The Secret to Motivation
One of the most challenging aspects of goal achievement is getting motivated to do what it takes to achieve the goal, and to continue the momentum until you achieve your desired outcome.
Have you ever noticed that, sometimes, your motivation is a level 10 on a scale of 1 to 10, and it’s almost as if you’re being pulled effortlessly in the direction of your goal? And then other times, it feels like you’re stuck in quicksand, and your motivation is a level zero, even though your goal is something you truly want to achieve?
Of course, we’ve all experienced both ends of the motivation spectrum. By understanding the dynamics of motivation, and learning effective ways to get and stay motivated, you’ll be better equipped to navigate through the challenges of life, and increase the likelihood of achieving success – whatever that looks like for you.
Motivation is simply the desire or willingness to do something. It encompasses your motives, needs, and drives that influence you to behave in a certain way. At a basic level, motivation is driven by the desire to avoid or decrease pain or the desire to create or increase pleasure.
There are a number of things we can do to get and stay motivated:
1. Know your why. There’s a saying that, “If the ‘why’ is strong enough, the ‘how’ will come.” This is a powerful psychological principle that causes us to be driven – to be “pulled” even – as a result of the reason we have for doing so. We occasionally read stories of heroic endeavors like someone lifting a car to save a person who is trapped beneath it, or fending off a wild animal to rescue a child from imminent danger. We can achieve great things, when we’re driven by a compelling reason for doing so.
2. Have a clear vision of what success looks like. By knowing your specific outcomes, you’ll be able to measure progress toward the achievement of your goals. As you notice your forward progress, you’ll be inspired to continue the actions that have caused that progress. The process will motivate you as you take more action, and then notice the positive results from doing so.
3. Break your big goals down into small, manageable tasks. A big goal can be overwhelming, and that overwhelm might cause your motivation level to wane. They say the way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time. And so it is with your goals. When the task is simple, easy to understand, and easier to do, you’ll be more inclined to find the motivation to follow through and complete it.
4. Create affirmations and other positive stimuli. Surrounding yourself with positivity is an effective way to reinforce the actions you want to take. In the absence of such stimuli, it’s easy to find reasons not to do something that we know we need to do. Write down positive statements that affirm what it is you want to achieve, and read or even say them out loud frequently.
5. Surround yourself with like-minded people. Everyone likes to be encouraged and celebrated. It feels good when we know others care about us and share an appreciation for what we’re trying to achieve. Think about times when you’ve participated in activities with other people who share your interest, and what a difference that makes in our level of motivation.
The strategies above will definitively help, and yet the most important piece of advice I can give you is this: Just do it.
It sounds like a Steven Wright joke: “I was asked to give a motivational speech, but I didn’t feel like doing it.” But it’s so true, isn’t it? We often know what we need to do, but we’re waiting for the inspiration to do it.
I’ve studied success for over 30 years. In researching what causes some people to be successful while others fall short, I’ve found the biggest differentiator is that successful people do what they know they need to do to be successful, even when they don’t feel like it.
Everyone has experienced times when they don’t feel like exercising, or they don’t feel like working on an assignment for school or work, or they don’t feel like making an important phone call or having a crucial conversation.
Professional golfers don’t always “feel like” hitting 100 chips shots a day around the green during practice. The best NBA free-throw shooters don’t always “feel like” shooting 100 free throws every day after practice. The most prolific writers don’t always feel like writing every day. Top salespeople have days when they don’t want to prospect. But they do. And that’s what separates them from others around them.
The big “secret” to motivation is to take consistent action toward the achievement of your desired outcomes – whether you feel like it or not – rather than waiting for the motivation or the inspiration to do so. It’s what all high achievers do, and it’s what you’ll need to do, too, if you want to create success.
The example for me that stands out is running. I don’t always “feel like” running. But I can’t think of a time when I’ve gotten dressed in my running clothes, put on my shoes, and gone out for a run, and then afterwards thought, “Wow, that really sucked.”
There were many times when I thought, “I really don’t feel like doing this.” And sometimes it took a mile or so to overcome that feeling. But I’m glad when I take action in spite of my lack of motivation, because the inspiration kicks in along the way.
I hope that helps. Now go out and do the thing you’ve been putting off!
