Motivation

I wish finding and keeping motivation was more like buying some oranges when you need vitamin C and less like trying to catch a greased pig. 

Motivation like so much else is goal driven. It’s hard to continue to pursue something for very long if you don’t have a reason to do it. Plus you need an expectation of when you will have achieved something. 

What Do You Want to Do?

Most people want to change at least one thing in their life. But it can be challenging to find the motivation just to make a start.  Maybe if we can understand what motivation means on a personal level it might help us find our own way to get there. 

So your motivation is goal dependent. The simplest example I can think of is:

Motivation drives human behavior. Also, it fuels competition ( even competing with yourself), and  social interaction. Motivation is ultimately our desire to find meaning, a purpose and see a reward.

So obviously, the first step is to set achievable goals. “I want to achieve something, how do I stay at it?”

Get Motivation

Find a way to include the goal in your routine and put a time frame on it.  Journal your progress.

If it’s a big goal break it up into achievable objectives 

When you’ve met an objective give yourself a reward (remember Pomodoro) 

Use positive self-talk to get past a set-back and help battle depression. “I can’t” becomes “I can’t yet, but I will.” Review successes.

Reach out for help.

Find a mentor that can help you see a big picture, break down tasks and help you enjoy the journey.

Keep Motivation

Review your goals and progress. Seeing progress is a motivator and builds pride and self-esteem.

Expand your goal or set new goals. By doing so you reinforce how this goal fits the bigger picture. 

Use Mindfulness to help with relaxation and focus. 

Introduce new challenges. If you have done something many times and it’s getting stale or boring, find a more challenging way that forces you to learn something new. Adding incremental challenges can help you improve your skills, feel more motivated, and bring you one step

Then Self-Assess. What have you learned from the process? What actions have been the most effective and rewarding? And, what has worked? Assessments like these can fine-tune your future actions to achieve better results.

Keep track of good ideas and think of ways to use your actions. 

• A report can be turned into a publication or a seminar.  
• Keeping a list of problems/solutions can be turned into “Frequently Asked Questions.”
• Can you create a new way to do something? Perhaps it’s marketable. 

Losing Your Motivation? 

Go back to beginning. Look at your goal. Why did you want to do this in the first place. 

Are your goals realistic? Do you need to adjust, break them down?

Borrow some motivation. Read a book on the goal, join a group, talk to someone who has reached a similar goal. 

Reach out to a professional. A business coach or life coach can help with road blocks and maybe get you back on track. 

Sometimes, if possible, you just need to take a breath and a break and then start anew. 

There is so much information and help out there on motivation for different types of goals. There are great Podcasts on motivation, Plus the following excellent books:

Admiral William H. McRaven Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life…And Maybe the World

Briana Hollis LSW Self-Motivation Quotes for Women: Words of Wisdom to Empower and Inspire

Motivation is important in everything we do. Whether it’s completing a task on time at work, losing weight, breaking a bad habit, or tackling  a personal crisis, motivation provides the movement towards your goals. Also, it helps you solve problems and change old habits. It’s what gets us up in the morning. And finally, motivation gets you out of that chair to go make that sandwich. 

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