Stop Waiting to Feel Motivated:

Self-Hypnosis for Motivation

 

Discover how taking action first can spark momentum, even when you don't feel ready.

 

 

By: Mel Sharpe

 

 

“Every journey starts with one step.”

 

 

Summary:

 

Motivation doesn't have to come before action. In fact, taking the first step can inspire motivation as you go. Fear, self-doubt, and negative internal dialogue are the real barriers keeping you from starting projects, passing exams, or pursuing creative work. This guide reveals how to break procrastination cycles using actionable strategies: breaking tasks into micro-steps, regulating your nervous system with breathing exercises, and using self-hypnosis to update your internal narrative. Whether you're studying for professional certifications (ARE®, CSE, Bar exam), meeting deadlines, or tackling fitness goals, you can build sustainable motivation from within: not by waiting for the perfect mindset, but by moving forward first.

 

Key Takeaways:

 

  • The Trap: Waiting to feel motivated creates procrastination loops that keep you stuck.

  • The Shift: Taking action first can inspire motivation just as effectively as motivation drives action.

  • The Tools: Self-hypnosis, task breakdown, and thought-regulation techniques that build sustainable momentum.

  • The Solution: Small daily steps compound into real progress—whether you're studying, working, or creating.

 

 

Motivation can play a large part in how we feel about our lives.

 

We often think that we need to feel motivated to start something or to complete something. I think this is just a story we tell ourselves to keep ourselves stuck. We either get stuck in a procrastination loop of never starting a task or we start and never finish. Fear has a large role to play in both of these situations.


In a PhD thesis report posted to PubMed Central, the author evaluated medical students’ motivation. Medical school is notorious for being difficult, but that doesn’t mean we can’t apply these lessons to other professions or areas of our lives. This study concluded that motivation is an important aspect of success as a student and as a test-taker because internal motivation leads to better understanding, comprehension and performance and this internal resource of motivation can benefit from productive feedback, emotional support and autonomy in how we study and learn.

 

Internal resources can help us achieve our goals.

 

Whether you are a student trying to pass your college exams or college admission exams like the MCAT or LSAT, a professional passing career license or certification exams like the ARE®, CSE, or the Bar, a professional trying to meet a deadline (most people working on large long-term projects), or a creative trying to start or complete a creative project (writer’s block anyone?), you can learn how to stay motivated.

 

 

Lack of motivation showing up in my work and creative projects.

 

When I reflect back to the last time my motivation flickered while working in a corporate setting, I realize it was when my autonomy was diminished and I wasn’t relating to the task at hand that much. Sometimes I even wondered if I was capable, and these thoughts definitely impacted my drive to move forward with the deadline.

 

I can also remember when I was struggling to move forward with the ARE® and then the CSE. A couple of times, I didn’t feel motivated to re-take an exam because I had failed it the first time. This was because I was questioning my skills and capabilities. All of these thoughts slowed me down for months and kept me from obtaining my license for years. Check out one of my recent LinkedIn post to learn more.

 

Looking at the current NCARB report, it takes over 12 years on average to become an architect. I think this has to do with a lack of motivation to get started and stay focused on studying and taking exams. When I speak to emerging professionals on why they haven’t signed up to take their exams, they don’t specifically mention a lack of motivation, but they do tell me they are afraid to start because they are afraid to fail.

 

 

Fear can hold us back from what we want in life.

 

Even when we want to do something fun or creative for ourselves, our motivation can falter. This can often happen because of the thoughts that run through our minds about “not having enough time” or “I should focus on the family instead” or “insert your favorite story” that keeps you from taking a break to do something playful or creative, or complete your creative project for work or fun.

 

 

We often think of motivation in terms of work output, but it shows up in our health goals too.

 

In addition to our work and creative projects, we also want motivation to take care of our health. How many times have you scheduled a gym visit, only to wake up and “not feel motivated” to get out of bed to get some fitness time in? It happens more than we’ll admit. Even the essential goal of being healthy can struggle to motivate us, why is this?

 

 

What is motivation?

 

Motivation refers to the processes that start and sustain goal-directed activities. These processes are personal and internal influences that lead to outcomes of choice, effort, persistence, achievement and ultimately success. We want to have agency over our own behaviors and outcomes. We only know we are successful when we can self-evaluate our progress based on our own expectations, or compare ourselves to others. This is exciting news because it means our internal thoughts and feelings can help us feel motivated and autonomous.

