# Staying Motivated

DevFeed: [Staying Motivated](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/staying-motivated-21030.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://jakeyesbeck.com/2015/06/28/staying-motivated/>)

Published: 2015-06-28T12:00:00Z

Content type: opinion

Language: en

Sources: [Jake Yesbeck](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/jake-yesbeck.md>)

Topics: [Development](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/development.md>), [software-development](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/software-development.md>)

Tags: [development](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/development.md>), [project](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/project.md>), [projects](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/projects.md>), [software-development](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/software-development.md>)

## AI overview

The article offers practical advice for staying motivated while pursuing long-term projects, including breaking large goals into small deliverables and maintaining a steady daily pace. It warns that unrealistic expectations and procrastination can undermine progress.

## Source excerpt

Motivation is the most important thing you can control. Only with proper motivation can one reach their full potential. A Year of Commits is a project that requires a decent amount of motivation. I, like nearly every human ever, am not always the defintion of a "driven individual". It takes a large amount of effort to persevere through low points and come out the other side with something to show for it. It has been 63 days of my Year of Commits initiative and I have found a few helpful ways to keep my motivation up and morale high. 1. Make small deliverables for yourself If you embark on grandiose endeavors frequently, consider breaking pieces of them apart into small, digestible morsels of motivation goodness. Every project does not need to go at break neck speed instantly. This is especially applicable in software development. You know that project that you've been planning? The revolutionary one that you're so excited about? That project has a greater chance of completion if you don't expect finish the whole thing in an afternoon. Setting yourself up with unreasonable expectations can deflate even the most cocksure individuals. If you take some time to prioritize small deliverable pieces, you will be much more likely to achieve something. Speaking from experience, there comes a time when you have to sit back and wonder: "Why do I have 10-15 projects around 30% completion?". It might just be that you were biting off a bit more than you can chew. Take smaller bites, you will get there if you just keep going. 2. Keep moving A complementary behavior to breaking things into smaller pieces is to make every day count. As the person committed to working every single day for year, I might be a tad biased. However, I believe that maintaining at least some kind of constant pace of effort will keep motivation from dropping off a cliff. Procrastination is the greatest enemy of motivation. If you let yourself delay your tasks once, it becomes increasingly easy to delay them a