. Set a goal and upload an embarrassing picture of yourself. If you don’t want the photo to be displayed for everyone on Facebook, you better get down to the grind and finish your task within the deadline. This app asks for a bit of risk taking on your part, but the results could be worth it.

We have covered a lot of ground when it comes to personal development and self-improvement. Behind both lies the propellant of motivation. Check out our complete range of motivational posts and pick out the simplest ones which you use. If it’s not here, tell us about your favorite motivational app.

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