1. Seeking perfection and rising above inadequac

The Prophet  said: “Allah likes what is noble and dislikes what is petty” , meaning every act that is bad and inferior. The Quran urges us to strive for excellence, as that act differentiates between good and bad, those who are knowledgeable and those who are not, those who fight and those who abstain, and between pioneers and loiterers.

In various verses, it favors those who are more esteemed in terms of perfection. For instance, Allah The Almighty Says (what means):

- {Is one who is devoutly obedient during periods of the night, prostrating and standing [in prayer], fearing the Hereafter and hoping for the mercy of his Lord, [like one who does not]? Say, "Are those who know equal to those who do not know?" Only they will remember [who are] people of understanding.} [Quran 39:9], and,

- {Not equal are those believers remaining [at home] - other than the disabled - and the mujaahidoon, [who strive and fight] in the cause of Allah with their wealth and their lives. Allah has preferred the mujaahidoon through their wealth and their lives over those who remain [behind], by degrees. And to both Allah has promised the best [reward]. But Allah has preferred the mujaahidoon over those who remain [behind] with a great reward.} [Quran 4:95]

Likewise, the Prophet  urged his Ummah toward attaining perfection and rising above shortcomings. He  said: “The strong believer is better and dearer to Allah than the weak believer and in each one there is goodness. Be eager to [do] what is beneficial and seek the Help of Allah and never be weak.”

Moreover, he  said: “The one who does not work hard will not be saved by his honorable lineage.” Thus, whoever desires to be highly motivated should aspire to perfection and overcome trivial matters.

2. Abandoning worldly pleasures

In other words, despising life and being wary of its domination and control over the heart is significant. Once, ‘Umar ibn ‘Abdul-‘Azeez sought the advice of Al-Hasan  who wrote to him, saying, “The most important factor in becoming virtuous and guiding others to righteousness is forsaking worldly pleasures. This is achieved by conviction, which, in turn, is attained through contemplation that stems from being heedful. If you think carefully about life, you will find it unworthy of your selling yourself for its sake; and, you will discover that you merit being honored by caring little about this world, for it is only a place of trials and is transitory.”

Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqaas, may Allah be pleased with him, narrates: “A man came to the Prophet  and asked him to offer him concise advice. He  said, ‘Give up hope in [possessing] what others have and be cautious of greed, which is ongoing poverty. If you pray, do so as if it were your last prayer; and beware of doing what obliges you to offer apologies.’”

Indeed, the one who renounces worldly pleasures will end up having a taste of the bliss of Paradise and the status of being close to Allah The Almighty.

3. Being concerned with one’s own affairs

Occupying oneself with matters related to others, which have no effect on the individual, is a bad habit that wastes time. And, time is a person's capital, so squandering it without doing anything useful for one’s life or religion is indeed unfavorable. Hence, the Prophet  said: “It is of a man’s goodness in faith that he leaves what does not concern him.”

4. Refraining from wasting one’s time

Again, time is life and the lucky person is the one who makes optimum use of it by capitalizing on its every moment. Those with high motivation invest every second wisely; they are always keen on making the best use of their time, so much so that even personal tragedies do not prevent them from that.

Ibn Al-Atheer  for example, wrote his great books, like Jaami' Al-‘Usool and An-Nihaayah fi Ghareeb Al-Hadeeth, when he was physically impaired. As-Sarakhsi  penned his famous treatise Al-Mabsoot, which consists of fifteen volumes, while he was imprisoned. Also, Ibn Al-Qayyim  wrote Zaad Al-Ma‘aad while he was traveling and Al-Qurtubi  wrote an explanation of Saheeh Muslim while on board a ship.

5. Striving against vain desires

There are people who exert great efforts for the sake of a whim or worthless desires. However, a highly motivated person expends much energy on behalf of his or her beliefs and propagation of Islam. The worshipper does not rest except in Paradise, which spans an area as wide as the heavens and the earth. The path is easy only for those who know [what they would like to be] their destination. Thus, strive against your own vain desires to win the greatest honor.

It was also said that a man reaches perfection only when he gives precedence to his religion over his desires, and if he instead prioritizes fulfilling his whims, he will be destroyed.

That is why the strictly devout would train themselves to contradict their personal wants, even if they may be lawful, so as to habituate themselves to the concept of abandoning fancies altogether. Hence, whoever strives against his or her vain desires and demonstrates diligence in that will certainly reap what he or she sows; and, indeed acquiring virtues requires great efforts.

6. Refraining from hope in a long life and frequent remembrance of death

The one who indulges in this becomes highly motivated and consequently, increases in good deeds. Maajidah Al-Qurashiyyah  used to say, “The sunrise and sunset have put an end to my hopes; and I expect death in every single movement that I hear.” Of the careless in this regard, she remarked, “They have prolonged their hopes and thus wasted their time. If only they had thought of death and forgotten about these [fanciful] notions, they would have found work to be easier for them.”

The Prophet  held ‘Abdullaah ibn ‘Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, and advised: “Be in life as if you were a stranger or a wayfarer, and count yourself among the people of the graves.” [Al-Bukhari] He  would also awake [for worship] after a third of the night had passed; he would then counsel: “O people! Remember Allah; remember [Him]. The blast [of the Horn that will convulse the creation] has [nearly] arrived; there will follow it a subsequent [one]. Death is imminent; death has come.” [Ahmad]

Mutarrif ibn ‘Abdullaah used to say, “Death has spoilt the fortune of the fortunate. Hence, seek prosperity that has no death.”

