When you think about motivation, what thoughts cross your mind? Perhaps a marathon athlete determined to reach the finish line. What about a college student who passes his final exams before graduating? The exact definition of motivation can vary from person to person. No matter what your personal interpretation of motivation is, your piece in the success puzzle is vital.
Motivation is the empowering force behind life change. It’s the magic that happens when you know exactly what you want and possess the burning desire to do what it takes to get it—the substance that keeps your dreams on track. With motivation, you have the potential to continually touch your dreams. Without motivation, where would our power be to survive the hard times?
There is nothing like the intrinsic energy that constantly propels you forward in the pursuit of your dreams. The ability to set goals, work hard, and pursue your passions is a joy that can never be taken away from you. If you do, once you do, your desire to consistently complete goals can become addictive. You may be asking yourself “How can I continually reproduce my motivation to pursue my passion and achieve my dreams?” Here are 5 simple steps to endless motivation and power:
1. Be visual with your vision
Create a vision board and fill it with images of your desired goals and dreams. The luxury car you want to drive (or have been driven for you), the mansion you want to live in, and the amount of money you want to have in the bank will understandably be on your lists. However, don’t just stop at the surface level; dig deeper. Really spend some time meditating and thinking deeply. Think not just about the things you want to have, but about the person you want to become. Include the character traits you want to model and the reputation you want to have. Don’t forget the goals you want to achieve. Be sure to write them down. Include photos of family and friends, potential travel destinations, and anything that will elicit an emotional response and get your heart pumping. As you review the potential pieces of your vision board, think “What passionately inspires me?”
Time is one of the most valuable non-refundable resources we have. You can use it completely or lose it forever.
2. Have time value
If you haven’t already, start appreciating the value of time. Time is one of the most valuable non-refundable resources we have. You can use it completely or lose it forever. If your ultimate goal is to create change, you’re going to have to invest a great deal of time to make it happen. You can start by reducing the time you spend on superfluous things for your goals. Take into account the time you spend on activities like watching TV, spending weekends at the mall, partying excessively, traveling, and even spending a great deal of time visiting family and friends. Since these things can bring you short-term joy in the present, but it will not help you get what you want or where you want to be. Remember that time is a non-refundable resource, and you should not so easily allow excessive activities to rob you of something so precious. You may be wondering, “How can I use all this time most effectively?” The answer is, by reinvesting it in yourself and your goals. Don’t forget to remember this: No one knows the exact amount of time you have here on earth. As much as it is, the number is fixed. What counts is not how much time you have, but how you choose to use it. The contrast is, will you let time pass or make the most of the valuable resources you have?
3. Get excited
Not satisfied with the position you are currently in? Do you want to change your situation or environment? Get excited about where you are. How anxious are you about your position in life right now? Do your actions and emotions model challenge and change, or conformity and comfort? Check your attitude towards change. Is he biased and intolerant of change, or does he model motivational mannerisms? So ask yourself “Why do I want to change?” Is it because you are TIRED of feeling UNSATISFIED? Do you feel BORED and INCOMPLETE with your life? Are you SICK and TIRED of repeating the same cycle day after day? Are you feeling INSPIRED to get more out of life? Are you uncomfortable enough to change? If not, get uncomfortable, get excited and move!
4. Have self-pity
Sometimes we can be our own biggest critic. Give yourself a break for God’s sake. You wonder why you are not normal or if you are normal. The answer is yes!” Normal people make mistakes. Normal people fall short… Normal people pick themselves up, dust themselves off, and move on after a mistake or misstep. A wise man once told me: “It’s not how many times you fall down that counts, but how many times you get up and keep going. So let me ask you, what makes you think that your road to success is paved with perfection? The road you drive on on the Real life isn’t perfectly paved and sometimes you may hit a bump. Will you let that bump define your character, or keep your eyes on the prize as you fight for your future? Having compassion for yourself will leave past experiences behind, it will learn lessons from them and give you space to hold on to your future.
5. Face your fear(s)
Face your fears, just you. Fear is the hold that is determined to stop you where you are and deprive you of your dreams. It is the eternal obstacle with the potential to change direction at any moment, no matter how many times we have faced it in the past. Are you going to let this pernicious imposter crush your dreams, steal your joy and divert you from your destiny? Imagine this nagging thought that haunts your final days: “I didn’t achieve my goals and dreams because I was too afraid to live.” Will the thought matter, or will it be too late to conquer fear by then? Affirm that you will not allow fear to spoil your spirit and take action to confront your fears, now!
5 common fears:
Fear to fail
fear of the first step
fear of real success
fear of incompetence
fear of the unknown
With the feelings you get when you achieve your goals, it’s no wonder why you’d want to repeat the process all over again. Like the marathon runner who wins the race, you want to succeed again and again. As your burning desire increases, implementing these simple steps will increase the size of your motivation. You will retain the strength to face your fears, forgive yourself for your failures, and live a life where you consistently achieve your goals. With new and infinite motivation and power, what new goals and dreams will you set and achieve?
