We all have dreams we aspire to and goals we'd love to reach. Every single day, we take baby steps or giant steps in our journey or plan to achieve them. But, from time to time, we can feel a bit apathetic and unambitious. We feel like phoning it in.

Without some healthy motivation, you can easily get stuck and feel an utter lack of inspiration. Not only can it bring your spirits down, but, if it occurs too often, it can also cause you to stall or interrupt your goals. Not just pushing them off, but abandoning them altogether. So, instead of surrendering, get back that drive and pick up where you left off! Here are eight ways to feel inspired when you've lost motivation, so you can get out of a rut and back on track to conquering those goals and reaching your dreams.

1. Reflect on the Past
One way to feel inspired is to remember the journey. When you lose motivation, reflect on the past to remind you how far you've come. Remembering or seeing all you've accomplished can help you find faith in yourself and remind you to trust your instincts far more often. If it's a life-long dream, trace it as far back as you can, even to when you were a child.

When reconnecting with your goals, look forward as well. Don't get bogged down in the nitty-gritty details and don't lose sight of goals. Instead, take it one step at a time, look to the horizon, and imagine all the success that is to come.

2. Read Inspirational Quotes
Sometimes a quote or heartfelt sentiment is all you need to inspire you and raise your spirits. To explore and discover quotes from famous authors, philosophers, and activists, take a look at this extensive list from Goodreads.

Furthermore, when reading through it, make note of quotes that inspire you. Keep them close by in a journal or even create an image for a Pinterest board. That way, you can reflect back to them whenever you need some motivation.

3. Set Intentions and Make Affirmations
One way to feel inspired is to set intentions and make affirmations. Meditate and say daily affirmations out loud to ground yourself and feel a sense of self-identity. You could even get creative with a vision board to reflect back to when you feel a lack of motivation. And be sure to add an inspirational quote or two!

Setting intentions for the day can allow you to see the big picture and project a positive outlook. Positive affirmations are a wonderful regular practice to make a lasting, long-term motivation.

4. Be Optimistic and Project Positivity
Think positive thoughts. It seems simple, right? But, much like positive affirmations, it works! As you hit a roadblock in a project or get stuck with a task, losing all motivation, think all of all the wonderful outcomes through rose-colored glasses. Visualize these and perceive them as a success to inspire you to take the first step toward achieving your goals.

While you project this positivity, you may discover that negative emotions want to rise up. However, don't push them away. Instead, recognize them and ask yourself what is negative about them. Does something scare you? Dig deep and ask yourself why. Often, confronting your fears can wash away any negative thoughts that pop up next time you begin to feel uninspired. It can make all the difference!

5. Find an Accountability Partner
Find a friend or family member you trust who will hold you accountable to your goals and dreams. Whether you both act as accountability buddies toward a common goal or ask that they occasionally check in on your progress, an accountability partner keeps you on your toes and confronts you when you try to blow off or shy away from goals.

6. Find or Create Your Ideal Environment
Your surrounding environment plays a large role in helping you feel inspired. Take notice of the environment and conditions that charge you and motivate you. Is it a quiet corner of the home or is it a busy cafe with background chatter and white noise? Are you an early bird who prefers to work in the morning or night owl who loves to burn the midnight oil?

In the same vein, don't just find your ideal environment, but create it and make it yours! Declutter your workspace and decorate it with colorful artwork or tapestries with inspiring messages. Add fun decorations to brighten up your day and place a frame of a loved one nearby. Light a scented candle to ignite all of the senses. Sometimes the atmosphere and ambiance can mess with our subconscious, which can suffocate us and cause us to lose motivation.

7. Avoid Burnout
Don't wake up every morning and hit the ground running. Even if you're a go-getter, burnout is absolutely real and can eventually lead to a loss of motivation. This is when it helps to start your day with some visualizations, meditations, or affirmations. Setting your daily intentions and focusing on your goals can make you feel inspired to start the day. You could also take a break and spend a self-care day, instead of forcing yourself to work or feel inspired. Sometimes, turning your brain off can allow it to recharge.

8. Have Fun and Be Gentle with Yourself
Don't take things too seriously or you'll find yourself stressed out way quicker. Instead, when it comes to conquering your goals, have a little fun with it! While the end goal may be significant to you, treat the smaller tasks like fun games to keep you entertained along the way. Set a schedule and try to beat the deadline faster than you expect. An accountability buddy can also help to make each task more fun. Also, be gentle with yourself and know it's okay to stumble. Take a self-care day to center yourself, and remember … it's the journey that matters.