In conclusion, bear in mind that the most intelligent people are those who remember death frequently and prepare themselves for it.

1- Turning away from a dispiriting environment

Shaykh Muhammad Ismaa‘eel Al-Muqaddim, may Allah preserve him, said: "Man is greatly influenced by his surroundings. If he lives in a frustrating environment where lethargy, slackness and meanness are encouraged, he must abandon that and move elsewhere where he would be highly motivated. Only when he leaves behind such conditions will he get rid of its influence and enjoy the opportunity to realize distinguished objectives."

This is particularly applicable for one who has just repented, as changing his or her surroundings will stimulate motivation, which he or she is in need of, more than other believers. Turning away from an environment of disobedience to that of worship is likely to help in overcoming what initially enticed him or her toward wicked companions and bad places. Hence, he or she will be able to start anew and, with strong willpower and firm determination, adopt a transformed lifestyle.

It is a fact that a person is influenced by the wayward around him or her in the same manner that water is contaminated and changed by rotting meat that may be beside it. Therefore, a person must flee from an environment of weariness, laziness and callousness.

2- Keeping company with people known for their drive

As mentioned above, there is unanimous agreement that people are influenced by those around them. Hence, a person should befriend the righteous and those who are competitive [in doing good], and avoid the company of the wicked and evil, for a person is surely known by his or her companions. He or she must spend time with those who encourage him or her to worship Allah The Almighty, not those who do the opposite.

Moreover, it is undeniable that even looking at the righteous raises one’s morale, just as spending time with them and listening to their words of advice has a great effect. For example, upon seeing Wakee’ ibn Al-Jarraah  people used to say: "This is an angel!" Likewise, every time they encountered Muhammad ibn Seereen  they used to glorify Allah The Almighty because of the light [of piety] on his face. Al-Fudhayl ibn ‘Iyaadh  explains: "When a believer looks at another believer, it purifies the heart; however, when a person looks at a heretic innovator, it leads to [its] blindness. Indeed, the person who keeps company with one who introduces new traditions in religion is deprived of wisdom."

‘Abdullaah ibn Al-Mubaarak  once remarked: "Every time I look at Al-Fudhayl  my sadness and hatred for myself are renewed [because of his excellence in faith]"; he then burst into tears. A person should befriend those who are highly motivated and benefit from their morals and characteristics, if he or she can not be like them him/herself. Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {And when [other] relatives and orphans and the needy are present at the [time of] division, then provide for them [something] out of the estate and speak to them words of appropriate kindness.} [Quran 4:8]

If a person sincerely wants good company, he or she must stand up and take the initiative. He or she should not think that this is difficult because the One Whose help is sought is Allah The Omnipotent. A person must approach The One who has given to others that which he is seeking for himself, for He is his Lord, just as He is theirs. Allah The Almighty taught Al-Khidhr what was concealed from Moosa (Moses), and revealed to Sulaymaan (Solomon) what was unknown to Daawood (David), may Allah exalt the mention of them all.

3- Patience and perseverance

These characteristics, along with conviction, certainly help a person attain an exalted degree of piety. Indeed, a person who tastes the sweetness of good health cares little about the bitterness of patience, when, in fact, the capacity for this in believers transforms them into religious leaders. As for one who sees the path as stretched, walks slowly because of his or her low motivation. Thus, a person should remain steadfast in clinging to the truth and to faith, after sensing its beauty and tasting its sweetness. Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {O you who have believed, persevere and endure and remain stationed and fear Allah that you may be successful.} [Quran 3:200]

4- Solitude

Seclusion helps a person contemplate and think; it purifies the heart from anything that might keep it away from the Lord. Abu Haamid Al-Ghazaali  said: "A man feels forlorn and at a loss with himself when he is devoid of virtues; he therefore intensifies socializing with others to get rid of that loneliness by their company."

Some scholars say that there should be times when a person isolates him/herself to supplicate to Allah, remember Him, pray, reflect, call him/herself to account, reform the heart and address private matters that require solitude. ‘Abdullaah ibn Ahmad ibn Hanbal  used to say: "My father was the most persevering in his [self-imposed] seclusion." He  further recounts: "No one saw my father except in the mosque, at a funeral or while visiting a sick person; and he hated wandering in markets."

Some virtuous personalities have been reported to have said: "Anyone who wants to influence the human existence and transform it, must spend some time in solitude, away from the clamor of everyday life and people’s problems. There must be a period of meditation, reflection and contemplating this vast universe and its innumerable characteristics.”

There are many benefits in such seclusion, some of which are: protection from the evil of the tongue, fortification of the heart from hypocrisy, discovery of the delightfulness of obedience [to Allah The Almighty], safeguarding the sight and attaining peace in the heart, asceticism and contentment and ability to worship through contemplation and meditation.

5- Reading the biographies of those who are highly motivated

Studying the life stories of great, sincere scholars and well-known righteous people is one of the best means of encouraging virtue in oneself, for it teaches the ability to endure hardship and difficulties for the sake of noble intents and sublime goals. Moreover, it encourages a person to follow in the footsteps of those who made great sacrifices and were highly motivated to rise to the highest of ranks.