Do you long to achieve a big goal but need some help getting there? Then it's time to supercharge your motivation and turn it up to the max. Whether your goal is to run a marathon, write a best-selling novel or start your own business, here's how to get your motivation pumping:

Rachel Bridge

Rachel Bridge

1. Treat your goal as a challenge. Will achieving your goal create a solution to a problem? Is there a sense of urgency to be the first one to make something work when no-one else has succeeded in doing so? You might be trying to invent a product, for example, or write a book that really nails a contemporary issue. Channel that sense of challenge and competition to get it done.

2. Create a shortcut. Make your motivation easily accessible so you can tap into it whenever you want, and instantly remind yourself why you are doing this. Find a special quotation or piece of music that inspires you, or pin up a picture of your ultimate goal to drive you on.

3. Find a partner. If you can find a friend or colleague who is trying to achieve a goal alongside you, it can be incredibly motivating. It doesn't have to be the same goal; the important thing is to have someone to share the experience with, who will really understand that sense of achievement in reaching each milestone.

4. Get the right kit. There is nothing more demotivating than trying to make a cake without the right baking equipment, or trying to climb a mountain in old broken down shoes which let the rain in. So do yourself a favour and equip yourself with the appropriate kit for the goal you are trying to achieve. Your motivation levels will thank you for it.

5. Make sure it comes from within. Are you doing this for yourself, or because someone else wants you too? You will be far more motivated if it's truly your goal.

6. Don't force it. No one can operate at peak 100% motivation all the time. That doesn't matter. You don't have to feel motivated all the time in order to get closer to your goal. On the days when you are feeling un-excited, tired and hungover, just do the mundane admin tasks that don't require the motivational input. You will still be moving towards your goal. Save the creative stuff for when inspiration strikes.

7. Enjoy the journey. The simplest way to stay motivated is to make sure you enjoy the process as well as the goal. Otherwise you will give up long before the end. There is no point in wanting to be a top chef if you are not excited about spending most of your time in a kitchen over a hot stove. If you genuinely love the process of what you are doing and not just the end result, that will be all the motivation you need to jump out of bed in the morning and get on with the task.

Rachel Bridge is a journalist and author. The former Enterprise Editor at The Sunday Times, Rachel currently writes about entrepreneurs and successful people for The Telegraph and The Times. Her latest book, Ambition: Why It's Good to Want More and How to Get It (published by Capstone, £10.99), is available now.