 

As we go through life, we start to see that feedback and emotional support play a large roll in our success. This can enhance our internal motivation, just like staying focused, being strategic and continuing to meet goals and performance expectations. One of the most important lessons here is that our own success and how we feel about our own lives is an internal affair, not something to blame on someone else.

 

 

How can self-hypnosis help you stay motivated?

 

First, I think it isn’t fair to ourselves to assume we can toggle motivation on and off. I also don’t think it helps us to assume that outwardly successful people must be able to do this.

 

Second, motivation doesn’t always initiate action. Action can trigger motivation.

 

Think about this, how many times have you been slow to start a project or not feeling that motivated to get going in the morning to the gym, but you did it anyway and once you started or got moving, you felt better and you kept going?

 

Action can lead to motivation, just as much as motivation can lead to action. If we can start moving forward, taking that first step, we will gain motivation as we go along.


 

TIP: One trick I like to share with clients when this seems to be a motivation barrier is to break a task down into smaller and smaller steps until it feels doable and then ask yourself, what is one step I can take today to move this forward? What typically happens is that they take that one step and then keep going (no matter what the outcome was on that initial step forward.)

 

If our motivation falters, listen to the thoughts you are telling yourself and question how helpful that voice is being.


 

TIP: The next time your motivation is lagging or you become aware that you are procrastinating by doom scrolling on social media or playing video games, take a pause, close your eyes and take a deep breath in with a 4-count in, pause for another 4-count, and then exhale for a 6-count through your mouth to start to regulate your nervous system. Do that again. And again. Whisper to yourself, “peace” and then start to think (or say out loud) to yourself, “I am moving forward and taking action towards my goal so that I feel successful.” Then simplify it by repeating “Moving forward,” “taking action,” “success,” “action,” “progress.” Bonus self-hypnosis step is to tie these suggestions to repetitive movement like walking or even a simple arm swinging. (be sure to only do what is comfortable and within your range of motion). When you feel better and ready to start taking action move on to the next step.

 

Now, make a list of steps that you need to take to achieve the goal. Keep breaking the tasks down until they are so small you can do at least one. This can be as simple as open the book, turn on my laptop, find the chapter I need to read, or get out my pencils/paints.

 

 

“You may have a fresh start any moment you choose,

for this thing that we call 'failure' is not the falling down, but the staying down.”

 

~ Mary Pickford

 

 

 

How we impact our own lives and minds, bringing it all together.

 

We often underestimate the power we have to change our lives by changing how we think and how we feel. Self-hypnosis is a practice that can help us change our inner narratives (like that pesky inner critic) to a more helpful mental state. When you work with a Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist, you are learning to use a valuable tool to help relax your mind, and usually your body too, by changing how you think. Through hypnosis, you can access your mind’s visualization abilities through suggestions and questions designed to help you develop a more productive mindset to achieve your goals. From here, you can feel better and more motivated.

 

 

 

Ready to move forward towards your goal?

 

Learn more about how self-hypnosis can help you stay motivated by signing up for a free consult with Mel. If you enjoyed this blog post, I would be honored if you signed up to receive my monthly-ish newsletter full of tips similar to the ones above.

 

 

 

Frequently Asked Questions: Motivation, Procrastination & Self-Hypnosis

 

Is "action triggers motivation" advice backed by science?

 

Yes. Research on Social Cognitive Theory and Self-Determination Theory confirms that starting an action can increase intrinsic motivation over time. Studies with medical students and other high-stakes learners show this pattern holds across professions.

 

How long does it take for self-hypnosis to help with motivation?

 

Most people notice shifts in their internal dialogue within 3–4 weeks of consistent practice. Daily sessions (even 5–10 minutes) build momentum faster than occasional longer sessions. The key is regularity, not duration. When you work with a Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist via Zoom like Mel Sharpe you learn from their expertise and all of your sessions and recordings are personalized to help you meet your goal.

 

Can I use these techniques if I've failed an exam before?

 

Yes, many professionals rebuilding confidence after setbacks (ARE®, CSE, Bar exam, etc.) find self-hypnosis particularly effective. It helps replace the "I can't do this" narrative with evidence-based affirmations tied to action.

 

Do I need a hypnotherapist to use self-hypnosis for motivation?

 

Not necessarily. While working with a Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist accelerates learning, the foundational techniques (breathing exercises, positive self-talk, visualization) can be practiced independently. Start with guided resources from trusted sources and join one of Mel’s free online workshops which includes a relaxation focused experience.

 

 

 

Resources to dive deeper into motivation and self-hypnosis: