Physical activity is one way you can directly influence your brain chemistry and set the stage for feeling motivated.

Exercise is a great way to trigger the release of feel-good hormones. Aside from dopamine, there's also serotonin, adrenaline, and endorphins that can put you in a state of post-workout bliss.

Don’t underestimate the link between your overall health and mental well-being. These have a direct effect on your level of motivation, so make the time for cardio and other related activities.

Another way to light that fire inside you is by looking to other people who have the level of success you want. Study their process and the steps they took to get where they are today.

Chances are they have a book, video blog, podcast or some other medium where they teach other people to follow in their footsteps. Reading about their accomplishments and learning their story is an external source of motivation you can internalize.

Research from the American Psychological Association (APA) uncovered a phenomenon where you can create what they call “intrinsic rewards” by observing other people.

The more you feel in control of a task or project, the more motivated you’ll be to see it through. On the contrary, feeling forced to do something drains your energy to get it done.

Most people don’t realize they act like their own boss and crack the whip on themselves. Not only is this approach demoralizing, but it's also incredibly demotivating.

By giving yourself options to choose from, you’ll feel more empowered – which, of course, boosts your motivation in the process.

One has a higher chance of getting work done (by up to 90 percent, in fact) by breaking down big goals into smaller, specific tasks.

By quantifying your goals with a specific metric, it feels more concrete and doable. Once you have these mini-goals in place, you can start tackling them one by one.

Write your big goals, then make a list of related tasks under each one. Do this a day in advance (like the night before) so you can hit the ground running first thing in the morning.

Then as you chip away significant chunks from your overall goal, the more motivated you’ll feel.

While it's crucial to get motivation from accomplishing your goals, it's also helpful to give yourself a dopamine boost before getting started.

As such, you'll find that it's hugely beneficial to develop the habit of creating a vivid picture of your desired outcome. Spend about 5-10 minutes every day visualizing yourself enjoying your dream life as if it’s happening now.

Thinking about the results of your hard work will release neurochemicals that will get you pumped for the task ahead.bThink about what it would FEEL like to finally get your big goals done.

Your beliefs also have a great deal to do with being motivated. Perception is a dominant force, and it can dictate the very course of your life.

Aside from visualizing the outcome, giving yourself the right beliefs is also an effective way to design your reality.

Affirmations are an excellent way to do this. These are statements you can repeat to yourself so you can rewire your belief system.

Rewrite the story in your head by using powerful statements.