What
motivates us? In some respect, different things motivate different people.
However, there are some common motivators that most people can agree motivate
them such as monetary rewards, respect, love, prestige/pride, esprit de corps,
good health, physical appearance, faith or closely-held beliefs.
This is, by no means, a comprehensive list, but it’s a good start in order to
get my readers thinking about things that motivate. What motivates you? To
create a correlation between today’s blog post and and my previous one, I would like to
point out that motivation is an exceedingly important factor in accomplishing
one’s goals. In order to continue working towards a goal, continued motivation
is of the utmost importance. For example, have you ever started on a project or
endeavor of some sort with a ton of excitement and motivation, only to have
that zeal fizzle out gradually over the next couple of months? I know I have,
for sure!
What causes a loss of motivation? Sit back readers, and I will tell you over the next few paragraphs. Identifying what kills motivation will help you to avoid those pitfalls and hopefully be more successful in accomplishing your goals.
1. Fatigue
will kill your motivation faster than you can imagine. You not only need to
pace yourself, but you need to ensure you have enough energy on a daily basis.
Get enough rest at night and eat nutritious food. Do not spread yourself too
thin because this leads to both fatigue and burnout. Strive to live a balanced life.
2. Another thing that destroys motivation is a lack of progress or a lack of results. Are you finding you're not making the progress you think you should? Are things moving too slowly? This might be a good time to reevaluate your goals. Are they specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound? Sometimes goals change or your plans for achieving goals change. That's okay! Make new goals, or find new paths to accomplish your goals! You may also need to adjust the time frame to accomplish your goals. Be resilient and make your goals resilient and adaptable, also. This is really where a life coach would be convenient, but a good friend who is invested in you can be a viable second choice. Make sure you are not doing things that sabotage your own progress. If you are finding it difficult to meet benchmarks or make sufficient progress, you may want to try a new venture. Take an inventory of your talents and what you like/dislike and decide what to do in light of your progress and ability/desire to continue in that direction.
3. Some people may not like me for saying this, but alcohol and drugs can really mess with your motivation. If you are trying to accomplish goals, stay sober. Abuse of alcohol and use of illicit drugs can easily become an addiction, which then moves that substance to the center of your life and does not leave enough room to effectively stay motivated to accomplish your goals. At this point, your motivation is to feed your addiction, not to get ahead in life or do something else productive. If you're drinking everyday, you're drinking too much. Keep alcohol use to one day a week and have a plan to be safe beforehand; do not drink and drive or allow yourself to be in situations where you are likely to do something stupid. If you're involved in illicit substances, you may need to see an addictions counselor to begin treatment. Substance addiction is powerful, and people ensnared by it don't realize the danger until it is too late. In addition to this, a person addicted to substances is not a good candidate for life coaching because their ability to think and make decisions on a daily basis is compromised. When it comes to alcohol, moderation is key. If you have friends and family members telling you repeatedly that you drink too much, you might want to take a yearlong break from alcohol or even stop completely. To an addicted drinker, long-term, sustained sobriety seems anathema.
4. If you want to keep your motivation up, stay away from 'Debbie Downers;' people who are negative all of the time and especially who put you down or crush your ideas. If you're around negative people all of the time, it WILL wear on you. Limit your time with negative people, and you may want to let them know that their negativity is really bummin' you out. Being honest and direct is the best service you can do for negative people; enough negative feedback about their negativity and they will be motivated to change. Something valuable I learned in the Biblical Leadership and Ethics class at Corban University while pursuing my MBA is to emphasize the positive and minimize or redirect the negative. I like being around people who do this, and I think most people do as well. Being around positive people will bring you up, and being around negative people will bring you down. Have you ever heard the old saying "Misery loves company"? People who are miserable like to make other people miserable, using them to feel better about themselves because they are then not the only one who is miserable. Don't be used by a negative person.
5. Make an effort to not be negative, yourself. Stay positive! Adopt a good attitude about life every morning you wake up. I find that when I wake up and do a quick workout and drink one of my Isagenix shakes, it puts me in a position to start the day right and continue in that positive direction. Make a decision to do everything in your power to have a good day. When you're staying positive, it's much easier to be motivated. Do not let your own negativity rear its ugly head. You can do a lot better in life by staying positive and having a good attitude.
6. Do not isolate. Stay connected to people who are motivated by the same or similar things as you are. If you're an aspiring author, join a writer's group. If you're an up and coming entrepreneur, associate yourself with a group of people who are heading in that direction. If you are an athlete, make friends and associates who are interested in fitness. Your combined excitement and positivity about your shared interests/goals is a force multiplier for your motivation and theirs, also.
I could write volumes and volumes about motivation. I am almost certain I will continue writing about motivation in this blog because it is the key to accomplishment. However, for now I must bid you adieu. It has taken me several days to complete this post because I have been busy having fun on my vacation.
2. Another thing that destroys motivation is a lack of progress or a lack of results. Are you finding you're not making the progress you think you should? Are things moving too slowly? This might be a good time to reevaluate your goals. Are they specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound? Sometimes goals change or your plans for achieving goals change. That's okay! Make new goals, or find new paths to accomplish your goals! You may also need to adjust the time frame to accomplish your goals. Be resilient and make your goals resilient and adaptable, also. This is really where a life coach would be convenient, but a good friend who is invested in you can be a viable second choice. Make sure you are not doing things that sabotage your own progress. If you are finding it difficult to meet benchmarks or make sufficient progress, you may want to try a new venture. Take an inventory of your talents and what you like/dislike and decide what to do in light of your progress and ability/desire to continue in that direction.
3. Some people may not like me for saying this, but alcohol and drugs can really mess with your motivation. If you are trying to accomplish goals, stay sober. Abuse of alcohol and use of illicit drugs can easily become an addiction, which then moves that substance to the center of your life and does not leave enough room to effectively stay motivated to accomplish your goals. At this point, your motivation is to feed your addiction, not to get ahead in life or do something else productive. If you're drinking everyday, you're drinking too much. Keep alcohol use to one day a week and have a plan to be safe beforehand; do not drink and drive or allow yourself to be in situations where you are likely to do something stupid. If you're involved in illicit substances, you may need to see an addictions counselor to begin treatment. Substance addiction is powerful, and people ensnared by it don't realize the danger until it is too late. In addition to this, a person addicted to substances is not a good candidate for life coaching because their ability to think and make decisions on a daily basis is compromised. When it comes to alcohol, moderation is key. If you have friends and family members telling you repeatedly that you drink too much, you might want to take a yearlong break from alcohol or even stop completely. To an addicted drinker, long-term, sustained sobriety seems anathema.
4. If you want to keep your motivation up, stay away from 'Debbie Downers;' people who are negative all of the time and especially who put you down or crush your ideas. If you're around negative people all of the time, it WILL wear on you. Limit your time with negative people, and you may want to let them know that their negativity is really bummin' you out. Being honest and direct is the best service you can do for negative people; enough negative feedback about their negativity and they will be motivated to change. Something valuable I learned in the Biblical Leadership and Ethics class at Corban University while pursuing my MBA is to emphasize the positive and minimize or redirect the negative. I like being around people who do this, and I think most people do as well. Being around positive people will bring you up, and being around negative people will bring you down. Have you ever heard the old saying "Misery loves company"? People who are miserable like to make other people miserable, using them to feel better about themselves because they are then not the only one who is miserable. Don't be used by a negative person.
5. Make an effort to not be negative, yourself. Stay positive! Adopt a good attitude about life every morning you wake up. I find that when I wake up and do a quick workout and drink one of my Isagenix shakes, it puts me in a position to start the day right and continue in that positive direction. Make a decision to do everything in your power to have a good day. When you're staying positive, it's much easier to be motivated. Do not let your own negativity rear its ugly head. You can do a lot better in life by staying positive and having a good attitude.
6. Do not isolate. Stay connected to people who are motivated by the same or similar things as you are. If you're an aspiring author, join a writer's group. If you're an up and coming entrepreneur, associate yourself with a group of people who are heading in that direction. If you are an athlete, make friends and associates who are interested in fitness. Your combined excitement and positivity about your shared interests/goals is a force multiplier for your motivation and theirs, also.
I could write volumes and volumes about motivation. I am almost certain I will continue writing about motivation in this blog because it is the key to accomplishment. However, for now I must bid you adieu. It has taken me several days to complete this post because I have been busy having fun on my vacation.
My secret identity has been compromised.
No comments:
Post a Comment